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The Richmond News May 26, 2010 A15

SECOND ANNUAL

Tourism Richmond salutes hospitality heroes Nominees, winners went above and beyond to offer service excellence

BY MICHELLE HOPKINS mhopkins@richmond-news.com

Last week, at a gala soiree at the River Rock Casino Resort, more than 250 people crowded into the theatre to fete the front line people in the hospitality industry. The second annual Tourism Richmond Service Awards salutes those hospitality

heroes, who, day after day and with grace and a smile, deal with international travelers and local visitors. Those nominated are workers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to offer excellent service. They are individuals who do our city proud.

Prior to the awards ceremony, nominees, industry people, family and friends gathered in the theatreâ€™s upper foyer to mingle and enjoy live music. The mood was festive as attendees sipped wine and nibbled on signature hors dâ€™houvres from some of our finest

local restaurants. Nat and Drew of Virgin Radio were the MCs for the evening and often had the audience in fits of laughter. The evening was a fitting salute for the hard working men and women at the front lines of the hospitality industry.

The Delta Vancouver Airport congratulates all the nominees and thanks Tourism Richmond for facilitating such an important community program.

3500 Cessna Drive, Richmond 604.278.1241

CHUNG CHOW/RICHMOND NEWS

The 2010 Tourism Richmond awards nominees are led in to the event by the Mountie in red serge.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS OF THE SECOND ANNUAL TOURISM RICHMOND SERVICE AWARDS! The ceremony was held at the River Rock Casino Resort on Tuesday, May 18 in recognition of front line representatives in the tourism & hospitality industries who provide service excellence. Thank you for contributing to a great visitor experience and for making Richmond a welcoming destination.

RECIPIENTS Extra Mile Award: Balwinder Cheema, Delta Vancouver Airport

Tourism Spirit Award:

SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS Food & Beverage: Jane Caya-Dizon, Mad Greek

Retail:

City of Richmond

Elsa Shepherd, Lansdowne Centre

Tourism Partner Award:

Attractions:

Richmond Review

Harvinder Jaswal, River Rock Casino Resort

Transportation & Travel Services: Bob Baksh, Sandman Hotel Vancouver Airport

Accommodation: Jenny Reis, Delta Vancouver Airport

Thank you to our partners for supporting the Second Annual Tourism Richmond Service Awards!

tourismrichmond.com/serviceawards

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Extra special thank you to our very own Jenny Reis and Balwinder Cheema, both winners in 2010!

A16 May 26, 2010 The Richmond News

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SECOND ANNUAL

Night manager gave guest the shirt off her back For most of us, loaning a perfect stranger the business suit off our back would seem rather odd. Not to this year’s Tourism Richmond award winner, Jenny Reis. She thought nothing of it. Earlier this year, while working her shift as night manager at the Delta

Vancouver Airport Hotel, a guest arrived late and she was frantic. The guest had an early business meeting the next morning and her luggage, en route from Ontario, was missing. What to do? “When I overheard her speaking to the front desk

staff, I told her she could have mine … I was just doing my job and solving a guest’s problem,” said Heis matter-of-factly. “I was taught to think outside the box and encouraged to work straight from the heart. “At the hotel, we are encouraged, on a daily basis,

to go above and beyond for our customers,” Although the 32-year-old Vancouverite has worked at the hotel for just under a year, she has been in the hospitality industry in Richmond for more than 14 years since graduating from a high school. She was attracted to the

industry because of her love of people. Her shifts, 11 p.m. to 6 or 7 a.m., could make anyone cranky, but it doesn’t appear so with her. “I love my job, I find it extremely challenging, fun and rewarding,” said Reis, who has six employees under her wing on any given night. The way she treats customers is no different than how all the staff does, she adds. “I’m always encouraging my staff to enjoy their work and I always thank them and praise them when they treat a guest especially well,” Reis said.

Reis also credits her schooling for educating her in the tenets of excellence in customer service. Reis attended the hospitality program at Vancouver Community College. She salutes her teachers, all of whom work in the industry, for instilling in her to use her own good judgment when solving problems. “They are the ones who taught me to think outside the box,” said. “ As far as being the recipient of the Accommodations Award, Reis said: “It was great. I wasn’t expecting it but I was happy to win and proud for my company.”

