Courtesy at the counter.

Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard

They work for modest pay - often not much above minimum wage. They're on their feet eight hours a day, indoors under neon lights. They deal with customers who can quickly turn surly or rude.

Yet Lane County's best retail workers stay optimistic, friendly and self-motivated. And their regular customers love them.

Last month, The Register-Guard asked readers to identify their favorite store clerks and salespeople. Customers sent in the names of more than 100 retail workers who they said provided exceptional service.

We asked for the recommendations so we could better understand what makes these special store employees tick - whether as a group they share personality traits - and how they thrive in jobs that are demanding and provide only modest material rewards. The key, it seems, is simple: a predisposition to be happy.

Excellent retail workers generally are "friendly, caring, warm-hearted and eager-to-please," said Anna Bifano, a business consultant in Portland. "Those attributes are natural, they are not forced."

These workers typically seek out jobs in companies that have an upbeat atmosphere, Bifano added.

Out of the more than 100 names, The Register-Guard picked a handful who seem to exemplify retailing excellence. Here they are:

Grocery store cashier Liberty Dunsmore may have one of the most challenging retail jobs in Lane County, but she does it with patience and grace.

She works at Red Apple Market in Eugene's Whiteaker area. The neighborhood is a mix of working-class families and low-income residents, with its share of people suffering from drug or mental health problems and homelessness.

Red Apple customer and Whiteaker resident Mary Richter said Dunsmore and other store employees sometimes must deal with difficult people.

"Her attitude is so good," Richter said of Dunsmore. "I have never seen her greet a customer without a smile. And no matter what, she is tolerant and she is so patient. It's incredible."

Dunsmore, 26, said she loves her job and the vast majority of customers are regular shoppers who are easy to deal with.

But when someone starts to get out of line, Dunsmore said she "tries to look on the brighter side of things" and uses the same friendly approach as she takes with other shoppers.

"Even if they are mad and are cussing, I will say, `Use your words better. Please don't cuss,' " Dunsmore said. "Sometimes I have to ask them to leave, but I always try to be friendly. That is the most important thing. Even if they are angry, you have to try and be nice and not overreact."

That can yield rewards, Dunsmore said. "There is this one lady who comes in and she used to look like she was in a bad mood all the time. But she seems chipper when she gets in my line. She used to snap at me, but I just kept at" being friendly.

Dunmore, who worked at a Fred Meyer in Portland before joining Red Apple Market 4 1/2 years ago, admits she isn't always so outgoing.

"When I am at work, I'm more extroverted," she said. "But (away from work), I pretty much keep to myself."

Irresistible smile

Jill Draheim moves among the clothing racks in the children's department of the Eugene Meier & Frank with a smile and a can-do attitude.

Shopper Margaret Byrne marveled at Draheim's willingness to track down a lost special order that Byrne had made in the store's hosiery department.

Draheim "stepped up and solved the problem," Byrne said.

Describing herself as a naturally "bubbly person," Draheim, 23, said she "loves working with people" and has a rapport with regular customers, many of whom share stories about their children and grandchildren.

Draheim has a simple philosophy in dealing with the public. "Just treat people the way you want to be treated," she said. "If you walk up to somebody with a big smile on your face, there's no way they will be able to go away unhappy."

A 1997 graduate of Brookings Harbor High School, Draheim attended Oregon State University before moving to Eugene a couple of years later. After 3 1/2 years at Meier & Frank, she plans to continue working in retail. "I went through management training," she said. "Hopefully, I'll be a manager someday."

Positively pleasant

No matter Norma Bozarth's mood, her customers always get a smile and a greeting.

A clerk at The Salvation Army thrift store in Cottage Grove, Bozarth said it's self-defeating to be rude or indifferent to customers.

"There is no reason for it," she said. "The public is your source of income. Without the public, your business would not run."

Bozarth, 56, speaks from experience. She has worked in retail for 33 years, including jobs with Toys R Us in California, and Big Thrift stores in Washington.

"I love my customers," she said. "I always try to have a positive attitude to the best of my ability because customers have picked our store to come and shop at. If you're not in a good mood, you can't bring your problems to work with you. And you can't be down all day."

Shopper Dhyana Valentine of Cottage Grove said the attitude of Bozarth, the store manager and other employees is the reason she likes shopping at the store.

It's a store where Bozarth lets "you know that you are appreciated - as a customer and as a human being," Valentine said.

A cut above

Ron Catalfamo puts more into his job than simply cutting meat at the Florence Safeway.

He's a butcher with a love of food who recommends that customers use his favorite recipes and seasonings for beef, poultry and pork.

"We always ask him, 'What should we have for dinner, Ron?' ' customer Marteen Wick said. "For St. Patrick's Day, he had a recipe for corned beef and cabbage. And he'll give you suggestions if you are in a hurry and don't have a lot of time to cook."

Catalfamo, the meat department manager, has been a butcher since he was 18, beginning with Safeway in California and later at Lucky's. He has been at the Florence Safeway for nearly eight years.

Catalfamo, 41, said he enjoys cooking, especially barbecuing steak, and makes recipe and seasoning suggestions so customers get the most out of their meat purchases.

"It's just common sense," he said. "If this (seasoning) goes great on steak, I want them to experience it the way I like it."

Catalfamo's helpful attitude extends beyond his department. He often directs customers to products elsewhere in the store, making him a role model for other employees.

"We live in a retirement area and (elderly customers often) need extra help and attention so we go the extra mile to help," he said.

Customers first

Mark Kenyon, head of the tool department at Jerry's Home Improvement Center in Eugene, had a customer with a problem. And in usual take-charge fashion, he solved it.

Joyce Heisler last month was shopping at Jerry's for a portable generator as a backup power supply for her breathing machine. She has emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other breathing problems and wanted back-up electricity in case of a power outage.

Kenyon, after talking with Heisler, realized she would not be able to move the 85-pound generator at home. So there on the tool department counter, Kenyon built a rolling plywood platform with wheels for Heisler, charging her just for the materials.

"I'm telling everybody what he did," Heisler said. "I used to be a waitress and my customers were the most important thing to me. And you just don't see that so much anymore. I was really impressed."

Kenyon, 37, said it's easy for a self-starting kind of person such as himself to help Jerry's customers because store management encourages it.

"We at Jerry's are not asked to protect the interest of the store," he said. "We are asked to protect the interest of the customer."

Kenyon is a former professional photographer who has worked at Jerry's for two years. He started as a construction salesman, quickly moving up to his present position.

"Attitude is everything," he said. "I'm asked all the time by co-workers, `Aren't you ever down?' And my answer is 'Yes but you will never know when.' '

"I'm a blessed person. I have a wife and four kids, and that keeps me going," he said. "They inspire me."