A selection of our recent nominations...
Nominations are posted in the order received and are not otherwise prioritised.
Grant Woolliams nominated Ben Austin of Yoobee, Newmarket, Auckland
"As one of the organisers of the Awesome Service Awards I can't make a proper nomination. However an underpinning rationale for the awards is that just as it is ok to complain about bad service, consumers should always take the time to say thanks for great service.
So I decided to acknowledge Ben Austin, the manager of the Apple reseller store Yoobee in Newmarket for taking care of what I would class as a nuisance customer (me) on a busy Easter Saturday. I needed to have a screen protector for an iPhone (a $20 purchase from Yoobee) supplied and fitted, and wondered if the store might also be able to stick a screen protector on a new iPad (neither the screen protector nor the iPad had been bought from Yoobee). I would have fitted both protectors myself but previous attempts had ended up with air bubbles across the screen that made made it look like the surface of the moon.
I rang Yoobee Broadway on Easter Saturday and Ben answered the phone and said they would happily do both jobs if I could leave the iPhone and iPad with them for an hour.
When I went back to pick the gear up the store was very busy and Ben was attending to a woman who was visiting Auckland, had bought her iPhone in Sydney, and it had some sort of melt down.
Although it might have been more apparently productive for him to simply give her the brush-off and move on to selling a few thousand dollars of gear to someone else he explained in some detail Yoobee's relationship (a reseller) with Apple and that while he would help her as much as he could it was ultimately up to Apple how it handled the repair or replacement of the phone. It was all complicated by the Easter break and the fact the woman was was leaving Auckland on Tuesday on a yacht.
Ben then took her across the store and rang the Apple help desk so she could talk to Apple directly. All this was done in a friendly relaxed manner. In completing my transaction I mentioned how impressed I had been with the way he had helped the visitor - and me (having been treated like a $1,000 customer while spending $20). I then discovered he was the store manager and had been appointed three weeks earlier.
With his attention to customer service (actually all our dealings with this Yoobee store have had this hallmark) I can easily see why. His employer should be way pleased to have Ben there, and Apple should be grateful to have him representing its products. Well done Ben. Kiwi retailers need lots more like you."
Arda Van Kuyk nominated Ashley from Ezibuy, Albany:
"I absolutely dread shopping - it is something I fear and literally psyche myself up for - I actually take rescue remedy before I decide to attempt going inside.
We are going away soon, and I lost a bit of weight so the old favourite will not work so well anymore
I walked in there, bawling already, hid behind some clothes, deep breath deep breath...then I saw this lovely happy face who empathised with me.
She was incredibly patient, helpful, honest, kind, had humour - I am so thankful - I spent over an hour there (usually I last> about 5 minutes) and tried on something out of my comfort zone but look and feel good in.
I am so grateful to know there are salespersons out there who care - they could all learn a lot!"
Scott Nelson nominated Ryan from Fairview Te Rapa Mazda Service:
"Ryan has looked after my car for the last 18 months or so and has always been able to delight me through the way he has treated me as a customer.
Over this time he has always gone over and above the call of duty. 2 specific examples - once when I called for advice on how to replace a headlamp bulb on my car he said to come down to the workshop and then he himself helped me to replace them and show me through (at no cost).
Another time I called for advice and he helped me dignose via phone and email - then remembered at the time of my call to book in for scheduled service and remided me they would be checking.
Why do I think Ryan deserves this? He is a genuinely nice person everytime you have to deal with him. He is consistent in his approach in that I have seen the same level of service the whole time I have been with Fairview Mazda.
He goes out of his way to make sure the customer knows what is going on - will always do his best to help - and when he senses that thiings aren't quite right makes sure the customer is reassured and the right people are involved.
I haven't received service of this level anywhere else for a sustained duration and hope you take this nomination forward."
Johnny Morris nominated Fuxia Wen of Apex Car Rentals in Auckland:
" My incredible customer service story: despite handling dozens of bookings each day Fuxia Wen at Apex Car Rentals provides incredibly personal customer service.
Recognising me simply by my voice on the phone she recently recalled my complicated booking details from memory (five cars hired for an overseas TV crew, with multiple drivers, pick-up and drop off points and various dates).
I was astounded that she was able to recall this from memory. She was also able to work with me to secure a good price. All arrangements ran to plan and I was always greeted with a warm welcome and
made to feel important. Of all the services I have engaged with the customer service provided by Fuxia stands out by a mile!"
