Allyn#039;s Jewlers employee celebrates 40 years of service
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 15, 2003
When Tom Allyn found Georgia Frazier working in the Smart Shop in 1963, he knew he found a jewel of an employee and offered her a job.
"I thought, why not give it a try?" Frazier said.
Thursday, Frazier celebrated working for Allyn's Jewelers for 40 years.
Frazier began working in the store's bridal and gift department, which enlarged in 1970. Later, Allyn sent her to school to become a gemologist. The parts of her job she likes the most, she said, are working with the diamonds, attending gift shows and making her own decorations, which cover the store. Those decorations also include the store's Christmas display.
"It's just the thing I like to do," Frazier said.
Besides decorating, one of the reasons why she has stayed at Allyn's is her boss.
"Mr. Allyn is a good employer to all," Frazier said. "If you need a coffee break, or you're feeling ill, he's understanding."
She also had praise for co-workers, both past and present.
"Everybody's nice," she said. "In any business, everyone doesn't agree every day. That's just how the world is. But, we have no problems or knock-down-drag-out fights. We're all like family."
Another likable part of her job is the customers.
"I've seen the nicest customers," Frazier said. "A lot have moved away, but they'll call and ask for things."
One customer moved to Florida but ordered a grandfather clock which the store delivered, she said. Another woman in Proctorville will not buy her diamonds at any other store. The same is true for a customer from Texas.
In an era in which a person will change jobs at least eight times, Allyn's is only the third place Frazier has worked. Besides the Smart Shop, she worked at a drug store through high school.
She said she could not see herself anywhere else.
"Very definitely not," she said. "I like what I do. It helps me get up in the morning to start my day."
Allyn presented Frazier with a card and a large bouquet of flowers. Because roses live a short life, Frazier was pleased that he selected flowers that she can later plant in her yard.
"She's always green and growing," Allyn said. "She's not complacent. She's a good employee for me."
"She's a very, very nice person, and a nice person to talk to. She has a hard time saying no, that kind of person. If you come in and let her wait on you, you'll find that out. She's a concerned person meeting your needs."