As tourists start pulling through Sweet Home to visit its beautiful lakes, hiking trails and campgrounds, they consistently stop at many of the restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations or any number of other local businesses to stock up on supplies or grab a quick bite to eat.
Many of these tourists have questions about the area and would like to know more. To help local businesses respond, the Sweet Home Active Revitalization Effort (SHARE) Tourism Committee has put together a “Quick Guide” for area front-line employees, along with a comprehensive packet of information to help better answer tourist questions.
The guide lists local eateries, shops, activities and where to go if tourists have a desire to pursue a specific hobby while in town.
In addition to providing information, committee members will be out and about over the summer, checking out local businesses and awarding customer service awards, called “You Know Your Sweet Home,” based on the following criteria:
n Find out what the customer wants;
n Get the customer what they want accurately, politely and enthusiastically;
n Go the extra mile for the customer;
A “You Know Your Sweet Home” Award will be presented each week and announced in The New Era. The business will receive a certificate to display, and the employee who provided the exemplary customer service, will receive a three-day ticket to the Oregon Jamboree and be entered into a Grand Prize drawing, which will be chosen at the end of August.
“The committee felt that this would be a fun and interactive way for front-line businesses to get more involved with our effort to promote tourism in Sweet Home,” said committee member Carli Erickson. “As a tourist, sometimes the only people you talk to in an area are front-line employees, and we want to make sure that those folks have the information that they need to help tourists have a great time in our area.”
Committee members will be delivering the Quick Guides and informational packets throughout the week. If you are interested in receiving one, please contact the SHEDG office at (541) 367-8800.