CHUNG CHOW/RICHMOND NEWS

Jenny Reis regularly goes out of her way for hotel guests.

Congratulations

Bob Baksh Tourism Richmond Service Award winner for Transportation & Travel Services

You made us Proud Bob

3233 Edwards Dr., Richmond 800-276-7415

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Vancouver Airport

The Richmond News May 26, 2010 A17

News

TERRACE - KITIMAT • SMITHERS - HOUSTON • PRINCE RUPERT • VANCOUVER

SECOND ANNUAL

CELEBRATING

10Years

How the awards were won

W I T H

P A S S I O N

An AIRLINE as

UNIQUE and inspiring as the CHUNG CHOW/RICHMOND NEWS

Harvinder Jaswal, second right, a slot attendant at the River Rock Casino, receives his award. career.”

Attractions: Harvinder Jaswal, slot attendant at the River Rock Casino Resort. One of the regular slot players told Jaswal that she had a sore throat and would need a glass of water a bit later to take her medication. He returned 30 minutes later with the water, which was serendipitous because the guest had forgotten to take her medication. Jaswal returned several times during the course of

NORTH ITSELF

his shift to ensure she was feeling well, even though it was a busy night. The nominator believes that his actions exceeded her expectations and left her with a memorable experience.

FLY HAWKAIR

Food, Beverage: Jane Caya-Dizon, waitress at the Mad Greek restaurant. Caya-Dizon receives many nominations month after month. Here is a sample of the comments

Hawkair has a strong focus on Customer Service. Our cheery, helpful staff and full in-ﬂight service including beverage and snacks has earned us “Customer Service” and “Company of the Year” awards from local Chambers of Commerce. When you ﬂy with Hawkair, you will experience our true Northern Hospitality every step of the way.

Hawkair honours your AVION and Save-On-More Rewards points.

see Awards page 21

1 - 8 0 0 - 4 8 7 - 1 2 1 6

W W W . H A W K A I R . C A

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The winners in each category and their stories: Accommodations: Jenny Reis, night manager, Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel. A guest whose luggage was lost by the airline on her way here from Ontario, nominated Jenny. She arrived at 1:30 a.m. to ensure she would be able to attend an important product launch meeting for a company by which she was newly employed. This visitor writes that she was in “complete distress” and “grasping for a glimmer of hope.” She advised the front desk of the Delta Vancouver Airport that she needed a business suit. Jenny overheard the conversation and, after some thought, offered her own personal suit and shirt. She brought it to the guest’s room. The visitor wrote: “Jenny Reis is the kind of employee that any company would want to invest in to ensure a life long

F L Y I N G

SPORTSTOWN TAVERN’S

2010 World Cup Pool

RULES: Enter as many times as you like. Sheets & entry fees to be handed in no later than Wednesday, June 9th. Tie breaker is total number of Goals in the tournament. Payout is as follows - 1st place 55%; 2nd place 30%; 3rd place 15%

GROUP B Argentina Nigeria Korea Republic Greece

GROUP C England USA Algeria Slovenia

GROUP D Germany Australia Serbia Ghana

GROUP E Netherlands Denmark Cameroon Japan

GROUP F Italy Paraguay New Zealand Slovakia

GROUP G Korea DPR Ivory Coast Brazil Portugal

GROUP H Spain Honduras Switzerland Chile

ROUND OF 16 GOALS

GOALS

Q1 A1ST

B2ND

Q5 E1ST

F2ND

Q2 C1ST

D2ND

Q6 G1ST

H2ND

Q3 D1ST

C2ND

Q7 F1ST

E2ND

Q4 B1ST

A2ND

Q8 H1ST

G2ND

WORLD CHAMPION

QUARTERS GOALS

SEMIS

QUARTERS SEMIS

GOALS

GOALS GOALS

GOALS

Q4 Q3 Q7

FINAL

Q8 SEMI FINAL LOSING

GOALS

SEMI FINAL LOSING GOALS

ESTIMATE TOTAL GOALS IN THE WORLD CUP 2010 GAMES:

Name: ....................................................................................... Tel:............................................................................................. Email: ........................................................................................