Sue Andrew-Johns nominated Anne & Aroha of Nimon & Sons Ltd Luxury Coaches and Travel of Hawkes Bay:
"This past weekend my husband, myself & a friend went to the Rod Stewart concert in Napier. When we arrived on Friday afternoon, having driven down from Auckland, the hotel I had booked in Hastings, via the internet, had no record of our booking.
Luckily they were able to find us a room (thought we were going to be sleeping under the stars) but it was in Napier. I had booked seats on the bus to take us from Hastings to the Mission so we didn't have to worry about parking & drinking & dirving, so rang to see if I could change it to be picked up in Napier.
Unfortunately all of the buses from Napier were fully booked but Anne at Nimon & Sons said she would let me know if there were any cancellations.
About 30 minutes later my phone rang. It was Anne saying they had a plan & that she would pass me over to another employee of Nimon & Sons, Aroha.
The plan was that Aroha's partner would pick us up at the hotel we were staying at in Napier & take us to the parking station where we could get the shuttle (also run by Nimon & Sons) to the Mission.
After the concert, we would meet Aroha at the Bus station & she would take us back to our hotel. We were gobsmacked at this kindness & how total strangers would put themselves out like this for us.
We were picked up as arranged, had a wonderful time at the concert (Rod was brilliant as usual) & were delivered back to our hotel by really lovely people.
This was extraordinary customer service that definitely deserves recognition. We hope you feel the same."
Monique and Mei Abbott nominated Jason Ireland of The Clearance Shed in Auckland:
"We wish to nominate Jason Ireland as he exemplifies outstanding customer service skills.
Jason has a remarkable can-do attitude with a permanent and genuine happy smil.
As a customer of the Clearance Shed - he always makes every shopping trip there a wonderful experience
I have observed how he has managed to get the grumpiest looking customer to converse and joke with him and then they leave the store with a smile.
He is able to converse with all ethinicities, and people from all walks of life, he is just amazing and we can say that we have never before received the amazing service or customer service skills that we receive from Jason on each visit to the store.
Just before Christmas, at the busiest time of the year for retail, we had popped into the Clearance Shed and noted that Jason used his amazing skills and helped destress alot of very stressed (due to Christmas shopping) customers.
When we approached the store to find out Jason's surname for this nomination, even his colleagues sang his praises and said that Jason is just permanently amazing and his sound customer service skills are effortless for him.
His whole demeanour is very positive, genuine and upbeat. If only there was more Jason Ireland's in NZ! We feel that Jason is well and truely deserving of this award"
Richard Webster nominated Jason Harema of Anson Automotive in Auckland
"Our family have been using Anson Automotive to service and repair our cars for about a year.
Jason always welcomes us with a smile. He explains everything that needs to be done in non-technical terms, carries out the work quickly and conscientiously, and then explains afterwards exactly what he has done. If he needs to replace something, he phones us with the cost before proceeding.
When we pick up the car he shows us the faulty part, and makes sure we know exactly why it needed to be replaced. On every visit he does small extras for no additional charge. For instance, I had been unable to remove some tar from my rear bumper.
I didn't mention this to Jason, but he noticed it, and during the course of the service, removed it.
Anson Automotive have a courtesy car. It wasn't available on a recent service, and Jason drove me back to work in his car. We have always been impressed with Jason's friendliness, his willingness to discuss any problems we have with our cars, and his ability to "go the extra mile."
He does all of this at a very reasonable price. Jason is a one-man business, and provides awesome service as a matter of course."
Richard Roberts nominated Gordon McDonald of Dunedin Airport:
"Gordon has worked for Dunedin Airport for over 13 years as a member of the Customer Service Team. Gordon deals with people at the airport on adaily basis and works from 6.30 in the morning until 8.00 at night.
Gordon can read a customer from about 50 meters. He can tell you if the customer wants a rental car, toilet or just can't find where they board their plane.
When dealing with lost property, Gordon is like a dog with a bone. He never gives in until he finds the owner. He ( and me for that matter, when requested by Gordon) has delivered lost property to people throughout Dunedin on a regular basis.
Over the years Gordon has become a bit of an institution at the airport and seems to know so many of our regular travelers. Three years ago now, Gordon reached retirement age and gave me notice that he would be finishing up at the airport within a few months.........he's still here.
He's here because he LOVES it! As long as he wants to stay I'm happy for him to be here. As long as he can walk and talk he'll be good for me!
