Customer Service

With an eye toward better customer service, the Hagerstown Post Office on Franklin Street has extended hours on weekdays and Saturday. Under the new hours, which went into effect Monday, customer service windows in the main lobby will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to Tammara Illig, supervisor of customer service. The two additional hours each day will enable the post office to better serve commuters and others, Illig said. Saturday hours are now 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., an increase of three hours in the afternoon.

Service call answered on other side of world By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI kimy@herald-mail.com When Fay Shaffer called a customer service number about her Montgomery Wards credit card recently she never expected the phone to ring halfway around the world. continued Shaffer, of Hagerstown, said she called the toll-free number for the now-defunct department store in October to settle some confusion about a service charge and learned that the customer service center was in Bombay.

Allegheny Power has launched a new customer service hotline good for all its customers in five states. Customers can now call 1-800-ALLEGHENY 24 hours a day with any question about service. Spokeswoman Midge Teahan said the company decided to merge its customer service operations after merging with two subsidiaries in September. "We felt strongly that the best way to serve our customers was to have a centralized location," she said. "We took three centers and turned it into one state-of-the-art center.

The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission will host farmers market workshops from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 13, at the Washington County Agriculture Education Center front conference room. This free workshop is open to new vendors interested in learning how they can market and sell their items at Washington County farmers markets during the 2013 season. Presentations by Leslie Hart, Washington County agricultural business development specialist, will cover topics including farmers market etiquette, customer service, up selling and merchandising.

The winners of the Humane Society of Washington County's two holiday raffles have been announced. Bob Walton won the dog prize and Rachel George won the cat prize. Both accepted their prizes at the shelter Dec. 21. Each was surprised with the news they had won. "No way!," said George. "I really wanted to win this incredible cat tree and this is just great. " The cat tree was a one-of-a-kind, custom- designed tree. Walton was taken aback when he heard the news he had won the dog raffle.

The Humane Society of Washington County will conduct an orientation for potential volunteers at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 8. There are opportunities for volunteers to work directly with the animals, or clerical work, customer service and special events. Volunteers are asked to commit to two hours a week for six months. Young people between the ages of 12 and 15 must be accompanied by a qualified adult. For information, contact Margaret Rhoads, volunteer coordinator, at 301-733-2060, ext. 212 or send e-mail to mrhoadshswc@myactv.

Bobbi Vidas was selected as the Washington County Health Department's employee of the month for October. Vidas began working at the health department in September 2004 in the communicable disease section of the nursing division. As a certified medicine technician, a certified community nursing assistant and a trained phlebotomist, she participates in providing services through a number of health department clinics, including those dealing with sexually transmitted infections, family planning, adult and childhood immunizations, refugee health and chest (tuberculosis)

With other departments including fire and police expected to make their requests during budget hearings in the next few months, administrators with the City of Hagerstown's billing department asked the Mayor and City Council Tuesday for an additional customer service representative to offset the ongoing cost of using temporary staffing. Assistant Finance Director Ray Foltz said the acquisition of new technology, including online bill payment services, coupled with the residential housing boom and increased development, has increased the workload on the light department's billing customer service workers.

julieg@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - First Data Corp. ended 2004 with 232 more employees at its Hagerstown-area facility than it started the year with, thanks to company and industry growth, spokesman James Green said Wednesday. The company still is hiring, although Green said it was difficult to say how many more people would be hired because business needs fluctuate. Employment at First Data Merchant Services, 1 Western Maryland Parkway, increased gradually through 2004, Green said.