Tammy Shoemaker Wins WV Excellence in Tourism Customer Service Award
In a ceremony held at the Pocahontas County Visitors Center in Marlinton on Thursday, January 31st, Tammy Shoemaker, who works as an Information Specialist for the Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Satellite Visitors Centers at both Snowshoe Mountain Resort and at Cass Scenic Railroad, was awarded the Excellence in Tourism Service Award. Tammy has worked for the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau for the past eighteen and a half year, This award is presented by the West Virginia Hospitality University. In its announcement of the award, the Tourism University wrote the following about Tammy “Her love for Pocahontas County and the unique attractions, history and recreation is apparent when folks meet her. Her friendly and cheerful personality shines when she greets visitors and she goes the extra mile to assist them, exceeding expectations every time.”
Cara Rose, the Executive Director of the CVB announced the award and presented Tammy with a vase inscribed with her name and “Excellence in Customer service” Here is Cara announcing the award.
“It’s with great pleasure today that I present Tammy Shoemaker with the 2019 Excellence in Tourism customer Service Award” announced Cara. “Tammy, this says that you have been recognized by the West Virginia Tourism Industry and the West Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association for your long commitment and exceptional guest service. Here is your award (sounds and applause) The nomination recognized her passion for sharing her knowledge of Pocahontas County, the region and the State of West Virginia with every single guest you have ever met -with all those hundreds of thousands of people. Your dedication to the Tourism Industry is remarkable and that is why we are recognizing you today. It’s a real pleasure, and congratulations, it’s certainly well deserved. So, thank you so much for your great guest service (applause”)
We got the opportunity to talk with Tammy following the ceremony, and you can tell from the emotion in her voice, just how appreciative she is that she was nominated for and won this award..
“I’ve been at Cass for twenty-seven years with tourism, been with the CVB =well this is my 19th year with CVB” said Tammy. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Cass or it’s Snowshoe, because I do both of them there’s always good stories for both of them. I get back people year after year that I talked to last year about something, and they will come back and say ‘you know, you gave me good information last year.’ Which I’m glad, that/s what my job is -to get them out into the County, learn the County. It’s not just Cass and Snowshoe. It is the entire County. Every now and then I will go out, at least two or three times a year, and I will just be a tourist myself. I will drive around the County and look at it through the Tourist’s eyes, which is what you need to do just so you know what they are seeing. But my heart is in Cass, always will be.”
Did you have any idea you were going to win this award?
“No… No! I had no idea at all. I didn’t even know why I was coming down here. They just said ‘wehave something going on tomorrow at 11, come on down because it’s so cold on the mountain (Snowshoe) you will want to come off the mountain.’ And it was cold on the mountain (chuckle) -it was very cold on the mountain. So, I had no idea about this, which is very nice, I men whenever you get something that says ‘Excellence in Customer Service’ that’s just cool.”
I guess in the Tourism Industry you can’t get much higher praise then that!
“You cannot, I mean somebody recognized it, which is cool!”
OK, thank you,
“You’re welcome.”
Again, let me offer my congratulations to Tammy Shoemaker and my thanks for all she does to help visitors get to know Pocahontas County.
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