Pair go extra mile for customers

There were smiles aplenty this week as two WairarapaWon award winners received presentations for extraordinary customer service.

Terence O'Hara from TRC Toyota and Hayley Inder of Flight Centre Masterton gave customer service over and above that expected in their respective industries.

Mr O'Hara gave assistance to an 86-year-old customer, Roma Brice, who felt unwell while picking up a vehicle.

He immediately took her to a doctor's surgery, and left instructions to ring him to pick her up when she was ready to go home.

"It was just so special," Mrs Brice said.

"He could see that I needed to be helped and especially when you live by yourself and you're 86, you think at least someone cares about me."

Mr O'Hara said he was over the moon to win.

"I didn't expect any recognition for it. She just seemed that she wasn't quite herself," he said.

"I would hope anyone would do the same for my mother if she was in a similar position."

The second winner was Hayley Inder, who went to extraordinary lengths to secure new flights to Bali for bride-to-be Julie Millar.

The bride and her wedding party booked six flights through Air Asia before the airline pulled out of the New Zealand market, just a few months before the big day.

"It was lovely to win the award. I was really pleased to help Julie out because it was a stressful time and she had different people coming from different places to be there for her wedding," Ms Inder said.

Mrs Millar said the support was invaluable.

"Hayley was professional throughout the whole transaction and happy to take calls, visits and emails from me and my family," she said.