Community-voted award a ‘surprise’ for Te Anau sales consultant

Outstanding customer service and a penchant for putting smiles on people’s faces is why the Te Anau community secretly voted for Liz Newell to win the ‘Service Plus Award’ in the 2010 Destination Fiordland Awards on Saturday (4 September).

Local residents took to the ballot box ‘on the sly’ at Te Anau Public Library to cast their votes for Southern Discoveries’ employee Liz.

The ‘Service Plus Award’, sponsored by the Fiordland Motel Association, recognises an individual in their work environment who provides great service and goes that extra mile for customers.

Liz, totally unaware of what the night would bring, attended the annual awards dinner on Saturday night and was delighted to be named winner of the service category in front of a huge audience.

“Before they announced my name they were describing the reasons as to why I had won, and I was sitting there wondering who it could be. It was such an amazing surprise when they said my name, I was completely bowled over. It really is such a privilege to even be nominated,” she said.

“We’d been holidaying in this region for 35 years before deciding to settle here. I’ve always had a fantastic love for this part of the country and enjoy talking to our customers and sending them out to experience the best of Fiordland and Te Anau. It’s a job I love doing.

“The local agents I visit are always positive and very welcoming which makes that part of my job very rewarding. I like working for Southern Discoveries because it’s a progressive company, always moving forward or looking for ways to improve.“

Southern Discoveries’ General Manager John Robson extended his warmest congratulations to Liz, describing her as an extremely passionate and professional team member with unlimited enthusiasm and energy.

“As well as providing fantastic frontline customer service to our customers in the Te Anau Information Centre, Liz also visits our retail agents, hotels and motels in the Te Anau, Manapouri and Invercargill areas as a sales rep for Southern Discoveries,” he said.

“She is a valuable, well-known and highly respected member of the Te Anau community, and this shows from the sheer amount of support that locals have given Liz by going out of their way to vote for her.

Liz began working at the Te Anau Information Centre in December 2008 after moving from Invercargill where she worked in real estate.

ENDS

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