WS Chronicle

Winston-Salem-based US Airways employees have been awarded $10,000 each for their “Above and Beyond” customer service.

The employees, all reservations agents at the airline’s Hanes Mall area call center, earned entry into the company’s “Above and Beyond” employee recognition drawing.

Tom Groseclose, Yvonne Anthony, Victoria Harris and Michael Vincent were among the local winners. They won a portion of the more than $260,000 that US Airways gives away each quarter to 360 employees.

The “Above & Beyond” program recognizes those US Airways employees who provide exceptional service to not only the airline’s customers, but to fellow employees. The program allows US Airways’ most frequent flyers (Dividend Miles Silver, Platinum, Gold and Chairman’s Preferred members) and its employees at the manager level and above to submit coupons recognizing employees for providing excellent customer service in the air and on the ground. All coupons received are entered in a drawing and each quarter US Airways awards:  10 employees $10,000 each; 100 employees $1,000 each; and 250 employees $250 each.

“Our employees in our Winston-Salem reservations call center take great care of our customers and their fellow employees. This is what our ‘Above and Beyond’ program is all about,” said Donna Kostelic, US Airways’ director of Reservations. “Last year, we celebrated returning 200 positions back to the Winston-Salem area and now we are celebrating the ‘above and beyond’ accomplishments of our employees here.”

Since the program’s inception in 2006, the airline has received more than 270,000 A&B coupons and has awarded nearly $6.5 million to more than 8,500 employees. US Airways congratulates its Winston-Salem $10,000 recipients.