Going beyond the call of duty
The work carried out by security guards is often left underappreciated, but this would change when one Knysna resident approached Knysna-Plett Herald wishing to express their gratitude for the work done by the guards at Woodmill Lane in particular.
Micky Greyling, a senior citizen and long-time Knysna resident, contacted KPH a couple of weeks ago with a story of how he had been helped by a security guard at Woodmill Lane who had gone above the call of duty to assist him. "The guard helped me to my car, and helped carry all my groceries as well, definitely making my life easier," Greyling said.
While to many this might rightfully not seem like the most heroic deed, Greyling made sure to note that he is not the only person he has seen the guards go out of their way to assist. "Almost every time I'm there I see one of them helping someone, and I really think we should commend them for their work."
But was Greyling right? Was he not just an isolated incident? We invited people on our Facebook page to comment on the Woodmill Lane guards, and you, our readers, did not disappoint.
The Facebook post received nearly 30 comments, with some truly incredibly stories in the comments section. "My friend and I were at an event at Woodmill Lane, and the guard was so caring of us. He walked to the lifts and checked to see that it was all clear. Came in with us and walked us to my car," said a grateful Clare Cochlan.
"I had to temporarily make use of a wheelchair and every time I visited the centre they would help me up the ramps and they do it with a smile," said Thomas Grobler. "Yesterday [15 November] the guard by the perfume shop helped an old lady in a wheelchair get into the liquor store," Marc Taylor said. There were many more stories, wherein the guards were warmly commended for their work. These guards operate under the auspices of Niqua Security Knysna, where Gerrit Muller has been the manager for about 25 years.
"We have an incredibly dedicated and devoted team, we really value the manner in which they conduct their work," Muller said.
The team of guards at Woodmill Lane consists of both night and dayshift teams, but it is the day shift team that has received most of the praise, with supervisor of the centre Whitehead Bantu being singled out by a few commenters on Facebook. "The tall guy, his name is Bantu, he is amazing all the time." said Wezile Mitchile. "The security, especially Bantu, is always friendly," said Melissa-Jade Redfern.
So, now that you know about their amazing work, the next time you shop at Woodmill Lane, don't be hesitant to share a smile with the guards who are going the extra mile.
* Comments have been edited for length and clarity purposes.
“The guard helped me to my car, and helped carry all my groceries as well, definitely making my life easier”