SāvOn Stores earned an American Society for Training and Development Central New York Chapter BEST Diamond Award. The honor recognizes SāvOn’s commitment to workplace learning and performance.

SāvOn took the award for its “Exceptional Customer Service: Shopping for the BEST” program that focused on customer service training and a mystery shopper program.

Oneida Nation Enterprises also received a Sapphire Award for its “Leading Through Learning: The Leader Learning Circle” program.
Oneida Nation Representative and Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter said, “We congratulate our SāvOn team members for their ASTD CNY BEST Diamond award. Through training, coaching, and feedback we have promoted continuous improvement at our stores. This first place honor is a testament to the commitment we have to provide the best customer service experience for our SāvOn guests.”

The CNY BEST Awards recognize organizations, internship providers, consultants, and individuals who link learning to strategic growth. National and local judges representing the profession and the community evaluate applications for demonstrations of excellence. This year marked the 5th anniversary of the CNY BEST Learning and Performance program.

2012 CNY BEST Committee Chairperson Diana Wolgemuth of Dale Carnegie, Inc. said, “What set SāvOn's application apart was the simple but extremely effective way in which they addressed a challenge in a strategic part of their business. The achievements were supported by strong metrics and there was a fundamental culture shift in the way the employees were in engaged in the solution through empowerment and ownership. There is also a strong commitment to continuous improvement that will position this company to be a top competitor in their marketplace.”

The Oneida Indian Nation operates the chain of 13 SāvOn Convenience Stores in Oneida and Madison counties. Each store offers a range of food, fuel, and essentials with pay at the pump services available at each location.