Pictured from left to right are Nate Swalley, Sioux Falls Hy-Vee on South Sycamore Avenue store director; Dan Rost; Nate Stewart, Hy-Vee senior vice president and Kristi Masterson, district vice president of Hy-Vee’s northwest area.

When Dan Rost arrived for work at Hy-Vee on South Sycamore Avenue in Sioux Falls Tuesday August 23, 2016, he thought it was another work day.  Little did he know about the plans for a special award and celebration to honor his dedication.

Rost was a recipient of the 2016 Hy-Vee Legendary Customer Service Award.

When you hear the stories of how going the extra mile is a part of his workday, it's no surprise he was one of only 11 employees to win the 2016 award out of over 80,000 employees across multiple states.

Brian Wichers, assistant manager of store explains:

People flock to him. He brings a special kind of energy with him wherever he is. He always seems to know what to say to everyone around him in any situation and is always sincere.  He seems to know everyone on a personal level. The way Dan interacts with customers is phenomenal.

Co-workers, family members and customers gathered at the store to surprise Rost, who is the manager of general merchandise.

According to Hy-Vee, Rost is known for helping customers with any issue, large or small. He has not only helped customers change their tire, but also paid for the tire personally when the individual could not afford it. Rost assembles patio sets and delivers them to customers’ houses to make their lives easier. And he is always ready to stop customers in the store to check on what’s new in their lives.

Hy-Vee’s Chairman, CEO and President Randy Edeker said Rost is exactly the type of employee company officials had in mind when the Legendary Customer Service Award was established in 2006.

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