Recognition

Neiman Marcus BEST

On August 1st, our store manager announced that I had been voted our company's Best for 2009!  I am proud and honored to have been selected to represent Washington, DC in receiving our company's highest honor.

On September 2nd, I was flown to the corporate headquarters to receive the award.  From the moment that I stepped out of my front door to meet the driver I was swept away into a sea of appreciation and luxury. Nothing could have prepared me for the generosity that was so graciously bestowed on us. We were greeted with a very warm welcome and then we observed as months of careful planning unfolded. No expense was spared to honor us. The attention to every detail was astonishing. I found it inspiring to spend time in “the heart of our company”, surrounded by “the Best of the Best” and those who lead us. Words can not adequately express how much I appreciate this prestigious recognition and how grateful I am. I truly treasure the time that I spent there and I thank my company for what has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life

Criteria

The BEST is my company's most prestigious honor. The BEST winners exemplify the my company's standards for customer service and excellence.

The BEST Award is presented annually to associates whom consistently:

• Provide superior service to our customers or perform their jobs with customer satisfaction as their primary goal
• Exhibit a positive, can-do attitude in their work and their professional relationships
• Treat all customers, associates and vendors with dignity and respect
• Demonstrate a commitment to collaboration and teamwork
• Meet each of our 10 Customer Service Standards (Availability, timeliness, friendliness, courtesy/professionalism, knowledge, relationship, ability to understand customer's needs, ability to locate unavailable merchandise, ease of contacting by phone, follow up)
• Exemplify leadership

The BEST is not a popularity contest and is not necessarily a recognition of years of service.

The BEST Committee

The judging committee is comprised of store/facility/division senior management and former  BEST winners.

Each judging committee reviews every nomination to ensure that a BEST recipient meets the criteria consistently and, by doing so, made a significant contribution to the success of the store / facility / division during the past year.

The article and picture below are taken from page 4 of the Lancôme Business Planner for Spring/Summer 2010.

LANCÔME SERVICE STANDARDS

Jodie Hawk, Lancôme Product Specialist, Washington DC, has provided exceptional customer service skills for over a decade, creating every opportunity to make Lancôme's business the best it can be. Jodie has an incredible email listing. She reaches over 800 clients via email and Facebook and they return to the store because of the great service she provides. Recently, Jodie won the prestigious “Best” award which recognizes one person from each store in the chain. They are flown in VIP STYLE to corporate headquarters for a two-day recognition event.

Testimonials

From Nancy Rosebush, Mother of the bride (Claire Rosebush-Harvey), Washington, DC.

"Having Jodie do Claire's makeup on the day of the wedding ended up being a huge blessing for many reasons: Claire looked gorgeous and felt that she looked gorgeous, the makeup application was elegant and stunning, and the makeup was obviously quality product which lasted for hours. But the real bonus was because of Jodie's calm demeanor and prayerful presence. While Jodie was applying makeup on the bride, Claire realized that she did not need to be nervous. She became very calm and had such poise and dominion which lasted throughout the wedding service. I feel that Jodie was supporting Claire's need for quiet and calm and that she helped to create a wonderful atmosphere during that last hour before the wedding. Claire and I were both so grateful!

Never did we expect when hiring Jodie, that we would receive this special gift with her participation in the preparation before the ceremony. This was possible because of who Jodie is—a mature, self-assured professional who is humble, unselfish and loving. She quietly did her job but did not insert herself in as an important player with an ego who needed attention, just an important member of the team who understood her role and fulfilled it flawlessly. I can't imagine a better person to have do a bride's makeup."

From Zoe Scharrf, Sister of the bride

"Jodie helped make my sister's special day absolutely perfect. She showed up ready to work through our chaos, and did a beautiful job making the bride look spectacular. She was exactly the presence we wanted while we were getting ready. The colors were perfect and the look lasted until 2 in the morning when it was all over."

From Christine Cleary, the bride.

"I would recommend Jodie Hawk to any bride. She is a professional, skilled make up artist who made it easy for me to be confident as the center of attention.

Jodie consulted with me weeks before the wedding. We discussed the products and colors that I would wear on the big day. She did my make up at the consultation as a trial run. It looked fabulous and I was happy to know well ahead of time that Jodie had a specific plan for the beauty routine.

On the day of the wedding, Jodie came to the hotel room where I was getting dressed. Her calm professionalism certainly helped me to stay relaxed in that time of getting ready.

I was self-assured walking down the aisle, all through the picture taking and, all through the party. My make up was flawless so I was able to fully enjoy the celebration without being distracted by any uncertainties about my appearance. Of course, I received tons of compliments on the look that Jodie put together!"

From Johanna Kaplan-Fratto, the bride.

"Jodie was a wonderful make-up artist for my wedding. She listened to what I wanted, which was a natural look, and was willing to work with me until I was happy about the way I would look on the most important day of my life. Additionally, she was very flexible when it came to the day of and was willing to travel to my house, which was a huge stress relief. My make-up was fresh and lasted all day, even through dancing all night! "

From Meghan McLaughlin Bassmann, the bride.

"Your make-up application was flawless, the coloring you chose was a perfect match for my complexion, the make-up felt weightless and I could hardly tell that I was wearing any and yet you were able to conceal all of my imperfections in the most natural manner, it looked as though they just vanished.  My make-up looked great all day with two photo shoots outside (one before and one after the ceremony) and throughout the entire night of dancing.  I truly appreciate all the time you took to really listen to what I wanted during the extensive consultation, so you knew exactly how I wanted to look.  I wanted to look like me (not too fancy or “made-up”), but the best that I can look, while still looking like myself and feeling comfortable, and you nailed it, in fact you exceeded my expectations!

I especially want to thank you for your calming and supportive nature, your professionalism and spirit helped to calm any anxious nerves during the preparation process and I felt poised and confident about my appearance after leaving your chair.

Thank you again for all that you did and for just being you!"