Mayor salutes Rotorua waitress for national customer service award

Mayor Kevin Winters presented Rotorua waitress Bellamarie Todd with a KiaOraMai Awesome Service Award at the Council Civic Centre on Friday [7 October 2011].

The Boulevard Restaurant waitress was nominated for the national customer service award for outstanding service by visitor Marilyn Guinan.

Mrs Guinan and a group of fellow Mahjong players have been coming to the city for a national Mahjong tournament for four years and have dined at the Boulevard Restaurant each year. She says that each year the group has been impressed by Ms Todd’s friendly, efficient service, and her great personality and way with people.

Mayor Winters, who presented Ms Todd with her award on behalf of the city and KiaOraMai organisers, said a number of attributes related to her nomination impressed him.

“One is the obvious consistency of Marie’s customer care toward this group of visitors over four years. I reflect on how many other visitors to Rotorua and the Boulevard Restaurant have also left with equally pleasant impressions of her, the restaurant, and therefore Rotorua as a destination. My guess is quite a number.

“Her customer service ethic has become a great advertisement for our city.”

Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett selects monthly KiaOraMai Awesome Service Award winners on behalf of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce.

Ms Todd is one of just 12 KiaOraMai Awesome Service Award winners across New Zealand over 2011.

Rotorua people can nominate other locals who give great service online at www.awesomeservice.co.nz