MONEAGUE, St Ann — What started out as a regular Monday in the classroom last week for Moneague College lecturer, Andrea Hughes, turned into an afternoon to be remembered when she was surprised by a team from Digicel bearing gifts of roses and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ smartphone.

Andrea, who was not celebrating a birthday or other special occasion, looked puzzled at the presence of the senior Digicel executives who were all lined up to meet her in the staff lounge with a sweet serenade with 19 roses in hand — one for each year of service.

In the presence of her fellow staff members who had hatched the plot, public relations and communications manager for Digicel, Elon Parkinson, announced that Andrea was being recognised as the company’s first female postpaid mobile customer. The gesture was part of Digicel’s ongoing celebration of International Women’s Day and part of the lead-up to the company’s ‘golden birthday’ when Digicel turns 19 on April 19.

Still in deep surprise, Andrea was then told that she had also received free postpaid service for the rest of 2020. She beamed, “I am never one to be at a loss for words but today I certainly am. This is more than I could ever expect and I am honoured to have been chosen for this gift and very thankful to Digicel for this recognition.”

An overjoyed Andrea still remembers the day — April 20, 2001 — she anxiously waited in line to join the Digicel network and being able to enjoy a vastly improved mobile service experience. For her, 19 years of loyalty to Digicel came down to one thing — excellent service. She recalled, “I’ve always enjoyed great service from Digicel. Whenever I call customer care to request clarity or assistance, I’m always met with kind and courteous service.”

Digicel’s reliable roaming services was her second reason for remaining loyal. Andrea shared, “When I travel I have to stay in contact with my family and Digicel allows me to do that effortlessly.”

A most deserving winner and invaluable public servant, Andrea is fondly described by her colleagues as one who gives freely without expecting. As a result, she wears many hats at Moneague College. In addition to her role as a lecturer of communications and literacy, Andrea also serves as the acting director of communications, public relations and alumni affairs at the institution.

The Monday surprise on a rainy afternoon in Moneague came down to careful planning and collaboration between Digicel and her very willing co-workers, lecturer David Mullings and fellow Rotarian, Althea Dawkins.

In a salute to Andrea for her 19 years with Digicel, the company’s director of customer care and experience, Pia Baker, commented, “All of us at Digicel celebrate you today and always. It has been our privilege to serve you for all these years and we promise you that we will continue to ensure that you get the best service experience with us.”

Baker reflected, “Your journey with Digicel has been an amazing one. From the time we introduced 2G technology in 2001, to where we are now with superfast LTE service that you can access right here in several parts of St Ann. We look forward to an even more exciting journey with you as we introduce new digital services and better ways to serve our customers.”