Behind the City of Joburg’s busy Twitter stream, stands a man who doesn’t get much time to rest. He’s crafted a reputation for fast-talking, fast-listening, and helping to get things done. Meet Tumelo Komape, better known as TK.
Live in Joburg? On Twitter? There’s a good chance you’ve interacted with Tumelo Komape, without even being aware of it. As the city evolves and changes, Tumelo is the guy responding to your complaints, helping you find solutions for your queries, and occasionally poking fun – the cry-laughing emoji features in a big way when TK is on a roll – in a job where there’s no such thing as time off.
Can you walk me through a typical day in your job?
My day starts when I open my eyes. Before I brush my teeth, I’m responding to tweets and Facebook posts, which goes on until I fall asleep at midnight. As long as I am awake there’ll be tweets flying.
You and your team have a very efficient response rate. How do you deal with queries and complaints so quickly?
I know all city products in and out, thanks to three years of creating meaningful relationships. I have access to systems, processes and people to get me quick answers. And I don’t do nine-to-five.
Have you had to create a personality for the City of Joburg? How similar is it to your own?
Yes, I created the personality for the City. The personality is the real me with a touch of professional. I am crazy.
Do you catch yourself thinking in 140 characters in your downtime?
Yes! My answers to everybody are now shorter and to the point.
How do you deal with internet trolls?
Never discuss politics, sex or religion. If provoked, read your reply five times before posting it. Then walk out for three minutes before clicking ‘Tweet’.
You also need to learn to ignore some tweets and grow a thick skin to protect you when the Twitter streets get tough.
I’ve learnt to bounce back from a tough Twitter day. I do that every hour on a hard day, bouncing back from all sorts of things damaging my personal brand.
How do you switch off after work, or are you always on the clock?
I guess when my phone dies I get a bit of rest while it charges. Over the years I’ve turned work into a fun habit that doesn’t feel like work. I’ve mastered the tools to make it easy, even while at gym, in the queue at the bank or in the bathroom.
How has your life changed since taking on this position?
I have served, influenced and impacted millions of lives, often putting a smile on people’s faces. Plus, I now have at least two pages on Google with just good stories about my work.
What do you think the most important qualities are for a person working a job such as your own?
First, patriotism. Love your country, city and job. Then passion. Without passion, you cannot do what I do. Passion is an unending well of inspiration. Consistency and frequency. Do what you do well on a good and bad day, whether paid or not, and be prepared to do what you do again and again and again.
You also need to love service and love seeing a happy customer. And you need to be able to work on a strategy, implement it and stick to it.
Finally, you can’t tweet messages from a script. Internalise them and tweet from the heart. That is soul.
Are there any attributes that you think you still need to work on?
I am a perfectionist and a ruthless critic to myself.
What is the biggest change that has occurred in your life recently and what did you learn from it?
I had a kid! Before I take care of me, my family comes first, so I am the last priority since my son came along. Having a child changes everything in your life and changes your relationship forever. I’ve had to learn to be selfless.
Clearly there are some issues that people tweet to you that can’t be changed. How do you remind yourself not to sweat the small stuff?
I’ve learnt to ignore some tweets, magnify the good and move on quickly.
What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?
Seeing a customer walk away happy, resolving a complex customer problem, and feeling like I am playing a big part in building this country, through this city.
Leave a Reply