FEBRUARY 2010
It’s here at last. We have waited since 5 May 2004 and at last it’s here. The excitement one can almost touch. People are talking about the various stadia around the country that are either complete or almost complete with the Moses Mahbida Stadium in Durban attracting the most attention. It is truly spectacular and anybody who has not seen it should try to do so. Tours are in operation through the stadium.
So with just under four months to kickoff we expect the first of the media and team entourage coming in as early as April. The biggest concern and we quoted Chairman of the LOC Danny Jordaan in our last edition of “From the Breakfast Table” is the cost of accommodation where sadly many are seeing this as a way to “make a quick buck” instead of taking the long term view of returning visitors.
WE DON’T HAVE POLICYHOLDERS – WE HAVE TOURISM AMBASSADORS
We realize that as tourists arrive in South Africa for the World Cup and other events that many visitors go home saying that South Africans are amongst the friendliest people in the world and it occurred to us that we are fortunate to have more than just policyholders and that every one of them is in fact a Tourism Ambassador for South Africa. Remember that Tourism Ambassador Certificates may be printed off the section of our website entitled Broker Assist and these may be hung in establishments proudly showing that they are indeed Tourism Ambassadors.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR POLICE ID
When a member of the public is confronted by a police officer in uniform, or a Tour Operator, is asked to pull over on the road, they can ask to see the police officer’s identification card and ask him/her to quote their SAPS force number or ID number. Even if the officer is not in uniform, he should be able to produce identification.
When speaking to the officer, until identity is established, motorists can open their windows only partly at the top instead of all the way. If no badge or identification is being carried, or you are suspicious you can drive on and phone the emergency number 10111. Take down the make, model and vehicle number of any vehicle being used. We recommend they take down the force number and name would it be required for the purposes of a statement. The SAPS badge which a police officer in uniform needs to wear will display his/her last name, the SA flag, and the SAPS logo.
Our thanks to SATSA for this article
NEW EXTENSIONS TO BnB SURE
We are starting to see the emergence of more and more temporary managers offering their services to B&B and Guesthouse owners allowing our very overworked friends running these establishments to take a well deserved break.
Temporary Managers are presently working at the establishment of an association being founded in Durban as a home for the locum manager but these managers also face the risk of their personal goods being stolen whilst at the guesthouse they are looking after and as a result we have been approached to extend our policy to cover the personal effects of temporary managers and this we have done and you will find all policies or endorsements going out now carry the new extension wording.
We wish the new association all the very best as they strive to provide a much needed service.
BnB SURE CLUB
The benefits to BnB SURE policyholders is increasing all the time, not just through the best policy in the insurance market but also by the numerous other benefits we have to offer through such things as our accommodation website www.bnbfinder.co.za that is becoming more successful as each day passes and has the most comprehensive listing of B&Bs and guesthouses in South Africa, but also by the benefits of the BnB SURE Club a facility where our policy holders can save money on a host of goods.
During the next few weeks we will be sending out Club Cards to all our policyholders and we encourage the use of these. As an example the National Accommodation Association has built into its fee calculator on its website the discount applicable to BnB SURE policy holders through the Club.
SHORTAGE OF HIRE CARS
There is a very real likelihood of a shortage of hire cars leading up to and during the World Cup as booking are being made every day. Our policyholders are able to offer an extra service to their guests staying with them by offering to reserve a car for the guest for the period of the stay. They need simply go to www.bnbfinder.co.za and click through to their own establishment listing and make the reservation from there. Commission is payable to the BnB SURE policyholder and no money need be outlaid by the insured as the guest pays on collection and this is simply and added service to the guest by the owner.
ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION
Go green with us. Many people all over the world are concerned about the environment and suddenly many, many emails are coming in suggesting that the email not be printed unless absolutely necessary in order to help the environment.
We at BnB SURE are doing our best to protect this valuable environment of ours, if not for us then for our children and our children’s children and we encourage the use of an electronic system or issuing documentation and the storage of policyholders electronically. If that happens, gone will be the days of a policyholder keeping insurance papers in a large file and not knowing what is current or not.
We adopted this approach with our SASRIA endorsements and also with our 1 January 2010 endorsements and our brokers were happy with the system. That was the start so let’s keep the momentum going.
Help us to help the environment.
BRANCH OFFICES
We have decided to move one of our offices. East London Branch has been closed and instead we are opening in Port Elizabeth.
The new office in Port Elizabeth will still be managed by Lynne Reynolds who after many years living and working in East London has decided to make the move a little further down the coast. The telephone numbers remain unchanged (Fax Number below) and Lynne will be assisted in the office by Annelize Smit and we wish Annelize a very warm welcome and many happy years assisting our Tourism Ambassadors and brokers.
Contact details of BnB SURE offices are:
CENTRALISED PHONE NUMBER – 0861 BnB SURE (0861 272 7873)
FAX NUMBERS
Johannesburg - Fax No. (011) 886-1725
Cape Town - Fax No. (021) 948-3582
Durban - Fax No. 086 685-6509
Port Elizabeth - Fax No. (041) 581-3058
Bloemfontein - Fax No. (051) 447-4088
Nelspruit - Fax No. (013) 752-4831
Branch Managers: Cape Town - Trudy Venter
Johannesburg - Constance Sithole
Durban - Merran Johansson
Port Elizabeth - Lynne Reynolds
Bloemfontein - Dalene Lemmer
Nelspruit - Marinda Welgemoed
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing there will be no result. Mahatma Gandhi.
“Any information or suggested structures for insurances are by way of example and based on general information rather than client specific information. Should any of these suggestions appear to be relevant it is vital that these are discussed with the specific requirements of the policyholder in mind.
Any information on the BnB Club service suppliers or partners is intended to provide basic information (including contact details where applicable) only. Any of their information is not intended to be an endorsement by BnB SURE of the service providers. It is the responsibility of each person making use of the BnB Club facility to conduct further enquiries as needed, to check on the suitability of the service providers listed herein.
Furthermore, BnB SURE cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of the information listed in any article written by a third party.”