3RD PLACE

Received By: ............................................................................

TO ENTER- FILL OUT THIS ENTRY & DELIVER OR FAX IT TO SPORTSTOWN TAVERN. ALSO ENTER ONLINE AT WWW.SPORTSTOWNBC.COM. FAX NO. 604-279-1538.

SPORTSTOWN TAVERN 4991 NO. 5RD • 604-273-7366 (Between Cambie Rd. & Westminster Hwy.)

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HOW IT WORKS: 1ST ROUND - Pick 1st & 2nd place Teams from Groups A-H Correct picks worth 4 points each. 2ND ROUND - Select 8 teams from Q1-Q8 (Round of 16). Correct picks worth 8 points each. 3RD ROUND - Select 4 teams from Quarter Finals (Round of 8). Correct picks worth 12 points each. FINAL - Predict 2 teams. Correct picks worth 8 points each. 3RD PLACE GAME - Pick 2 teams. Correct picks worth 8 points each. ENTER TOURNAMENT WINNER & TOTAL GOALS IN THE TOURNAMENT FOR THE TIE BREAKER. CORRECT PICK GETS 30 POINTS.

GROUP A South Africa Uruguay Mexico France

A18 May 26, 2010 The Richmond News

SECOND ANNUAL

News

Photos by Chung Chow

HOTEL t CASINO t SHOW THEATRE t SPA t RESTAURANTS t LOUNGES t POOL

A sure bet for your next meeting. From intimate gatherings to annual conferences, River Rock Casino Resort provides an unforgettable experience. Now you’re living. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TOURISM RICHMOND SERVICE AWARDS WINNERS

RESERVATIONS & GROUP SALES

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604.247.8900 t Toll Free 1.866.748.3718 reservations@riverrock.com

The Richmond News May 26, 2010 A19

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SECOND ANNUAL

CHUNG CHOW/RICHMOND NEWS

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Award winners, each holding their award, clockwise from top left: Bob Baksh, Sandman Airport Hotel; City of Richmond representative; Jenny Reis, Delta Airport Hotel; Jane Caya-Dizon, Mad Greek Restaurant; Roman St. Germain (on behalf of winner Balwinder Cheema), Delta Airport Hotel; Mary Kemmis, Richmond Review.

At its best!

Saluting our community’s service leaders Every day, members of our community share the City’s passion and commitment to make our city a great place to live, work, do business and play. For patrons from across town to across the sea, Richmond’s impressive hospitality standards have been put to the test, most recently at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and we achieved Gold. We salute the winners of the Tourism Richmond Service Awards for going the extra mile to create extraordinary experiences throughout the community.

Corporate Services www.richmond.ca

A20 May 26, 2010 The Richmond News

SECOND ANNUAL

Tobin Boothe Sous Chef, Tourism Awards Banquet Story by Michelle Hopkins • Photo by Chung Chow The culinary canapés provided by local restaurants during the second annual Tourism Richmond Service awards were nothing short of mouthwatering. It seems all the chefs chose some of

their signature dishes for the gala event. The River Rock Casino Resort banquet chefs sourced out local spotted prawns and served them chilled with a choice of a dozen dipping sauces. The News

approached sous chef Tobin Boothe to provide our readers with two of the dips recipes. Great on prawns, on hamburgers or anything else you are serving during your summer barbecues. Here they are:

SUN DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE & BALSAMIC MAYONNAISE

MAYONNAISE: 15 ml (½ oz) balsamic vinegar 500 ml (2 cups) mayonnaise Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD: Place sun dried tomatoes in boiling hot water and cover. Leave to steep for 30 minutes, remove from liquid and squeeze out any water remaining. In a food processor combine red onion, capers, garlic, with olive oil. Blend, add olives and puree. Add sundried tomatoes and blend (this mixture should resemble a paste). Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.

