Customer service is an important aspect of the winery tourism experience in the Okanagan.
And Bram Bolwijn is the personification of that, working for Mission Hill Family Estate Winery.
Bolwijn was recognized for his efforts by being awarded a BC Tourism Industry Award under the category of Customer Service.
Bolwijn’s efforts to enlighten one corporate visiting group about wines and enhance their overall experience led that company to respond later that he set an example for what defines excellent customer service.
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He was acknowledged for his welcoming demeanor, passion for wines and his courtesy interacting with winery visitors.
In accepting the award at the BC Tourism Industry Conference Friday, Bolwijn said he feels fortunate to serve some of the best wines in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
“We are just in the beginning of history for the development of our wine industry in the Okanagan,” Bolwijn said.
Also nominated in the customer service category were Tourism Kelowna volunteers and Lalli Randawa with Comfort Inn & Suites.
The Tourism Kelowna volunteers were cited as a 57-person group who put in 7,500 hours of volunteer time at the city visitor centre.
The other industry award winners were:
• Innovation: Fairmont Hotels; other nominees Tourism Vancouver, Island Lake Lodge
• Professional Excellence: Tourism Chilliwack; other nominee City of Kamloops
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