On 28 February 2015 we moved to Over the Mountain with our bed and 90 boxes of clothes, books and kitchen stuff.
Reflecting on the past year we’ve come to the realisation that we’ve actually moved mountains in such a short period of time. Besides serving almost 3500 customers in our Tea Garden we hosted guests from about 22 different countries in our Guest House giving them stylish, clean, comfortable rooms to sleep in, and providing them with tasty home cooked meals.
Highlights of the past year will obviously include meeting very interesting people from all over the world. Everyone has a story.
Some people treated us like old friends and many could have been friends if we lived closer to each other. We also learnt from experience that there are more demanding people who cannot be satisfied whatever you do to make their stay as pleasurable as possible. We learnt never to disregard guests’ complaints or suggestions and work really hard to constantly improve on our service.
A good sense of humour has been our saving grace in many instances, harsh weather, uninvited baboons, and unwanted snakes and sometimes the raucous locals returning home after partying into the early hours of the morning.
One of the aspects that we are very proud of, is our staff and their training and development. We now have 4 full time staff; Hansie and Jonathan, who work in the garden, do general maintenance and help Gerrit with the building and renovations. Sanna is our full time Housekeeper and Ronel is our Tea Garden assistant. Besides the full time staff we also employ 5 more people on a casual basis on Sundays and during our peak times.
Some of the most obvious changes and improvements are the following;
- The re-branding of Over the Mountain, developing of a new website and replacing all the signage, has contributed to a revitalised new look.
- Improving the laundry room and workshop provides a better working environment, while the refurbished reception area offers a more professional interface with our guests.
- Converting an old bathroom into a storeroom and reorganising the kitchen layout allowed an improved workflow and more efficient cooking environment.
- The addition of a small boardroom and an improved Tea Garden area and additional menu items contributed to the expansion of our business.
- Upgrading the linen and improving the décor in our Guest units, converting one of the B&B units into a semi-catering unit and improving the House of Grace bathroom, made for an enhanced guest experience.
- The improved main Braai area, re-decorated stoep, added bunting and new branded tablecloths improved the aesthetics of the property.
We are very proud that we can leave a legacy by the new indigenous trees and fynbos that we planted and the personnel that we have trained.
We have the support of so many people and appreciate the community that we live in. We are so grateful for the input and care we have received from family and friends.
It has been hard work but extremely rewarding. Our aim is to run our business successfully while making a positive impact and transforming the society around us.
God has given us grace. We are humbled and so overwhelmed by His goodness.