Chamber service

awards surprise recipients
By Frank Ruggiero
ruggiero@wataugademocrat.com

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce delivered its annual Outrageous Customer Service Awards last week, along with plenty of surprises for the unsuspecting recipients.

The awards recognize employees who not only work the frontlines of business, but go above and beyond.

Rather than host the traditional luncheon, chamber officials opted to make things a bit more fun, by way of the “Outrageous Customer Service Prize Patrol.”

Chamber president Dan Meyer, director of administrative services Ginny Campbell and manager of marketing and member services Lori Inman hit the streets of Boone to visit employees at their respective workplaces, delivering the awards in front of the recipients’ coworkers and customers.

“We had a ball,” Campbell said. “It went really smooth, and we surprised everyone with their awards.”

The chamber received 29 nominations total, and only 12 were picked for this round.

One went to both Billy and Nicole Shoemake, owners of the Foscoe Country Store. The Shoemakes were nominated by Bobbie Byrd, who writes, “When someone or some family in the community needs help with medical expenses or other emergencies, they have benefits on their own to raise money.”

Byrd called their presence in the community “a blessing.”

Billie Foster, administrative support assistant at Boone Town Hall, also received an award and was described in a similar way by nominator Freida Van Allen.

“In my 23 years with this organization, I have never worked with a more pleasant person,” Van Allen writes. “Billie is always in an upbeat mood and willing to help her coworkers in any way possible. I often hear comments from citizens about ‘how nice that lady that answers the phone at town hall is.’”

Christine Millington-Sheets, office manager of di Santi, Watson, Capua & Wilson law firm, was nominated by attorney Tony di Santi, who, in his nomination form, says that clients, lawyers and other associates who deal with the firm on a regular basis always express their appreciation of Millington-Sheets.

“All it takes is about 15 minutes in the lobby of the firm and you are amazed at how Chris handles everything that is happening … Always pleasant, always presentable, Chris is the type of person any business would like to have as their front line representative to the public.”

Kathy Parham, director of the Children’s Playhouse, was nominated by three individuals – Elise McLaughlin, Michelle Bollman and Megan Lynch Ellis. McLaughlin praised Parham for her kind demeanor, while Bollman called her “extremely helpful,” saying that when she and her family had first moved to the area, Parham introduced them to other families and generally made them feel at home. Ellis nominated Parham “because of her tireless efforts in providing a safe, educational and recreational family oriented environment.”

Parham, technically, was nominated a fourth time, as part of the Children’s Playhouse entire staff. Jennefer Spell nominated the organization’s staff, saying each staff member takes time to learn every parent and child’s name, while also getting to know them on a personal basis. “When I’m at the Playhouse, I feel like I’m among family,” Spell writes.

Ashley Laws with Woodlands Barbecue was served up an award, her nominator saying Laws always greets customers “with a smile and your favorite cocktail in hand upon entering the bar at Woodland’s.”

“How she does it, I can’t tell you, but she has a knack for remembering what everyone’s usual drink is, whether you’re a regular at Woodland’s or not,” the nomination form reads, also acknowledging Laws’ knack for handling stressful situations. “Being calm, cool and collected and most of all pleasant … to me, is a God-given talent, something you don’t learn to do.”

Ray Freeman with the Webb Company was nominated by Ginny and Billy Campbell for customer service on the move. Campbell explains that her husband has repeatedly recommended the Webb Company to move property owners in the High Country.

In her nomination form, Campbell says she’s moved three times during her five years in the area, and, “During all of these moves, Ray Freeman has coordinated and managed these moves with the utmost professionalism and care that a move requires.”

Campbell describes Freeman as “a courteous individual that takes the time to listen and manage his staff.”

The last nomination was written for Sandy Shook, news production editor for Mountain Times Publications. In his nomination form, publisher Tommy Wilson praises Shook for her decades of devotion to the Watauga Democrat and her willingness to do whatever’s necessary to get the job done.

Meyer acknowledged there were other potential candidates, but many nominations came in after the deadline.
“There are more out there yet to be recognized,” he said. “Even though we’re going to put away the prize patrol signs, we’re always looking for opportunities to recognize outstanding customer service, and we would encourage anyone in the High Country who has examples of such to contact us any time.”

Meyer said the chamber’s next big prize will go to the Business of the Year, which will be named at the April 24 Business After Hours event at University Nissan.