Webb Center Admin Specialist Honored for Customer Relations Skills
December 09, 2015
President John R. Broderick congratulated Ardena Jordan, ODU's customer relations employee of the year, at Wednesday's luncheon.
After 13 previous nominations for Old Dominion's top customer service award, Ardena Jordan, an administrative specialist at Webb University Center, was still grateful for No. 14.
"I've always enjoyed getting nominated," Jordan said at Wednesday's Department of Human Resources recognition luncheon at Webb Center.
This time, however, Jordan enjoyed winning, as well.
Her announcement of Customer Relations Employee of the Year highlighted the annual event that recognizes continuous employee service and retirements across the University.
Jordan, who was honored last spring with the Outstanding Support Award by the department of military science and leadership, Army ROTC, was selected from a field of 16 nominees. She received an engraved plaque, three days of recognition leave and a $500 bonus. The latter news brought a delighted whoop and a spontaneous spin, on high heels, from Jordan.
"Ardena has a knack for making everyone around her feel appreciated and important," Paula Bee, Jordan's supervisor, wrote in her nomination report. "You can always count on Ardena to make sure that our customers' needs are met 100 percent of the time."
Bee added Jordan routinely goes beyond her normal duties to please every customer as if they're the most important person she will meet in a day.
"Even on the phone, you can always tell that Ardena has a smile in her voice," Bee wrote. "She meticulously emulates all of ODU's service standards each and every day."
Jordan said, "I just figure if you do something for somebody else sometimes, you never know if that person is going to see what you've done and pay it forward."
President John R. Broderick honored employees with five- to 40-years of service to the University at the luncheon. In his opening remarks to an audience of more than 200 guests, Broderick thanked all those recognized Wednesday for their efforts to help Old Dominion thrive.
"There's a reason that we're attracting more students than ever before," Broderick said. "There's a reason why we're retaining and graduating more students than ever before. There's a reason why we're generating more philanthropic dollars than we ever have before. That's because of the work that so many people in this room do to contribute to student success and to the overall well-being of the University."