Celebrating

outrageous behavior
By Frank Ruggiero
ruggiero@wataugademocrat.com

There’s good customer service, and there’s bad customer service.

Way above both is outrageous customer service, a concept the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to embrace through its annual “Outrageous Customer Service Awards.”

Rather than reward an entire business, the program seeks to recognize the individuals who compose the face of a business, those who interact with the public on a daily basis. Such individuals are secretly nominated by an employer or customer.

In previous years, they would attend a luncheon in which awards were presented, but this year, chamber president Dan Meyer decided to focus on the most fun element of all – surprise.

Meyer, Ginny Campbell, the chamber’s director of administrative services, and Lori Inman, the chamber’s manager of marketing and member services, formed the “Chamber Prize Patrol,” traveling last week to area businesses and taking award recipients by surprise in their own work environment.

“We decided it would be most interesting to present the awards to people in their workplace, in front of their fellow employees and customers, acknowledging the outstanding work they’ve done,” Meyer said. “It’s been a smashing success, to say the least. Employers are thrilled, the employee winners have been absolutely blind-sided and appreciative, and the customers have taken notice.”

T.J. Penley with GDS in Boone was presented an award. In the nomination form, his nominator tells how Penley collects trash at his Appalachian Drive home every Tuesday morning. The nominator said his wife is weak and frail from cancer treatments, and Penley noticed how she would retrieve the containers from the street after he’d empty them. Penley began bringing them into the garage for her, even if her husband was there.

“He obviously does not have to do this and I have not seen him do it at other houses,” the nomination reads.

“Mr. Penley is just being extremely kind to someone who he believes deserves some kindness. My wife cannot talk, so she just smiles at him and gives him a thumbs-up. Apparently, that sign of appreciation is enough for Mr. Penley.”

Bill Fisher, anchor with Mountain Television Network, received two nominations, one from Dee Dundon with the Watauga Humane Society and the other from station owners Steve and Tammy Rondinaro.

“Is there anything more outrageous than a grown man, early in the morning, kissing a dog or cat, kitten or puppy, or whatever kind of critter the Humane Society brings in,” Dundon writes, referring to Fisher’s weekly morning show segment spotlighting animals at the Humane Society.

“…the beauty of this is that Fish really, truly loves these animals and they respond in like to him… Thanks to Fish, our adoption rates increase. We can always rely on him for urgent announcements to protect animals. The society recognizes him as a passionate supporter of helping save lives of animals of the High Country. He’s one of our local heroes.”

In their nomination, the Rondinaros tell how Fisher is responsible for running the station, in addition to his many other duties on the air. “A big part of that is hosting MTN Morning and MTN Evening and making sure it has current, useful news and information, including community interviews. That’s all Fish! He serves our ‘customers,’ the people of the High Country, with a dedication second to none.”

Betty Watson with the Watauga Medical Center’s Paul Broyhill Wellness Center was nominated by Mike Hall, who called her a “special lady, who is perfectly suited for her position as front desk receptionist at the … Wellness Center.”

In his nomination, Hall explains that Watson has become the face of the center to its hundreds of everyday visitors. “Always smiling, always positive and always welcoming, Betty also has an uncanny ability to remember names, so she can personally greet virtually everyone she encounters.”

Hall closed by calling Watson the “most effective and well-suited receptionist” he’s ever encountered anywhere in the High Country

Wal-Mart greeter Marie Hampton has worked as a greeter for almost seven years, and her nominator, Mary Hall, described her as “always courteous, friendly and [having] a smile for everyone.”

“If she sees you often enough, you’ll even get a hug,” the nomination reads. “She is the definition of awesome customer service.”

While accepting the award, Hampton acknowledged that she enjoys her work, but said the surprise factor was somewhat diminished when a coworker let a hint slip.

“But I didn’t believe it because I don’t deserve it,” Hampton said.

“Yes, you do!” Mary interjected, and Meyer agreed, describing Hampton as “a good ambassador for this area.”

Lynda Norris, teller manager at the Boone Wachovia branch, was nominated by financial center manager Amanda White, who said Norris refuses to let an increasingly hectic business world affect her compassion and kindness.

In her nomination, White explains how Norris has shown “her passion and commitment to customer service” with a resident of Appalachian/Brian Estates, who has a sister at Glenbridge Health & Rehabilitation Center.

The customer has come to regard Norris as his personal banker, White writes, and there were several instances where he wished to cash in close to 100 U.S. savings bonds, all registered to his sister.

“This presented a problem because his sister was unable to come into the bank to sign the bonds,” White writes. “Without hesitation, Lynda offered to pick him up at Brian Estates, go to Glenbridge to have his sister sign the bonds, take our customer to the branch to cash the bonds, and then take him back home to Brian Estates.

“Our customer seemed to keep finding more bonds made payable to his sister, and each time, Lynda cheerfully made her rounds to each nursing home in order to make it as easy as possible for our customer.

This customer has said that he would have been lost without Lynda’s unfailing help.”

See Wednesday’s Watauga Democrat for more coverage on the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce’s Outrageous Customer Service Awards.