Your Better Business Bureau Foundation of Northwest Florida is pleased to announce the winners of the fourth annual Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics, Customer Service Excellence Award and Student Ethics Scholarship from its District II area which covers Okaloosa and Walton counties.
This year’s Torch Award winner in the 1-10 employees category focuses on “quality over quantity,” offers regular training to franchisees and is involved in a number of local organizations.
Dental Temps Professional Services was also the BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics winner in 2006 and was recently awarded the Small Business Associations North Florida District Women in Business Champion of the Year for 2009.
The Torch Award winner in the 11-49 employees category goes above and beyond in ensuring customer satisfaction.
Gulf Coast Shutter regularly contacts customers to give them updates on their order status, provides maintenance instructions and warranty information and doesn’t collect the final payment until the customer is completely satisfied with the work. Gulf Coast Shutter also received the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in 2006.
The Torch Award was created to publicly recognize businesses and charities that insist on exceptionally high standards of behavior in dealing with customers, vendors and employees.
“These winners exemplify what your BBB stands for: trust, integrity, performance and ethics,” said Norman Wright, president and CEO of your BBB serving northwest Florida. “Organizations like Dental Temps Professional Services and Gulf Coast Shutter really stand out in the marketplace against those who don’t always do the right thing.”
New this year was the Customer Service Excellence Award, which recognizes individuals who go above and beyond in their customer service activities.
Christel Maples, from the Walton County Tax Collector’s Office, was the recipient of the inaugural award because she
discredits the belief that government employees don’t care about their job or their customers, shows respect for everyone she comes into contact with and likewise has earned the respect of her staff, co-workers, executive staff and customers.
In addition to recognizing ethical businesses, your BBB also awarded three, $1,000 Student Ethics Scholarships to local students.
Brianna Bikker (click here for essay) and
Kimberly Rogers, (click here for essay) from the Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College, and
Emily Bennett, (click here for essay) from Choctawhatchee High School, were this year’s recipients from your BBB’s District II area. The scholarship winners read their essay on character building, required as part of the application process for the scholarship.
For additional information about the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics and Student Ethics Scholarship, start with bbb.org.
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