Aire Serv Office Professional Recognized with Pearl Award

By: Aire Serv Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. | 3 Shares 96 Reads

Oct. 26, 2011 - Joey Link, an office professional at the Aire Serv® of Louisville franchise, was honored with The Dwyer Group® Pearl Award during the company’s 2011 annual conference in Indianapolis.

Chosen among nominations sent into The Dwyer Group by seven franchise organizations throughout the United States and Canada, Link was recognized during a special ceremony at the conference and given the option to enjoy a seven-day cruise for two to either Alaska or the Caribbean.

“I can’t believe I’ve been honored with this recognition,” said Link. “I didn’t even know I was nominated, let alone the winner, of the Pearl Award until I was presented with it. I know there are so many other people that deserve this award too, but I’m truly flattered to have such a high level of respect from the rest of the Aire Serv team.”

Link began working for the Aire Serv of Louisville franchise in 2001 as a lead service technician, but left the company after he had to amputate a leg above the knee in 2009.

“There is no question that Joey deserves this award because he sets a high standard for creating a great customer experience that all franchise owners should try to model. Our biggest problem with his performance as a technician was getting customers to accept a different technician when he wasn’t available,” said Richard Ciresi, owner of Aire Serv of Louisville franchise. “No matter what life seems to throw his way, Joey has had a desire to ‘earn his way’ in the world and works hard to put the customer’s first in every aspect of his job.”

Shortly after recovering from his surgery and learning to use a prosthetic, Link returned to work as a heating and air conditioning technician. However, he soon ran into more health issues.

“It was heart-breaking when Joey had to lose his leg, but more problems arose with the other leg soon-after and he also had to have that leg amputated,” added Ciresi. “Through all of this, he never gave up the idea of coming back to work. He’s been an inspiration to all of us.”

While the ability to work in a customer’s home as a technician was no longer an option, Link was hired back to Aire Serv as an office professional in late 2010. His new arrangements allowed him to work from home on evenings and weekends.

“The Aire Serv team loves having Joey in his current role,” emphasized Ciresi. “He’s able to provide technical advice and customer service tips. If the criteria for this award is overcoming obstacles and keeping a positive attitude through the darkest of times, there could be no one more deserving of this recognition.”

The Office Professional of the Year Pearl Award is presented to the person that sets an example providing a world class first impression, delivering customer satisfaction and in general is a model office professional that every franchisee seeks.

In addition to Link receiving the Pearl Award, Richard and Bonnie Ciresi were recipients of the Aire Serv Sales Leader of the Year and President’s awards. The President’s award goes to an individual who stands out like no other franchisee in the network in regards to participation and contribution of time and talent.

About Aire Serv®:

Established in 1992, Aire Serv is a global franchise organization providing installation, maintenance and repair of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and indoor air quality systems. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its “Franchise 500,” Aire Serv franchisees provide these services to both residential and commercial customers at more than 170 locations in the United States and Canada. Aire Serv is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For further information or to find the location nearest you, visit AireServ.com.

About The Dwyer Group, Inc.®:

The Dwyer Group, Inc., based in Waco, Texas, is a holding company of seven franchise businesses, each selling and supporting a different franchise under the following service marks: Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, The Grounds Guys™, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter® (Drain Doctor in the UK and Portugal), and Rainbow International®. Collectively, these independent franchise concepts offer customers world-wide a broad base of residential and commercial services. In addition, Dwyer operates glass shops in New England under the Portland Glass brand name. The Dwyer Group is a portfolio company of TZP Group LLC, a private equity firm based in New York that focuses on control investments in business and consumer services companies with enterprise values generally up to $200 million. For more information on The Dwyer Group, or its franchise concepts, visit the company’s web site at www.dwyergroup.com.

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