Customer Service Award | The late Teri Jo Pine honored with Chamber Award

A young woman whose smiling face will greatly be missed by both customers and fellow employees behind the counter at Minchow’s Food Court in Lovell was named this month’s Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce customer service award winner. The award was accepted posthumously, by her son Robert Nowak and Minchow’s Food Court manager Christie Holzer on Monday in honor of Teri Jo Pine, who died in March of this year, following a courageous battle with liver cancer.[caption id="attachment_12374" align="alignright" width="360"] Accepting the Lovell Area Chamber’s Customer Service Award on behalf of the late Teri Jo Pine (inset) Monday are her son Robbie Nowak (left) and Minchow’s Food Court Manager Christie Holzer. Presenting the award is Lovell Area Chamber President-elect Lance Stebner (behind).
Patti Carpenter photo[/caption]Pine was nominated by customers who commented that she was “always kind and professional.” Those taking the time to submit written comments about Pine said she was “great to talk to while waiting for food to be prepared” and “she always greeted customers with a smile and by name.”  One customer wrote, “She always made my family and I feel welcomed every time we visited Minchow’s,” adding that the “smile on her face made the experience so much better.”A past employee who worked alongside Pine wrote, “She was always there to help when someone needed help.”  He also wrote, “She was extremely good at teaching me to do stuff correctly and was very patient with everyone.”The Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce award is designed to reward employees like Pine, who worked at Minchow’s for eight years, and the businesses they work for, by allowing customers to offer comments submitted in writing at the place of service.Nomination forms and ballot boxes for the award are available in businesses throughout the community that are Chamber members. A committee reviews the completed entry forms each month and selects the employee who will be honored that month.Nowak received a gift of $25 worth of chamber bucks that would normally go to the winner of the award. Holzer accepted “Rio the Wild Mustang” on behalf of Minchow’s, where it will be temporarily housed in Pine’s honor until the next customer service award winner is named. The next employee to receive the honor will be named at the Chamber’s general meeting in May.

By Patti Carpenter