The UPS Store at Tournament Plaza in Ponte Vedra Beach hosted a party on Thursday, Aug. 16 to thank the community, celebrate the upcoming 25th anniversary of the location on A1A and recognize store manager Erica Vona for winning a top award within the company.
The event featured drinks, desserts, snacks and more as members of the community and UPS employees gathered together for an evening of fellowship.
"The main reason we're having this party is we built this business around loving the customers," store owner Brett Duncan said. "The customers have loved us back. I know that sounds a little cheesy but that's how we built this business is loving on the people."
During the event, Duncan recognized Vona for being named the recipient of the Center Associate Excellence Award at a UPS convention in Las Vegas. The Ponte Vedra UPS store manager received the award out of 5,000 managers nationwide.
"Everybody is crazy about (Vona) and the fact she won the award" Duncan said. "People have written into the corporate office about the customer service so we're definitely celebrating that."
Additionally, Duncan said the store is coming up on its 25th anniversary in Ponte Vedra Beach. The owner said he "never in a million years" dreamed the store would hit the quarter-century milestone, and he noted that Ponte Vedra has seen exponential growth over the last two decades. According to Duncan, there were nothing but pine trees in the area when the UPS Store opened in 1994.
Above all else, Duncan emphasized the importance of quality customer service and showing compassion toward everyone who walks into the store.
"Our goal is whenever somebody hits that front door that when they leave they're changed," he said. "We want people's lives to be changed because they've come here. People don't find love anymore. People don't find love at home, people don’t find love at church sometimes, people don't find love at work, they don't find love at the grocery store. When people come to the store we want them to know that they're highly valued."
Duncan went on to explain that the customers are like family, and sometimes people come to the store just to hang out.
"I get a little emotional sometimes when I start thinking and talking about it," he said. "But that's truly what we're all about, man."
