NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In 2018, nearly 16 million people flew into Nashville International Airport. That’s up nearly 2 million passengers from the year before, breaking a record for the sixth year in a row.
Every day 460 flights that land or take off from BNA making the airport the first impression of music city.
Robert Lee is one of the first faces many of those travelers will see. He works at BNA’s information desk as a customer service representative.
“Whenever someone comes in who has questions about the Nashville area we try to give them the best options about places to go and things to do,” said Lee.
He also helps people with flight, luggage and accommodation issues, and was recently awarded by the Nashville Convention and Visitor’s Corp with a Hitmaker Award for outstanding customer service.
Robert was nominated by a couple from London that didn’t get picked up by their driver.
“It was an elderly couple, so I tried my best to help them out. I called the company and the company stated that the diver had come and left, which the driver had never been on the premises,” recalled Lee.
Lee got their money back and a cheaper ride to their hotel.
Each month the Convention and Visitor’s Corp awards someone in the hospitality industry.
Winners have ranged from Uber drivers to restaurant and hotel workers, and tour guides.
Each winner is nominated for an outstanding act of hospitality and they’re all inviting to a special banquet in their honor.
“I’m on cloud 9 right now” said Lee of his award.
His manager Chris Patterson says Lee was just treating that couple the way he does more than 400 hundred passengers every day.
He believes Lee’s high quality of service is contagious to his other employees.
“Robert will go above and beyond whenever he feels a need and probably 5 to 10 times a day he feels the need to help someone, whether it’s FedExing, whether it’s immigration, customs, language line. Whatever the need is. Robert is really willing to help especially when people seem really lost or confused,” said Patterson.
While Lee is Nashville’s first impression to many, he’s also the last person some people encounter before they head home.
“I hope that they see that, Nashville… that southern hospitality… it really goes a long way,” said Lee.
If you would like to nominate someone with outstanding service for a hitmaker award, click here.
