Well it appears that 2011 has started off on the right foot.
We have had a number of events this year that have put our fair city and our region in the forefront.
There was Canadian Tire that won a Canada-wide award for customer service and appreciation. This is no small feat with a company with such diverse locations and populations or customer base to draw from. I am led to believe that this award is an annual award and the Williams Lake team could be in the running for next year as well. Some of the prizes and bonuses the staff received were to die for. Congratulations to all for your hard work.
Then there was Windsor Plywood, also a locally owned company that is part of a chain, that also won an award for store of the year.
They were competing against 61 other stores and they also have a diverse population and customer base to compete with as well as competing stores in the U.S. Customer service and satisfaction is what makes retail work, and the staff is crucial in that endeavor.
Then there is our local and well-known realtor Willy Berger who has won the Realtor of the Year award by the Northern Real Estate Board. In 44 years there have only been seven honoured with this award.
Then, of course, there was the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards with a special evening to honour those businesses in our fair city with a number of awards. Once again it was a sold-out event with the committee putting together a first-class event.
This year there was a record number of nominees, with more than 100 businesses being recognized for exceptional service or performance, in their particular category. These nominations come from the people who count the most, their customers.
Whether they won the number one spot or not they have been recognized by their customers as providing service, over and above the call of duty, and are all to be congratulated and encouraged to keep up the good work.
Well done, Williams Lake and area.
Walt Cobb is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. He is a former Liberal MLA, former Williams Lake mayor, and current president of the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce.