Paradies Lagardère is proud to announce two of the company’s employees at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) were recently recognized at the ATL Wow Awards Gala, an event hosted by the Airport’s customer service team to recognize individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty each year. Food hall supervisor Brandon Nixon and brand manager Allen Glover were the recipients of the 2023 ATL Ambassador Award and the HERO Award, respectively. Nixon and Glover showcase Paradies Lagardère’s commitment to providing first-class customer service.
“I love creating smiles,” says Nixon, who has been working for Paradies Lagardère for nearly six years and has been the subject of many positive letters that the Atlanta airport has received thanks to his ability to engage with passengers. “I’ve made it my main purpose to ensure guests sit down and experience a full meal without having to move. It’s the little things that count—bringing someone silverware is simple for me, but I don’t know what they’ve been through, and it could make their whole day.”
Nixon believes customers appreciate the fact that he does everything with a smile, and he credits his mother’s work ethic and her longtime career in customer service rubbing off on him. “When my mom passed away, it gave me more motivation to push even harder because I know she’s working through me. When I’m on the floor in the food hall, it’s her shining, too.”
It’s no surprise that Nixon is moved by his mother’s spirit. He holds the wisdom and sense of peace that only someone with a strong faith could embody. As the recipient of several honors at the airport, including the General Manager’s Coin of Excellence in 2022, Nixon encourages his associates and others starting in the hospitality field to take time for their customers and put themselves in the mind of a passenger. “When you have a break, familiarize yourself with travel apps or take a walk to see the whole concourse so you can save passengers time when they need to locate food stops. If you missed a flight, think about how you would calm yourself down,” he says to his colleagues.
It’s not just Nixon’s customers who benefit from his positivity; he knows how to pass along this energy to his employees as well. “I can’t rush my employees to understand my approach, I lead by example to show them how to create an environment that people want to be in. The food hall is no different than any other workspace.”
Nixon emphasizes the importance of understanding how to talk to people and credits his supervisor Betty Palmer-Peeples with teaching him to be careful with his words and to focus on his delivery. As a result, passengers often search the different concourses at ATL looking for Nixon, he knows how to break the ice with jokes and compliments. “Everyone needs some type of positivity, and sometimes travelers can’t gather that on their own, so they need my help,” he says. “The main thing is letting customers know that I care, I handle things differently and I’m going to show them empathy and sympathy.”
Like Nixon, Glover has made a point of modeling empathy in his daily interactions with customers. Glover has been with the company for 17 years and currently oversees five stores as brand manager. He decided to make empathy his New Year’s resolution for 2023, and it has paid off. Glover says it gave him a new outlook and helped him truly understand other people’s mindsets, especially after all that the travel industry experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Having that understanding made my year much easier, and as a leader, I felt it was important for me to live by our company’s mission statement,” he says.
Glover’s favorite part of the job is teaching his staff members. “I make sure to coach and develop employees to be of service to others,” he says. “What I love about it is that we unleash the fun AND create success.”
Whether it’s spending half his day tracking down a woman’s lost handbag on the train or helping an elderly man traveling by himself catch his flight to Milan, Glover is committed to making every encounter with a customer the best experience they have at the airport.
“Our motto is to land legendary customer service, and as someone in a leadership position, I make sure to walk that walk and talk that talk,” Glover says. “I make sure my associates know we create that helpful environment even if it’s not related to a purchase at our stores.”
About Paradies Lagardère
Paradies Lagardère is a travel retailer and restaurateur that handles $1.5 billion in annual sales from more than 700 stores, restaurants, and bars in more than 90 airports across North America. Specializing in three airport concessions areas – Travel Essentials, Specialty Retail and Dining with expertise in international, national, and local brands – Paradies Lagardère’s commitment to exceptional customer service, superior design and award-winning retail and restaurant operations has earned the company numerous accolades, including Best Airport Retailer for 26 consecutive years and Best Brand Restaurateur by Airport Experience News. For more information, visit paradieslagardere.com.
