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Lee's Fifth Avenue Staff Awards

Published:Friday | March 14, 2014 | 12:00 AM
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Georgia Beckford (right) is ecstatic at being named Employee of the Year at the Lee's Fifth Avenue Staff Awards. She received her plaque from Ann-Marie Harris, manager of the main store in Tropical Plaza. Making the announcement is Sandra Barnett (background), general manager of Lee's Fifth Avenue. The awards were held at the head office on Hillview Avenue on Sunday, March 2.
Everton Gooden accepts the award for being top employee at the Lee's Fifth Avenue head office (Administration/IT/Warehouse category) from Ann-Marie Harris, manager at Lee's main store. - Photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Marvarine Smith (right) accepts her award as top employee for the Lee's Fifth Avenue main store (ladies/home furnishing) from main store manager Ann-Marie Harris.
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There were prizes galore at the recent Lee's Fifth Avenue celebration of its staff performance for 2013.

There have been staff awards before, but this was the first integrated staff awards, encompassing all the outlets: Manor Park, Shoe Store, Sovereign Centre, main store, and head office. The idea was the brainchild of general manager Sandra Barnett, who explained that all members of staff had a vote. The heads of the respective departments then looked at the quantitative results, including the candidates' appraisals and punctuality, before coming to their final decision.

After the votes were tabulated, Georgia Beckford, of the main store, was voted Employee of the Year. Beckford was also voted top employee at the main store in the Men's/Kids' category. Barnett noted Beckford brought in $22 million in sales for Lee's Fifth Avenue, making her the top salesperson. Among her prizes, Beckford will receive an escorted (fancy car pickup and drop-off) brunch for two at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel.

Winners

The other outlets also selected an employee of the year, with the main store and the head office having two winners each. The other winners were: Anika Tyrell, Sovereign Centre; Dalton Forbes, Shoe Store; Yvette Francis, Manor Park; Marvarine Smith, main store Ladies/HomeFurnishing category; Jennifer Chambers, head Office Buying/Accounts category and Everton Gooden, head office Administration/IT/Ware-house category. In addition to the major awards, seven staff members received prizes for perfect attendance, and eight others were rewarded for perfect punctuality.

Late last year, the company instituted a Mystery Shoppers competition where customers were trained to enter each retail outlet and test cashier and sales associate staff (unknowingly of course) on their customer service. For the three-month period (December 2013 to February 2014) of its inaugural staging, Sushana Beckford won for the cashiers and Lexcine Jackson for the sales associates. Both are from the shoe store in Tropical Plaza.

Members of staff also displayed their talent in song, dance and a fashion show, where each branch had to come up with clothing and shoes combinations for three hypothetical events: hanging out with friends at a nightclub, having dinner at a fancy restaurant and going for a job interview. The judges, who are models used by Lee's in their various campaigns decided the main-store team was tops.