What started with a wrong number turned into months of community service, and a brand-new barbecue, for Summerland couple Jim Klassen and Mirjana Komljenovic.
Back in January, the pair found themselves fielding a surprising number of phone calls from strangers looking for help with their Napoleon grills.
At first, they were confused. Then they figured it out: thanks to a mix-up on Google and Apple listings, their personal phone number had been mistakenly posted as Napoleon’s customer service line.
Most people might have changed their number, or at least ignored the calls. Not Jim and Mirjana.
"You didn't hang up — you actually talked to him,” Mirjana recalled of the first call.
“Because he was like, well, what is it that you are looking for? Without knowing it he started becoming a customer rep."
“That was the first phone call… that was in January, and then there was another phone call a couple days later,” she said.
Over the following months, the couple received hundreds of calls from grill owners across North America — some as early as 4:30 a.m.
“We would receive phone calls... they were right across North America, sometimes at 4:30 in the morning, sometimes at 8 o'clock at night,” Komljenovic said.
Rather than getting annoyed, the pair leaned in. They gave advice. Shared tips. Even pointed folks to local dealers — all while answering questions not just about grills, but sometimes about life in the Okanagan.
“We really enjoyed it because it was just pre-election… there was always lots to talk about. People were asking us questions about the Okanagan, how much we paid for house taxes, all sorts of questions — so we just answered. Some of them became friends. It was second nature to help out,” Mirjana added.
When Napoleon found out what had happened, they moved quickly to correct the online listings — and decided this couple deserved some recognition.
“Jim and Mirjana took it upon themselves to answer some questions as they are Napoleon grill owners, and redirect people to the right phone numbers. We didn’t ask them to do this, but they jumped right in and did it anyway,” said Garry Scott, VP of marketing at Napoleon.
The company officially named them Honorary Customer Service Ambassadors and presented them with a brand new, Napoleon Prestige 665 BBQ, worth $2,900.
The surprise gift was handed over in a special presentation at White’s Barbecue & Fireplace on Spall Road, a local dealer of Napoleon grills.