In more recent times Gordon became our guinea pig for Kia Ora Mai. He took on the challenge complete the course and workshop and then provided encouragement to other team members who have now also gained accreditation.
Gordon is 68 and going very strong. I would dearly love to recognize Gordon's contribution to the community of Dunedin and all our overseas visitors in making their experience such a good one! I am Gordons manager and therefore the criteria for nominations will obviously exempt this nomination, but I thought I'd let you guys know how good Gordy is and what a great example he is for Kia Ora Mai. He embraced the course and enjoyed the ride! "
Elaine McMeeking nominated Hugh Davidson of Thankyou Payroll:
"I am the new owner of a company, called Tiffanies Treasures and have never had to do payroll before.
I decided to use Thankyou Payroll and have had the most amazing service from Hugh. Being new to this I constantly made mistakes and was on the phone to Hugh asking questions.
He would answer my calls no matter where he was (even out walking his dog one day!) and would offer to fix the mistakes for me instead of just directing me to how to fix it myself.
I truly believe that if all my suppliers were as customer centric as he has been, then my life would be so much easier!
He typifies the Kiwi attitude of "nothing is too much hassle"."
Colleen Hoskins nominated Anna Pepperill at Razz Print in New Plymouth:
"The extraordinary and truly inspirational service I received spanning two years during the collaboration and publication of my quote book series to celebrate my 70th year was supported beyond belief by Anna.
Having an eyesight and hearing disability made Anna's job 'very challenging'to say the least for this 29 year old who diligently had to repeat herself repeatedly for me to hear, not to mention the vastness of alterations for each book which she attended so willingly.
No matter what her situation was she held her beautiful arms wide and kept her heart open to support me, coming to my home on occasions to help make it happen and publish exquisite work for me, which incidently sold into the top N.Z. independent bookstore 2010 Page & Blackmore in Nelson.
I definitely owe my achieved dream to Anna. This girl is a legend!"
Sanjay Weerasing nominated Jo Te Paa, Manager of The Helm Bar & Kitchen, Hamilton:
"Jo has always provided the best possible service everytime I have been to The Helm. It's the little things he does like knowing who you are, knowing what company I work for and knowing what I drink.
Over the last 2 weeks, we booked a table when the RWC games were on - needlessly to say it was an extremely busy time, but Jo was always very friendly, made sure we were well looked after and even very nicely ushered away some people who had hijacked our table. I noticed that this attitude was extended to every client he spoke to.
He always seems to be very calm and level headed and obviously has the respect of his staff. In a very difficult service industry, I believe Jo is a standout."
Gillianne Ray nominated Magician Mick Peck of Mick Peck Magic, Auckland:
"We needed a magician for my daughter's 5th birthday that would be highly entertaining and value for money so we looked on the internet. It’s always nerve racking to hire someone based on information from a website rather than word of mouth but that’s what we did.
It paid off for us in a big way! Mick was punctual and extremely funny. He not only had the kids eating out of his hand but he also had the adults in stitches too. Loved the personal touches he added to the show eg pictures, vouchers etc especially for a large party (45 kids, 55 adults).
It should also be mentioned that Mick’s administrative skills are superb – he answered phone calls, emails and followed up with newsletters and receipt promptly.
These are things that should never be taken for granted. We have no hesitation in recommending Mick Peck the Magician for this award – we had so many of our friends ask in admiration ‘where did you find him?’ They were mightily surprised when we said we found him on the internet! We would dearly love Mick to win the awesome service award because he definitely delivered impeccable service. He made us look good!"
Lisa Rogerson nominated Grant Burness of Spotlight, Te Rapa
"My 86 year old grandmother regularly walks up to spotlight to browse and buy wool etc.
She walked up 2 weeks ago and brought a new sewing machine and Grant in dispatch went out of his way for her and carried the machine home for her so she didn't have to call a taxi for the 5 minute walk. When she had problems with the machine they offered to come to her house and fix it so she didn't have to try to get the machine to spotlight.
The staff absolutely made her day, she said you don't really get service like that anymore and they went above and beyond to make her happy. Could not be more impressed with the way the staff have treated my supernan."
Charlie Tevaga nominated Gloria of Palmers Garden Centre, Glen Eden:
"On Fathers Day Sept 2011 I stopped in to Garden Centre to get something for my dads gravesite at Waikumete Cemetary (which is opposite the Garden Centre).
