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Two Oklahoma hospitality industry workers were recognized for their exemplary service with a new national award announced Tuesday by ImageFIRST.
Jarred West, food and beverage banquets supervisor at Osage Casino and Hotel Bartlesville, was the overall winner.
Fourth-place winner Kameron Stern meets with ImageFIRST Customer Advocate Andrew Rucker in Oklahoma City. (ImageFirst photo)
Kameron Stern, kitchen manager at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Oklahoma City, was one of the four finalists.
This is the first year for the ServiceSTARS awards honoring “professionals who go above and beyond to enhance the guest experience.” Nominees were submitted by team members of ImageFIRST, which provides linen and laundry services to medical facilities nationwide and hospitality customers in select markets.
“I’m still in shock,” West said Tuesday afternoon. He described himself as “a customer service connoisseur” who found his path without a college education.
West said he loves his job whether he is overseeing a 10-person business meeting or a 350-person wedding reception. He came to work at Osage Casino and Hotel eight years ago. “I’ve just flourished, and I worked my up,” he said.
West was an ideal candidate for the first ServiceSTARS award, “creating a positive moment with every interaction,” Brandon Murphree, an ImageFIRST district service manager, wrote in his nomination. “He embodies our values of respect and a commitment to excellence. Jarred’s passion for helping others and his dedication to charitable work is truly remarkable.”
West said the contest “reminded me that, regardless of what happens in this world, my service matters. What I do matters.”
Manager Regina Williamson said not only does West work tirelessly behind the scenes, he finds a way to get out front at some point and mingle with the people.
Her concern now that he has been recognized as a top service industry star is preventing someone from stealing him away.
“We have to keep him here,” she said. “Everybody in Bartlesville loves this guy.”
Stern has worked for the Hal Smith Restaurant Group for 17 years, the past nine as kitchen manager at Toby Keith’s in Bricktown.
“In that time, I’ve had the honor of getting to know him both professionally and personally,” Kalim Underwood, an ImageFIRST district manager, wrote in his nomination.
Underwood wrote that Stern is a dedicated single father and an advocate in his community who volunteers at the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, a haven for families whose children are undergoing cancer treatment. “Kameron’s willingness to lend a hand without being asked is why he’s a ServiceSTARS nominee and, above all, truly remarkable.”
Stern said he was raised to “treat people like people,” whether it is the most influential guest in the dining room or the truck driver making a delivery.
In his early 20s, he began working in a restaurant making salads. “I just kept learning and worked my way up the line,” he said. “I’ve always liked cooking. I do about 90% of the cooking at home,” he said.
Stern has a 19-year-old son, a 10-year-old daughter and a girlfriend with three children.
“Food brings everyone together. We eat dinner at the table and talk about our day,” he said. “Your table should be shared with the people that you love.”
The other two finalists for the new award are Molly Jellison, Long Reach Kitchen & Catering in Bath, Maine, and Jared Hills, Sage Hospitality Group – The Elizabeth Hotel in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The finalists will receive cash and prizes totaling $8,250.
One of the six runners-up also is an Oklahoman, Valerie Spivey, who works at Texas Roadhouse in Stillwater.
“The ServiceSTARS contest shines a spotlight on the remarkable efforts of hospitality professionals who transform guest experiences through their dedication and kindness,” ImageFIRST Hospitality Division President Doug Harris said in the announcement. “We’re honored to recognize these outstanding individuals whose commitment and passion embody the spirit of exceptional service.”
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