September 1, 2021 | News & Press Releases
Eddie Bucknor (second from right) with Hy-Vee District Vice President, Lincoln District, Jeff Quandt (right), Hy-Vee Senior Vice President, Operations, West Region, Drew Holmes (second from left), and Hy-Vee Senior Vice President, Business Development West, Frank Woodward (left).
LINCOLN, Neb. (Sept. 1, 2021) — For more than 90 years, Hy-Vee has promised shoppers they’ll find “a helpful smile in every aisle.” Customers at the Williamsburg Hy-Vee in Lincoln find those smiles every day thanks to the efforts of Eddie Bucknor and his tireless commitment to training the next generation of helpful smiles.
Eddie, the customer care and education manager at the Willamsburg Hy-Vee, has been a helpful smile for 25 years and is known for his commitment to holding every employee accountable when it comes to customer service. He oversees the training for all new hires, making sure they understand the importance of service and friendliness as part of what makes Hy-Vee a great place to shop. Employees understand, after Eddie’s training, just how much their commitment and genuine efforts at providing great customer service make a difference in the customers’ shopping experience and their likelihood to return.
That’s why fellow employees, family members, customers and Hy-Vee executives gathered at the Williamsburg Hy-Vee yesterday to surprise Eddie with the Legendary Customer Service Award. The award recognizes exemplary achievement in providing service that exceeds customers’ expectations. Only 11 winners were selected from among more than 86,000 Hy-Vee employees across eight states.
“Eddie greets every customer, addresses the regulars by name, and leads by setting an example,” wrote Jeff Quandt, Hy-Vee’s district vice president for the Lincoln District. “He makes sure that a large part of his new hire training covers the importance of customer service and greeting each customer. By sharing his passion for Hy-Vee and its fundamentals, Eddie is able to ignite that same flame inside our new employees.”
Candidates are nominated for the Legendary Customer Service Award by their co-workers, and winners are selected by a panel of Hy-Vee’s top officers. Nominations are evaluated on the employee’s overall contributions to the company in nine areas: passion for customer service, attitude, initiative, teamwork, problem-solving skills, dedication to Hy-Vee fundamentals, communication skills, professional image and self-confidence.
Hy-Vee’s Chairman, CEO and President Randy Edeker said Eddie demonstrates exactly the type of caring commitment to others that Hy-Vee leaders had in mind when the Legendary Customer Service Awards were established in 2006.
“Eddie represents the dedication and service that Hy-Vee stands for in everything he does, providing a helpful smile and incredible customer service every day. His nominators gave example after example of the ways Eddie serves his customers and leads those who work alongside him to do the same,” Edeker said. “This award honors the best of the best in our Hy-Vee family, and Eddie is certainly deserving of this award.”
Eddie and the other 2021 recipients of the Legendary Customer Service Award will be inducted into
Hy-Vee’s Customer Service Hall of Fame and receive a coveted Legendary Customer Service name badge and a custom-designed ring to commemorate the honor. Recipients will also receive a crystal trophy and a free trip of their choice.
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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 280 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $11 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 5 favorite grocery stores. The company’s more than 86,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.