When I first walked in I spotted a worker and asked for help. They in turn put me on to Gloria. Gloria asked what I would imagine are stock standard questions. My desciption was something nice, would grow with little maintenance and manage without water for long periods (as Im not there every week). Gloria picked up that I had no idea about flowers or plants and provided me with a range of options. She then asked what I was planning to put it in and I said I didnt have anything. So she led me to a specials area where she recommend a mid size pot for my plant.
She recommended a flower and some additional ones to plant along side the flower in the pot. She then asked if I was going to take it home and put soil in before going to the cemetary. I said no, I would head over straight after I left the Garden Centre. So she took the pot, the flowers she had recommended and put it all together for me. When she finished she took me to the counter, explained to the young cahsier what my purchase was and said not to charge me for the soil.
Gloria was absolutely wonderful. At no time did she push a sale, she explained why some flowers that looked beautiful wouldnt be suitable for my situation. She found some cheap pots and would have spent at least 25 mins with me. My total purchase was less than $20.
When I returned to my car my wife was thoroughly impressed with my selection but I couldnt take any credit for it. I often think in the Service Industry the more you're spending the better the service gets. But that was not the case at all with Gloria. She was patient, proactive and wasnt at all concerned that I was only spending $20. In fact she did things to try and keep my costs down. This summer I will be back at the Garden Centre to buy more things for my home because of her service. An absolute asset to her workplace!"
Jo Morgan nominated Aiyub Hassan of Green Acres:
"Hassan and his friendly crew recently cleaned my elderly parent's townhouse. To be honest it was a mammoth task as my dear mother has been smoking in the house for around 10 years. Sadly as people get older their eyesight isn't the best and even finding the energy or strength to clean major areas becomes harder. I was doing what I could on a regular basis but in the end I was only making a small difference.
The family chipped in to have the unit cleaned so I could have a clean base to work with.
Hassan was very respectful of the sensitivity if the the job as to not offend my parents.
On a Saturday morning the team turned up including Hassan. Not only was the price very reasonable, he also went the extra mile by spending more time then quoted for and doing extra finishing touches than expected as a complimentary service. He is a very kind and caring businessman, and we all really appreciated his and his team's hard work.
The result was amazing, I can now keep on top of the housecleaning for my Mum & Dad. Hassan and his team made a huge difference, trust me.. a huge difference!"
Diana Edwards nominated Helen Wilkes of Abode Mortgages, Upper Hutt:
Earlier this year my 20 year old son contacted Helen asking for some advice about how to go about purchasing a property, mortgages etc. She was very helpful to him and was always happy to give advice and keep in contact even though there was no guarantee that he would use her services as a mortgage broker.
The purchase of the house was to be a joint venture along with his sister and her husband and also consequently with some back up from myself and my husband.This was therefore quite a complex undertaking.
Helen was so helpful at answering all our questions regarding properties, mortgages, trusts, insurance, solicitors etc. Anything we threw at her she was always happy to work out and it never felt as though we were being a nuisance or problem to her, even though she was dealing with phone calls, visits etc from 2 or 3 of us individually. We were pretty much novices in some of these areas and she always treated us with respect and no question seemed too frivolous.
After helping us with an initial property auction pre-approval, which consequently didn't work out, we finally decided on a property which had to be unconditional within a few days. Helen handled it all promptly.
The final accolade belongs to Helen for the patience she showed in dealing with the bank and solicitor on settlement day. There was alot of complicated paperwork involved because of the nature of the transaction and the bank had some last minute difficulties with it all. She sorted it out through the day without stressing us out even though the bank looked like putting us into default at one stage as it approached 3pm and it was all meant to be sorted by 4pm. There were 2 or 3 properties to follow on in a chain after ours too, so a number of people would have been affected with penalties and inconvenience. However Helen got it all worked out for us in conjunction with our solicitor.
We can't speak highly enough of her great service and continued follow up since."
Dee Hunter nomimated Verner Eicholtz of Proudmouth Dentistry, Auckland:
"Verner has been my chosen dentist for 20 years, as I had two dentists tell me they needed to extract my wisdom teeth at considerable cost. I went to him for a third opinion without him knowing and he told me that I should not have them extracted as there was no need; they have never caused me a problem since.
Recently my 28 year old Step Daughter Jemma was in pain with her wisdom teeth and of course I referred her to Verner to have them checked. She called his practice in Auckland Central and explained what she needed to find it was his day off.
