Tried to compliment Home Affairs but....

A reader from Durbanville says :

I gave my feedback online but of course it doesn't send the message ... Typical! Even if you want to say something positive it's such a huge effort!

So I suggested she contact the Customer Service Centre.  This was the correspondence:

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Dear Hennie (Manager at the Customer Service Centre)

I got your e-mail adress from xxx and wanted to let you know about my experiences with contacting Home Affairs. I desperately tried to say a simple "Thank you" to Home Affairs but ...

- The Bellville Home Affairs phone number doesn't seem to work - or at least not from my landline number. I can do other phone calls, so I don't think it's a problem with my phone.

- I then filled in the feedback form on Home Affairs website. I tried twice but it wasn't sent.

- I found another link on the website to be used if any problems with the internet site occur (Internal.Communications@dha.gov.za). The e-mail also came back undelivered.

- I then called the Home Affairs 0800-number and spoke to someone who gave me the general Customer Service Centre's e-mail adress. The consultant couldn't give me an e-mail address of the Bellville office or a different number I could try. I told the consultant that I wanted to give positive feedback and I must admit that I thought she would be happy to hear about it. But she couldn't seem to bother less.

I'm used to having a difficult time getting things sorted out when complaining about a service but I find it really amusing that even if I want to say something positive it is almost impossible to get it done.

Below please find my message which I tried to send via your website.

Kind regards

Ms X

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(Message that Ms X tried to submit on the Home Affairs Website)

Dear Madam/Sir
I fill in this form to thank you for my yesterday's experience at Home Affairs Office Bellville, Western Cape. No long queues, efficient service. I went to collect my ID and was so happy when I left the office five minutes later. I had various serious problems in the past 7 years when dealing with Home Affairs (e.g., very long queues when applying for the ID, wrong information, lost applications etc) but was really, really satisfied with the service this time.
Thank you!
Kind regards,
Ms X

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Mr Meyer Responded as follows:


Sent: DD, MM, 2011 8:20 AM
Subject: Re: Feedback form on the website

Ms X

Good morning!

Thanks for your mail below. It is really ironic (and very embarrassing for us :-( ) that you were not able to send a compliment. I suppose that undoes the positive experience you had!

I can only apologise and will certainly take up the matter with the webmaster, the call centre and the manager of the Belville office of Home Affairs.

Thank you very much for the compliment! Despite the negative experiences that you have had to endure, it is really our intention to improve services to the public.

Kind regards


Hennie Meyer
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Deputy Director: Customer Service Centre
Department of Home Affairs
012-810 8008
hennie.meyer@dha.gov.za