TO FINISH: 250 ml (1 cup) of Tapenade 500 ml (2 cups) of Mayonnaise 15 ml (½ oz) balsamic vinegar Combine in a bowl and stir to combine and serve. SAFFRON ROUILLE 1 Litre (4.2 cups) chicken stock A pinch of saffron 227 grams (1/2 lb) Yukon gold Potatoes 3 garlic cloves 2 egg yolks 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil Cayenne Pepper Salt

METHOD Bring chicken stock and saffron to a boil and set aside off heat to steep. Place potatoes with skin on in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil with salt. Simmer until potatoes are cooked. Remove skin and put potatoes through a potato ricer. In a blender place garlic, salt and pepper, egg yolks and gradually pour in oil. Add potato and slowly add stock. Check for seasoning and serve.

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TAPENADE: 230 ml (8 ozs) sun dried tomatoes 1 red onion diced 3 garlic cloves 16 black olives 30 ml (2 T) Capers 60 ml (2 ozs) olive oil

EVERYONE’S INVITED! OF THE CITY

COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY Friday, May 28 11am-2pm WHERE: Vancity Richmond Community Branch- No. 3 Rd. & Westminster Hwy. WHEN:

Photos by Wioletta Okwieka-Reduch

Join us along with local business and community partners for entertainment, prizes, displays, fun and delicious culinary contributions while giving back to our Richmond Community at the same time. Business Sponsors

Community Sponsors

The Richmond News May 26, 2010 A21

News

SECOND ANNUAL

Awards: Retail, transport, spirit recognized

Retail: Elsa Shepherd of Lansdowne Centre. A customer wrote: “When my wheelchair bound daughter and I did not connect, (she came on HandyDart), I was frantically checking all the entrances. “I found Elsa to be calm, reassuring and informative. “As Elsa suggested, I returned to the mall entrance and found my daughter there. “Another shopper let us know that Elsa saved my day when she had my keys and phone that had been lost. “She was extremely pleasant and courteous, all the while following security protocols.”

Transportation and Travel: Bob Baksh of the Sandman Vancouver Airport Hotel. One nomination form read: “Bob is amazing!!! He is incredibly friendly, prompt and organized. “He always puts crewmember’s bags together. “He definitely has made my stays memorable with his welcoming smile. “I’m actually going to really miss him since I won’t be doing Vancouver layovers next month.”

Spirit Award: The City of Richmond.

CHUNG CHOW/RICHMOND NEWS

The city showed leadership, in addition to great spirit, in putting Richmond on the world map during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Very early in the bid process, the city recognized the importance of bringing the Games to Vancouver and Richmond. Along with Tourism Richmond, they were the first in the region to become a sponsor and helped the bid committee. The Richmond Olympic Oval and the O Zone were the direct result of the work of this year’s Spirit Award winner. Half a million visitors to Richmond boosted our reputation, our recognition and our spirits.

Extra Mile Award: Balwinder Cheema of the Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel. Extra Mile winners are chosen monthly from the nominations received and the award extended to someone that has gone ‘the extra mile’ by delivering unexpected service or an unexpected act of goodwill. The annual winner was chosen from those monthly winners. A guest wrote to tell us: “I had an ankle injury and was confined to my room for the day waiting to attend an evening meeting. “Balwinder filled my ice bucket, found me large plastic bags for me to ice my foot. “She found me a footstool, as the one I was using was way too high. “Balwinder also organized my furniture and made sure I had everything I needed. “At the end of her shift she returned to my room to refill the ice bucket. She wouldn’t leave the hotel until she made sure I was OK.”

Tourism Partner: Richmond Review. The Tourism Partner Award is presented to an individual in Richmond who has supported and strengthened the tourism industry through their initiatives.

Elsa Shepherd receives her Tourism Richmond Retail Award. Shepherd was nominated after helping a mother in distress find her wheelairbound daughter in Lansdowne Centre.

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Continued from page 17 from guests: “I travel to Richmond six to eight times a year. I love Greek food, so I always visit the Mad Greek. “Jane remembers me, what I like and has such a wonderful manner” Another guest wrote: “Over the past three years that I have been a customer of the Mad Greek, Jane has never failed to give us impeccable service, always smiling and she makes sure we are on our way to the theatre on time.” Finally from another nomination: “Jane is one of the most friendly and compassionate servers I have ever met. “She remembers your name, remembers your order and asks about highlights of your life.”