She explained I had referred her to him exclusively and was in a reasonable amount of pain and wondered who else she could see. After waiting a few minutes on the line, the receptionist came back on and said she had called Verner and he was coming in from his home in Coatesville and would be there in about 90 mins to see her.
Verner saw Jemma and knew immediately that he would be unable to treat her and offered to refer her onto an oral surgeon. (So no fee for him!) He made the appointment for her, sorted her with adequate pain management and 48 hours later they were removed and she was pain free.
I was astonished to find out that he had travelled that distance on his day off and for the sake of a referral as it turned out. I have not personally experienced that level of service or humanity at the hands of a medical professional before, I am sure others exist but felt this one was worth highlighting."
Marilyn Guinan nominated Bella Marie Todd of Boulevard Motel, Rotorua:
"For the past 4 years, a group of Mah Jong players (who are in Rotorua for the National Tournament) have eaten at the Boulevard Restaurant and been served by this very friendly, efficient and helpful waitress. Every year we comment on her great personality and her way with people.
Nothing is too much for her and we have always remarked to the Motel receptionist as we leave on the great service at the restaurant yet again from the same happy person.
This year, with these awards in mind, we asked her name.
She is the waitress of the year in our book. The Te Kawau Mah Jong players would like to recommend Bella Marie for an Awesome Service Award."
Angela Tremain nominated Leigh and Louise, Onekawa Dental (Based at Onekawa School) Hawkes Bay:
"I phoned Louise and requested an appointment for my daughter which was additional to her yearly check. Knowing how busy dental therapists were and the challenges they face with limited resources I felt a bit precious.
From the first communication Louise was welcoming and reassuring. She made me feel like a good and caring parent and that I was well justified in seeking some reassurance. She asked me when I would like to come in.
When we arrived on the day of the appointment we were greeted with genuine warmth. Once meeting Leigh, the Dental Therapist, my child and I were delivered a informative thorough check and treatment. All her history was on file and immediately at hand.
They worked as an effective and efficient team. I know a number of Dental therapists in the Hawkes Bay and I am consistently impressed with the care and concern they show, however this experience made my day. I would love to see all dental therapists acknowledged for the work they do in difficult circumstances."
Philip Bradley nominated Nick Zheguang Li from Mt Smart Colour Centre, Auckland:
"I was in need of a specific paint set to redo a damaged door in our commercial premises and called in to the Mt Smart Colour Centre. Nick was there but the available paints were not. He said he could source them by the next day. True to his word I received a text saying that they were available.
Phoning him I conveyed that I was unable to get there and that I was out of town the following day - I'd call by next week. He offered to deliver the paints to my offices later that evening; again I was not available.
He then proceeded to tell me that it was his day off on Monday and that he lived nearby so could drop by. I could also pay him at that time. Monday arrived - with a text to check if I was available Nick did exactly as promised, arrived with a grin and now we are good to get the paint brushes out.
So, an employee is willing to drop around after hours, then even call by on his day off, just to provide me with $130 worth of paint. Whilst a business owner might do this, in eighteen years of business I have not had such willing and dedicated service from an employee. Well done Nick."
Charlie Dickson nominated Joseph Sipaia of Air New Zealand:
"From the moment we boarded our flight at Wellington Airport (bound for Tauranga), it was clear Joseph was going to be a delightful host.
The first sentence into the initial announcement welcomed us all on board our flight to... Rarotonga(!) At each announcement, Joseph built in a one-liner. His approach seemed to encourage interaction amongst the passengers.
One thing we noticed Joseph did differently was offered a biscuit to those who didn't request a hot drink - a treat generally only reserved for the tea and coffee drinkers.
The young teenage girls at the back of the plane were thrilled with getting someone like Joseph as their 'host'.
Joseph's humour and professionalism and the way he went the extra mile made me believe he is destined to move rapidly ahead in his career progression."
Mena Bassily nominated Stephen Murhan of Blue Planet:
"I had purchased a Blue Planet Aquarium heater from an Animates store, it was working fine for two weeks and then it stopped working properly, I sent BluePlanet an email and Stephen replied himself explaining causes of heater behavior. After the first reply I sent him, he understood that he is dealing with a professional and he admitted that the heater is not broken because of misuse.
He offered to send me a replacement heater and the next size as well for me to review it and as a gesture of customer appreciation. I explained to Stephen that I had to buy a heater otherwise my fish will die, and I have got a heater from another company. He offered to send me a UV water sterilizer (a product his company sells as well) and I accepted his offer. I received the UV sterilizer in 2 days.
