Posts
— Ted DiNunzi
A dapper elderly man stands at Nordstrom's front entrance, humming an Italian tune and smiling at customers as they enter the store's double doors. One woman stops for conversation. A pair of young girls wave to him as they exit the department store, bags in hand.
A customer stopped by a few days ago to give him a gift card, just because. Shoppers often pause to take his picture, or even ask him for a hug.
Meet Ted DiNunzio, the 99-year-old greeter for the Nordstrom store at Westfield Santa Anita mall who has developed an almost fan-like following from customers in the community during his 13 years on the job.
Shoppers often stop by the store to see him, and DiNunzio says he has watched many visitors grow up over the years.
"A lot of them say, 'We come here because of you, you're an inspiration,'" DiNunzio said. "The simplest thing you can ever do is be nice to people. Always be nice to people and smile. And they'll come back."
DiNunzio works for Nordstrom every Friday and Saturday, and remains in good health; he cooks all his own meals and drives himself to work. Even if he's not at work he wears a suit -- he doesn't have a pair of jeans in his wardrobe. He says his good health comes from a positive attitude. He never has to pretend to be glad to see people and, for him, "there's no bad mood." That could be why he has twice received Nordstrom's Customer Service All Star award.
The Pasadena resident landed his position at Nordstrom after retirement, when the company hired him to welcome customers as they came to the store. He's been the official Nordstrom greeter ever since -- the only hired greeter in any of Nordstrom's roughly 240 stores in the country.
"His job is irreplaceable," said Marcille Hughes, the store manager. "It's always fun to have new employees in the store meet Ted. It teaches employees the importance of kindness."
A Rhode Island native, DiNunzio worked at a cigar shop, grocery store, and hotel before moving to Burbank with his wife, Ella, in the 1950s and reinventing himself as a meat-cutter.
Years after his wife's death in the 1980s, DiNunzio started coming to Nordstrom to chat with customers and employees alike, a hobby that soon turned to a job.
Jacqueline Trujillo, the store's customer relations manager, said more than half of the emails she receives are about Ted's presence in the store.
"In the feedback I get, no matter what, I always get a comment about Ted. Customers always associate this store with him," Trujillo said. "If they don't see him, it's an automatic email to me.
He's part of their store experience."
He's also popular within the company.
Last year, Nordstrom flew DiNunzio to their headquarters in Seattle for the annual shareholder's meeting. He's also been hired to greet customers for the openings at Nordstrom Rack in Pasadena and the Nordstrom on Fashion Island in Newport Beach.
"They all wanted me to be their greeter, but I said no." DiNunzio said. "This is my home."
DiNunzio will turn 100 this December, an event his co-workers have been preparing for since his last birthday, according to Hughes.
"When he had his birthday last year, we made him 100 cupcakes, for 99 years and then one for luck. The entire store stopped, singing 'Happy Birthday' to him," Hughes said. "He's an inspiration to people. He contributes so much and inspires people to do the same."
Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/
A customer stopped by a few days ago to give him a gift card, just because. Shoppers often pause to take his picture, or even ask him for a hug.
Meet Ted DiNunzio, the 99-year-old greeter for the Nordstrom store at Westfield Santa Anita mall who has developed an almost fan-like following from customers in the community during his 13 years on the job.
Shoppers often stop by the store to see him, and DiNunzio says he has watched many visitors grow up over the years.
"A lot of them say, 'We come here because of you, you're an inspiration,'" DiNunzio said. "The simplest thing you can ever do is be nice to people. Always be nice to people and smile. And they'll come back."
DiNunzio works for Nordstrom every Friday and Saturday, and remains in good health; he cooks all his own meals and drives himself to work. Even if he's not at work he wears a suit -- he doesn't have a pair of jeans in his wardrobe. He says his good health comes from a positive attitude. He never has to pretend to be glad to see people and, for him, "there's no bad mood." That could be why he has twice received Nordstrom's Customer Service All Star award.
The Pasadena resident landed his position at Nordstrom after retirement, when the company hired him to welcome customers as they came to the store. He's been the official Nordstrom greeter ever since -- the only hired greeter in any of Nordstrom's roughly 240 stores in the country.
"His job is irreplaceable," said Marcille Hughes, the store manager. "It's always fun to have new employees in the store meet Ted. It teaches employees the importance of kindness."
A Rhode Island native, DiNunzio worked at a cigar shop, grocery store, and hotel before moving to Burbank with his wife, Ella, in the 1950s and reinventing himself as a meat-cutter.
Years after his wife's death in the 1980s, DiNunzio started coming to Nordstrom to chat with customers and employees alike, a hobby that soon turned to a job.
Jacqueline Trujillo, the store's customer relations manager, said more than half of the emails she receives are about Ted's presence in the store.
"In the feedback I get, no matter what, I always get a comment about Ted. Customers always associate this store with him," Trujillo said. "If they don't see him, it's an automatic email to me.
He's part of their store experience."
He's also popular within the company.
Last year, Nordstrom flew DiNunzio to their headquarters in Seattle for the annual shareholder's meeting. He's also been hired to greet customers for the openings at Nordstrom Rack in Pasadena and the Nordstrom on Fashion Island in Newport Beach.
"They all wanted me to be their greeter, but I said no." DiNunzio said. "This is my home."
DiNunzio will turn 100 this December, an event his co-workers have been preparing for since his last birthday, according to Hughes.
"When he had his birthday last year, we made him 100 cupcakes, for 99 years and then one for luck. The entire store stopped, singing 'Happy Birthday' to him," Hughes said. "He's an inspiration to people. He contributes so much and inspires people to do the same."
Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/
0 comments:
Post a Comment