Hotel Online
News for the Hospitality Executive


 
Broward County Hospitality Industry Recognizes Line Employees for Dedication to Good Service; 
13 Winners of Service Courtesy Award
By Tom Stieghorst, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News 

Dec. 5, 2003 - When the bride came to the guest services manager at the Sheraton Yankee Clipper, it wasn't as if Jason Adams had a lot of time to spare. 

It was the middle of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and the 500-room hotel was sold out. 

The bride, with less than two hours before the wedding, had forgotten eyelash glue for her fake eyelashes. The first store Adams visited to try to help her was sold out. It had been Halloween the night before. 

Three stores later, he finally found what he was looking for and rushed back to the hotel. 

For his dedication to good service, Adams was recognized on Thursday along with 12 other non-management hospitality workers with a Sunsational Service Courtesy Award by the Broward visitors bureau. 

Along with a public ceremony at the Broward County Convention Center, the winners got more than $1,000 in gifts including shows, cruises, resort stays, flowers, watches and tickets to events. 

"The bottom line is you took somebody else's problem and made it into your solution," said visitors bureau President Nicki Grossman in presenting Adams with his award. 

Broward has tried for the past four years to distinguish itself from other beach destinations with service, including a training program called Sunsational Service. Starting in January, about 1,000 cab drivers at Yellow Cab and Tri-County Transportation will take the four-hour course. 

About 300 people attended the awards lunch, including a contingent from the Fort Lauderdale Marina Marriott who cheered for housekeeper Marie Exantus when she collected her award. 

Exantus found a small bag of jewelry one day while cleaning a room and turned it in to a supervisor. It turned out to be worth $30,000. 

Also recognized was Shawn Farrell, rooms division director at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Resort, who while waiting for paramedics to arrived treated and calmed a guest who had attempted suicide. 

Jack Kennedy, general manager of Pier 66, said the hotel's entire staff was aware that Farrell was getting the award. "Its so unusual for line employees to get the recognition they deserve," he said. "They're the lifeblood of the industry." 

Finalists for the awards were picked from 118 nominees by a panel of nine judges from the hospitality industry. 

The awards have been given annually since 1988. 

WINNERS OF THE 2003 Sunsational Service Courtesy Awards, honored on Thursday at the Broward County Convention Center include: 

  • Jason Adams, guest services manager, Sheraton Yankee Clipper 
  • Colleen Brooks, operations office, Broward County Aviation 
  • Rhett Butler, scuba instructor, Undersea Sports 
  • Lyle Cartwright, assistant manager, Royal Palms Resort 
  • Kristen Cole and Mimi Davis, librarians, Broward County West Regional Library 
  • Armando Estrada, maintenance engineer, Days Inn Hollywood 
  • Marie Exantus, housekeeper, Fort Lauderdale Marina Marriott 
  • Shawn Farrell, rooms division director, Hyatt Regency Pier 66 
  • Barry Bo Hahn, banquet captain, Holiday Inn Airport 
  • Monica Merino, front desk supervisor, Hampton Inn (Plantation) 
  • Candy Robbins, driver, Broward County Transit 
  • Todd Weissman, front desk supervisor, Sheraton Suites Plantation 


--Source: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau 

-----To see more of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel -- including its homes, jobs, cars and other classified listings -- or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com. 

(c) 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. 


advertisement

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.OnlineSearch
Home | Welcome| Hospitality News | Classifieds| Catalogs& Pricing |
Viewpoint Forum | Ideas&Trends | Press Releases
Please contact Hotel.Onlinewith your comments and suggestions.