The quality of the heater is not the best, even he admitted that himself. I would also expect that for the UV sterilizer, but despite all that, the attention and customer care level was way above expectations. The Malfunction heater was $20 and the UV sterilizer I got as a replacement worth $100
I was expecting a lot of arguing and debating when I sent the email to the company, expecting nothing in return, but I found a very welcoming friendly customer service (by the manager himself) and for that I nominate them for an Awesome Service Award."
Robert Houston nominated Mary Moss of New World, Waikanae:
"In an era that we don't seem to care about people, Mary Moss is the real exception.
We live in an era where we are trying to depeople operations, and Mary is living proof that this shouldn't.
She is an older woman, who in friendly and caring, to the extreme, and often the line to get through Mary's checkout is longer than any others. Not that she is slower, wrong, she isn't, but she is so friendly, plus always ready to share a story or a joke, and she attracts people to her.
By the very nature of Waikanae, with a number of older people in the area, it is often only people like Mary that these oldies get the opportunity to talk to. Thank goodness she is there.
Mary Moss is a real local personality and I would believe that she exemplifies what this award is about."
Jon Scrivin nominated Mark and the team at Rapid Radio, Auckland:
"I went to Rapid Radio for a new car sound system, and they recommended a great system that suited my needs. Install was quick and efficient, but the next day there was a problem.
I took it back, where they spent a day diagnosing the issue, before swapping the faulty unit for a different one, free of charge.
A couple of weeks later one of the speakers started having issues - again I took it back and they figured out the issue and and fixed it, and in addition recommended a newer head unit that had come in - and due to the issues I'd had they did a like-for-like swap, all without it costing me a cent.
Throughout the whole process they've been friendly, honest, and have dealt with the problems as well as they dealt with selling me the stuff in the first place. All the guys were extremely helpful and went out of their way to do me deals every step of the way. A great example of good customer service more than making up for some issues (which happen from time to time)."
Kathleen Clements nominated Jennifer from Countdown Supermarket, Pukekohe:
"Jennifer always has a smile on her face when she sees my two boys. She takes time to talk to them and has a smiley face stamp in her pocket to use if they are behaving.
Jennifer has taken the time to learn Makaton sign language so she can say please and thank you to my 4 year old who uses Makaton.
Jennifer has a pleasent personality and is very good at distracting my boys when they are irritable which makes my life alot easier when I am shopping.
My boys always look to see if Jennifer is there when we arrive at Countdown. They look forward to talking to her."
Ray and Maree Goldring nominated Mark Jeffery of MJ Contracting, Canterbury:
"We live in the mountains at Castle Hill Village within the Selwyn District.
Mark first came to our attention here in the Village when he was replacing a neighbour’s windows with double-glazing. Because he was doing such a good job – we asked him to replace our windows as well. Because our aluminium window frames were of an older type, it was difficult to get all the new window flashings to fit the old frames. One did not work well so Mark altered one to suit. A couple of weeks after the job was finished, a section of the new flashing fell out. Because he was unsatisfied by the uncompleted job, at no cost to us, he travelled the 100 + kms back here to install a better-fitting flashing.
Months after this job was done, we decided to build a conservatory on the northern deck of our house at Castle Hill. Mark came up to measure it up and give us a quote for the job. He returned to Christchurch and instigated the process of obtaining the permit and getting the manufacturer to produce the product which Mark would assemble and install on site.
During this interim period, Mark told us he was going to Australia to work as his wife had a new job over there. Mark said, because he had instigated the job for us and committed to doing it, that he would return to do the job for us.
We had a deadline for the job to be finished – the 20th August – as this was our 40th wedding celebration, and we needed the extra conservatory space for the extended family during their stay. The permit took an interminable amount of time to arrive and we were panicking to get it done in time.
We had an email from Mark to say he was arriving from Aussie to start the job on Saturday 13th August – to be finished before the 20th!
He and his team of two started the job on the 13th. They knew the big storm was on its way so they worked into the night under flood-lights to get as much done as possible before it arrived in force. That night the snow started. Sunday morning dawned with a layer of snow everywhere and cold temperatures. During Sunday the temperatures got colder and the winds got higher. The job was still not finished.
The next day, Monday, the snow was thicker, the temperatures colder and the winds were nearing blizzard force.
