A wrong number resulted in a Summerland couple answering a steady stream of customer service calls for a Canadian barbecue manufacturer.
In January 2025, Jim Klassen and Mirjana Komljenovic suddenly began receiving calls for the Napoleon Grills customer service line.
The calls became a constant stream, from early morning until late at night.
Komljenovic said they received 10 to 20 calls a day, increasing as the weather warmed up and people began barbecuing.
Instead of hanging up, the couple, who also own a Napoleon grill, answered the questions and directed callers to local dealers, doing their best to guide people through their challenges.
Later, they worked with White鈥檚 Barbeque and Fireplace in Kelowna, the Napoleon Grills dealer in the area, forwarding calls there.
鈥淲hat could have remained a frustrating experience became a story of generosity and extraordinary customer care,鈥� a statement from Napoleon Grills said.
Komljenovic said some of the callers, realizing they had an incorrect number, would ask the couple where they lived and what it was like living in Summerland 鈥� questions about the weather, house prices and property taxes.
When the couple reached out to Napoleon, the company discovered the calls were the result of incorrect contact information on Google and Apple. Napoleon later worked with both companies to correct the information.
However, this process took time. On the day the company learned of the issue, technicians worked until midnight to correct the listing on Google.
While the company was able to change its contact information there, the information in Apple鈥檚 Siri system remained incorrect.
Then, the incorrect information would go back to search engines.
鈥淚t was just meant to happen,鈥� Komljenovic said of the steady stream of customer support calls they received.
In early June, the telephone number was finally resolved and the calls stopped coming in.
The couple previously worked in customer service and treated the calls in the same way as any other customer interactions.
On Aug. 28, Napoleon presented Klassen and Komljenovic with a special recognition, naming them Honourary Customer Service Ambassadors. The ceremony was held in Kelowna.
Napoleon Grills also gave the couple a Canadian-built Napoleon Prestige 665 barbecue. The top-of-the-line grill is valued at $2,900.
鈥淔or more than 50 years, Napoleon has built its reputation on taking care of consumers one at a time,鈥� says Garry Scott, vice president of marketing at Napoleon.
鈥淛im and Mirjana went above and beyond by taking care of us. We鈥檙e proud to recognize their kindness, generosity and true community spirit.鈥�
The couple says they are looking forward to using their new barbecue.
