Department of Aviation Custodial Worker II Touree Johnson received the "Impression Makers" award from Philadelphia International Airport's (PHL) Employee Recognition Program. This award is presented to employees who go above and beyond in providing exceptional customer service.
At PHL, Johnson maintains the cleanliness of the terminal restrooms. She’s been in the custodial department at PHL for nine years and works the 2 – 10 p.m. work shift Tuesday through Saturday.
In her nomination of Johnson, Assistant Manager of the PHL Customer Care Team Trudy Tyler stated, "Touree and I were in Terminal B. She was cleaning the ladies' restroom, and I was following up on building maintenance concerns. Touree had to close the restroom to clean it temporarily, and despite the restroom being blocked off, guests continued to approach and even attempted to remove the barrier. Touree handled this situation exceptionally well, respectfully directing guests to alternative restrooms. An elderly woman, in urgent need of a restroom, approached, and Touree was very patient and kind, assisting her to a clean stall. The guest was extremely grateful and even offered Touree money, but Touree kindly declined it. The guest told Touree to keep being herself and not change a thing! This is a great example of excellent customer service. After the guest left, I told Touree that it was very kind of her. She told me that we must look out for the elderly. If it were her mother, she would want someone to do the same. I absolutely agree! Thank You Touree!"
Johnson is humble and did not realize she would be nominated for the Employee Recognition award. She frequently takes the initiative to ask passengers if they need assistance by politely approaching before they ever ask for help. “I don't do things for the accolades,” said Johnson. “I just do it because it's the right thing to do.”
Johnson enjoys interacting with different airport employees and hearing about their travel experiences. She also enjoys connecting with her colleagues for lunch. Johnson counts meeting celebrities like Steve Harvey, Patti LaBelle, and Sheryl Underwood as her most memorable moments at PHL.
Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic are just some of the many places she’s enjoyed traveling to.
Johnson is part of the Safety Committee at PHL, a committee focused on identifying and resolving safety hazards at the airport.
“I thank Trudy for nominating me for this award,” said Johnson. “I also thank Dyana Owens for contacting me to receive the Employee Recognition award. I was raised by my mother, aunts, uncles, and grandmother; they are the village that made me who I am today. I owe them everything.”
The PHL Employee Recognition Program was established by the airport’s Guest Experience (GX) Department. Honorees are nominated by their peers and selected by the GX Council Steering Committee’s Stakeholder Engagement Committee. For more information the program and to nominate an employee, click here.