Mark wanted to finish the job so worked in the blizzard conditions to get the job completed. His drop-saw benches were set up under the open-ended carport at the southern end of the house while the conservatory was being constructed at the northern end of the house. Mark had to take the measurements at the northern end, take the aluminium pieces to the southern end to be cut, and then trundle through the deepening snow back to the northern end to install the pieces in place. If they did not fit he had to repeat the process until it did. All the time this was going on the winds were howling around the house. Snow was drifting all over the place, the temperatures were below zero and the wind-chill was mind-numbingly cold. Mark was covered in drifting snow, his feet and hands were freezing - yet throughout this time, the work done and the accuracy of the work being done was exemplary.
Some tradesmen will stop working at the hint of rain. But Mark insisted the job had to be finished and worked in horrendous conditions to do so.
As a result of his beyond-the-call-of duty service and for the accuracy and quality of the finished product we think Mark (and his team) deserves being nominated for the Awesome Service Award.
I have photos and a video of Mark working under the extreme conditions experienced during the “worst winter storm for 40 years”.
Samiulla Shariff nominated John Hannon of Autoselect, Mt Wellington, Auckland:
"I bought a Toyota Camry from Autoselect a few months ago. I am writing to you to say that I was very pleased with the service I received from sales person Mr.John Hannon. I felt John genuinely looked into what I was looking for and never pressured me into buying the car. He made sure that I was satisfied before I signed the paper to buy the car.
After the sale, there was a problem with the seatbelt and he then passed me on to Eric who really followed up with Toyota to get me the required part though a bit late, but it was all done entirely to our family's satisfaction. John fnally made sure I had a courtesy car when our car was getting fixed.
He is an asset to his organisation and knows how to treat a customer geniuinely. May his tribe rise. In these times where customer satisfaction plays a great role in any business, he is surely welcome. I also have to mention Eric here, as he also followed up with getting our car fixed.
John has a pleasing personality, always smiling and willing to help so that we can get on our toes ASAP.
I would like to nominate John for the awesome service award as he deserves it."
Anita Teutscher nominated Rosina of Big Save Furniture, Wellington:
"Rosina has left a positive impact on myself and my two daughters. We were looking for a lounge suit when we met Rosina for the first time. Rosina was friendly and genuinly interested in what we were looking for. As it was a big purchase for me I needed to make sure it was the right one so we visted the store several times.
Each time Rosina was consistantly friendly and helpful. Rosina took an interest in my daughters and the sport they were involved in. While I was having a look around the shop Rosina spent time chatting to my daughters.
My daughters and I had an awesome experience shopping at Big Save thanks to Rosina and hope she will be there next time we need furniture"
Lewis Civin nominated Tom Coates of Tor Builders Limited, Auckland:
" We needed assistance in fitting a physiotherapy swing into our childrens' playroom. This was a small job, that was bitty, and technical. We needed help from a builder to fit a bolt securely into our ceiling.
We were referred by our Physio to Tom Coates. We called Tom, and he said he could come around the very next day. When he came around, he was sweet, polite and absolutely not "put out{ by how small the job was.
We schedules a time for the following week. Tom kept in touch with me by phone, confirming the time.
When he came to do the job, it was clean and quick and professional. He charged me for only one hour's work. I do wish I had more construction / handyman work to give Tom, and I endeavour to tell as many people as possible about his great manner."
Adam Banks nominated Isabel Fish of The Isabel Fish Academy of Arts and Performance:
"Isabel is a highly skilled teacher and communicator with an extensive CV. Her success and skills are known by hundreds of people. For decades she has taught and/or coached people in the fields of singing, dancing, studying, communication, acting, confidence and presenting.
She has helped young, old, skilled, unskilled, professional and unprofessional people to identify and develop their weaknesses and strengths. Many of her students have achieved great things in academia and business including media.
Being raised in a society that educates so badly (one of many faults: it encourages memorisation & repetition, not intelligence, creativity & critical thinking), many people, when they first meet her, cannot learn or communicate effectively. It is difficult to teach such people but she does so.
Below are the details of a couple of Trinity Guildhall of London assessments that were taken with the support of Isabel.
Mark Student Year Information
96% Isabella Denholm 2009 Highest in her category in NZ
97% Guy Fisher Highest ever
Her academy’s prospectus (https://sites.google.com/site/isabelfishacademy/Prospectus.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1) contains just a few of the many positive testimonials that one could obtain.
She has been providing me with training in the fields of communication and teaching for over a year."
