Hi! My name is Susie, and I have been with Angie’s List since September 18, 2001. My interview was the morning of September 11, 2001, so that day changed my life forever for many reasons. My primary position is Contract Administrator, but I am also known as the Birthday & Service Anniversary Gift Administrator (sounds like a lot more fun, doesn’t it?!?) Well, it is and it’s a job I take very seriously.

Here’s how it works: On the day of an employee’s birthday they receive an email letting them know they need to come by my desk for their surprise. They get to choose their surprise from the “Birthday Treasure Chest.” How many people can say they have one of those at the office? These fabulous gifts include kaleidoscopes, wooden board games, and silly stress balls. Service Anniversary Gifts are a much larger production. On the anniversary of an employee’s start date, I go to the employee and give them the “official” appreciation speech and present them with their gift of appreciation – usually spinning wheels, fuzzy dice, and of course the much sought after rubber chicken reserved for when you pass the five year milestone with the company.

I love doing this part of my job because the employees are so genuinely happy and I get to convey just how much Angie’s List appreciates their dedication and service to our members. Being the Gift Administrator always makes my day a good one!

The Angie’s List Wishmakers program began in 2003 when a young Indianapolis girl contacted Angie’s List asking for assistance for her ailing parents. Her home was in shambles because her parents couldn’t keep up with it.  With the help of WISH-TV and local service companies off the List, we were able to fulfill the girl’s wish and clean up the house.  Since then, we’ve continued this program annually and, as the List has grown, expanded to grant wishes in cities across the country. 

Unlike popular home makeover shows, we don’t have the resources or capabilities to build a whole house, but we can grant smaller wishes that make a big difference in the lives or ordinary folks.  Past Wishmaker projects include converting a home to be wheelchair accessible, space organization for a mother of six and breast cancer survivor, and new kitchen cabinets for foster care providers.   

This year Angie’s List is seeking nominations for deserving people who need a helping hand. Nominations will be accepted from May 1, 2007, to July 15, 2007, via email at wishmakers@angieslist.com. Now for the rules: only nominations including the submitter’s name, city, state, phone number, a specific wish, the nominee’s name and their contact number will be considered. No self-nominations will be accepted. Please keep nominations under 300 words. 

So, email us your nominations and we’ll do our best to make those wishes a reality.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Over the years, I’ve heard some pretty crazy stories about lots of different topics. From the fence company who installed the beautiful fence three feet into the neighbor’s yard to the handyman who earned an “A” in punctuality for showing up just in time to dial 911 and save the member’s life during a heart attack, the List is packed with stories. But, some of the most bizarre experiences I hear about have to do with wild animals.

We recently heard about a woman in Dallas who woke up one night to an awful banging noise. After searching the house, she discovered it was coming from her air conditioning unit outside. She immediately turned it off and in the morning, called an air conditioning company. When they came out, they discovered a large snake had climbed up onto the fan when the unit was off. When the air kicked on in the middle of the night… well, the snake didn’t fair well. Needless to say, there was not much they could do for the poor snake at that point.

Angie’s List is an animal-friendly company, and while we were sad to hear about the snake’s demise, we found the story and photos quite remarkable.

Yesterday, Bob Vila’s blog, “On The Level” wrote about us as a good resource for finding information about the contractors you hire.  We certainly appreciate the recognition of the hard work we do to keep Angie's List reliable, accurate, and easy to use.  We’re going to keep working at this until we have ratings on each company in town, but we can’t do that without you!  Submit those reviews about all your hiring experiences because that’s the only way we get information on the companies in your city!

By the way, the shoe sniffing incident mentioned in the blog actually happened to an Angie’s List member. Better check those companies on Angie’s List before you hire them and find them enjoying the aroma of your closet!