New Year’s Delight: Bustin’ out the best

COEUR d’ALENE — At precisely one second after midnight on Jan. 1, something momentous will happen, and millions of people everywhere will celebrate.

Voting will begin for Best of North Idaho.

Sandra King of the North Idaho Business Journal will kiss husband Michael and flip the figurative switch to let the balloting begin. Anyone with access to a computer can vote: Starting Jan. 1, simply go to nibusinessjournal.com, pick any of 120 or so categories and start naming your favorite places to eat, drink and buy furniture.

“This is a pure ‘people’s choice’ program,” said King, who oversees Best of North Idaho for the North Idaho Business Journal.

“Pure” might be in the eye of the beholder. For the vast majority of businesses that get their ballot butts bruised, the veracity of the contest might be questionable. But not to the winners, or to King.

“All of the categories are wide open,” she said. “We don’t narrow anything down. Voters have to think of the companies themselves. We don’t give them multiple choice.”

For instance, in the category Best Sporting Goods Store, a voter would have to type in Black Sheep for the vote to count. Matter of fact, a heck of a lot of people have done just that. Black Sheep has won Best Sporting Goods Store all four years of Best of North Idaho.

Last year, King said, 20,000 electronic votes were cast. The contest runs the entire month of January, and King and her team devote the first two weeks of February to counting every single vote and determining the authenticity of each ballot. She checks the electronic signature of every one and tosses out any duplicates.

“With over 120 categories it can take two weeks,” she said, “but it’s worth it because we want to ensure the truest response possible.”

The truest response possible is critical, King said, because the businesses who stand at the end in the winners’ column can really make some noise — and money.

“When your business is recognized as Best of North Idaho, some people will go in and try them for the first time just because of that,” said King, who has the pleasure of calling all 120-plus winners each year. “It also helps with existing clients — it affirms that customer’s choice.”

NIBJ checked in with several Best of North Idaho four-peaters to find out how the heck they keep winning. Here are brief synopses that we promised to share with readers, but not their competitors.

FRED’S APPLIANCE

(Best Appliance Store)

Four reasons Fred’s management believes they’re unbeaten:

• Carry more brands and selection of appliance than anyone else

• Working relationship with manufacturers allows low pricing on product; great selection and competitive prices; lower than at department stores and hardware stores

• Local service department

• Warehouse is 33,000 square feet; always stocked with appliances that can be delivered when a customer needs it

TIME WARNER CABLE

(Best Internet Service Provider)

Continued success comes from Time Warner’s network and infrastructure. The company provides reliable, high speed product offerings at a reasonable price. A comprehensive marketing and communications plan ensures the company’s products are made available to both new and existing customers. Time Warner’s main goal is to continue to add features to its products and services, enhancing their product’s quality at no additional cost.

CAPONE’S

(Best Sports Bar)

Tom Capone, owner of Capone’s Sports Bar, attributes customer patronage to the combination of food, atmosphere, and service offered at the bar. Customers return to Capone’s because they’re able to enjoy a large variety of sports packages alongside quality food and drink.

Capone’s is committed to local service. They continually provide sponsorship for local sports teams, and recently donated $7,000 for the Field House at Coeur d’Alene High School. Each year, Capone’s does a fundraiser for the firemen of Post Falls.

LES SCHWAB

(Best Tire Store)

Les Schwab has remained popular because of customer satisfaction. The company emphasizes service, providing quality products at quality prices.

Les Schwab employees meet customers at their car or in the parking lot, and maintain speedy service by practicing the company policy of “sudden service.” This consistent customer service is encouraged by the company’s business model, which makes employees partners in the company, providing an incentive for employees to take care of customers and grow business at the same time.

Promotions within the national company are taking the focus off of pricing and products, and are instead emphasizing customer service. The company’s motto is “Doing the right thing since 1952.”

GREAT FLOORS

(Best Flooring)

Great Floors’ business is unique in that to complete the sale they enter the customer’s home, impact their lives while removing the existing flooring, prep the floor and install the new carpet or hardwood, so it is very meaningful when customers consistently select Great Floor as the best flooring store.

From knowledgeable sales associates who listen to the homeowner needs to warehouse associates and certified installers who get the product in the home, the Great Floors team gets credit for “Best of” awards. There are many places to buy flooring, but the service provided by this crew is what elevates Great Floors to the top of the category.

BLACK SHEEP

(Best Sporting Goods Store)

Locally owned business that takes pride in price and home of the lowest prices. Black Sheep’s inventory, focused on hunting and fishing in the Northwest, is stuff that works well. Superior customer service; Black Sheep prides itself in its staff’s knowledge of products and places.

Black Sheep also keeps winning because, managers say, they promote heavily through the Coeur d’Alene Press. They also rely on word of mouth and always have; people telling friends it’s the best place. In business for 36 years, Black Sheep says its employees work harder every year as the marketplace continues to evolve.

Brooke Berger contributed to this story. Brooke is a Coeur d’Alene native now in her junior year at Georgetown University. She is studying English with a journalism emphasis.

STOMACHS RULE

Top 5 categories (most voted on) in 2011:

1. Grocery Store

2. Burger

3. Breakfast

4. Pizza

5. Salon (distant 5th)

NOT SO SERIOUS

2011 funniest votes:

Best Toy Store – Adam & Eve (received multiple votes)

Best Place to Meet Singles – Kootenai County Jail

Best Place to Make Yourself Look Younger – Fairwinds Retirement Home

UNDEFEATED

These businesses have been voted Best of North Idaho all four years of the readers’ choice contest. Who will make it five?

Accounting firm: Magnuson McHugh

Antique store: Wiggett’s

Appliance store: Fred’s Appliance

Auto dealer – new car: Parker Toyota

Bookstore: Borders (no longer in business)

Casino: Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort

Cell phone provider: Verizon Wireless

Child care: ABCD Daycare

Coffee house: Java on Sherman

Dessert: Dockside

Flooring store: Great Floors

Golf course – most challenging hole: #14 The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course

Hiking trail: Tubbs Hill

Hotel resort: The Coeur d’Alene Resort

Internet service: Time Warner

Local artist: Stephen Shortridge

Restaurant – Asian: Bonsai Bistro

Restaurant – fine dining: Beverly’s

Restaurant – Italian: Tomato Street

Restaurant – Steak: Wolf Lodge

Restaurant – Sushi: Syringa

Romantic weekend: The Coeur d’Alene Resort

Ski resort: Schweitzer

Snowmobile: Priest Lake

Sporting goods: Black Sheep

Sports bar: Capone’s

Tanning salon: Hawaiian Sun

Tire store: Les Schwab

Toy store: Figpickels

Vet clinic: Prairie Animal Hospital

View dining: Beverly’s