30.05.2012
CONTACT: Валентина Старова
Moscow, 23 May, 2012 –– “You are a superstar” was the first phrase Nelly Kallo heard arriving in Washington earlier this month and that was how she and seven other nominees felt at an annual ceremony which handed out the prestigious J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence. For the first time in the 26 year old history of the award it found its way to Russia.
The Award honors the company's finest associates for their outstanding service. Established in 1987 and presented each year to a select few, this award recognizes associates representing Marriott International's brands and businesses.
This year Nelly Kallo found herself as one of eight ”selected few”, others being from the U.S.A., South Korea and Kuwait.
In his personal letter to Nelly, Bill Marriott, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Marriott International, wrote: “Your selection for this honor is a tribute to your dedication to excellence in service and hospitality”, which is certainly true for Nelly.
Nelly’s approach to work is simple but effective. “Every guest is a VIP person for me and every day I try to perform at my very best and make people happy,” she says.
Bert Fol, General Manager of the hotel, recognizes the efficiency of this approach: “It is particularly nice when guests in their comments say that they come back to the hotel specifically to see certain associates, and I’ve probably seen more such comments about Nelly than any other associate.”
Nelly has worked at the Marriott Moscow Royal Aurora hotel for eight years, starting as a telephone operator. Soon she moved to the front desk, first as a front desk clerk and for the last three years she has worked as a supervisor. She graduated from a Pedagogical University in 2004 and decided that hospitality business was her vacation since it is anything but routine. She still maintains this view and says that her job ideally suits her personality.
“When I was given the floor at the ceremony, I said that I was a happy person to have a job which pays me for what I like to do most, - and I like to talk a lot,” remembers Nelly with a smile.
Together with other nominees Nelly Kallo travelled to the U.S.A. to receive their awards at a special ceremony on May 9 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, near Washington.
If Nelly treats her guests as VIP’s, for the first time in her life she felt like a VIP herself.
“I was shocked to be called a superstar. And every moment of my 5-day stay in the U.S.A. I was treated like one. Many people came up to me at the Marriott headquarters and thanked for what I was doing home. I never realized that my work was so important. It was mind-blowing.”
The ceremony was attended by Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott, President and CEO Arne Sorenson among other top ranking officials. The awards were presented by Debbie Marriott Harrison, Senior vice president of government affairs, who pointed out that she was extremely proud to present awards to the associates who “live and breathe our core values”.
Owing to Nelly’s and other associates’ efforts, the Marriott Moscow Royal Aurora hotel concluded 2011 as second in GSS (Guest Satisfaction Survey) among 87 Marriott properties in Europe, corporate and franchised.
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