Services

Maggy award winners in the service category made their mark this year with personalized service. These businesses know what people in the Triangle really want and go that extra mile to provide it. Most of these top winners are repeats, but a few new businesses have made their way to the top this year.

Top Doctor
Talk about a category with a lot of competition. The Triangle ranks high for health care, so it's no surprise that more than 40 doctors and practices were nominated for this award. The six physicians at Carolina Family Practice and Sports Medicine garnered the award for the second year. Maybe you remember them as Rex Family Practice of Cary, but about five years ago, they opened on NW Cary Parkway in Preston under their current name. They also have an office in Raleigh.

Although these doctors take care of elite and world-class athletes, they know recreational sports cause injury too, and every injured person, no matter their level, just wants relief. Patients can also get their annual physical here and receive treatment for non-sports-related diseases.

Clients of Carolina Family Practice and Sports Medicine are in good company. The practice also serves the Carolina Hurricanes, the Carolina Ballet, USA Baseball and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, among other athletic notables. All physicians at CFPSM are certified in both family practice and sports medicine. They take a serious view of health and fitness education, and also illness and injury prevention.

Eye Doctor
Eye Care Associates has 11 offices in the Triangle, four in Cary including its newest office at the Arboretum shopping complex off Weston Parkway. There's no telling which of these offices readers had in mind when voting for Western Wake's best eye doctor, so let's say the win was a group effort.

Eye Care Associates uses the Internet to hone its personal services. There you can request an appointment and also find all of its patient forms. It's been a trend for Maggy winners to be in association with professional teams, and this company continues that trend. It is the official team eye doctor for the Carolina Hurricanes. Also, founder Dr. Stephen Bolick has had the privilege of providing sports vision examinations to Olympic athletes in Lillehammer and Atlanta.

Hair Salon
In the '50s it was mostly women going gray and movie stars who dyed their hair. Then came better products, and with that came fun looks for the whole family — layered shades, semi-permanent gloss and wild streaks of mad color. Our readers' hair salon of choice is Haircolorxperts, which, by the way, also cuts and styles. Check its Web site to see if your school or business qualifies you for a discount. If not, it also has coupons for first-time clients: www.haircolorxpertsraleigh.com.

Best Mechanic
One of our most family-oriented business winners is Peak Automotive on Hwy 64W in Apex. Owned by husband and wife team Brian (who does the mechanics) and Kim Walker (who does the marketing), this is a true made-in-Cary business. Peak markets itself as "female-friendly," an unusual motto for a mechanic's shop, but one that has gotten the attention of national automotive magazines. Peak also offers incentives for referrals; most recently movie tickets for the referrer and a discount for the new customer.

Peak welcomes customers with a cozy, homey lounge and entertains their children with a kids' play area. The owners and employees have also joined in community efforts, which include volunteering with the Girl Scouts and organizing a truckload of donations for Hurricane Katrina victims in Louisiana.

"The team at Peak Automotive is very proud to have amazing, loyal clients that choose us as their mechanic. We feel they do so because we pride ourselves in doing things differently. From professional, trained, courteous staff to the 'over-the-top' level of customer service and perks we provide to our clients, we consistently strive to wow each and every person that walks through our doors," said Kim.

Veterinarian/Pet Groomer
It's been three years at the top for veterinarian/pet groomer winners Kildaire Animal Medical Center. Obviously, they know how to keep both people and animals happy. An American Kennel Club study estimates Americans spend an average of $423 a year for routine vet visits, and that's not including emergencies and surgery. That's more than some people spend on their own health care, so you want the best for your money and for your four-legged family members.

Dr. John Strasser and co-owner Dr. Jason Hammer, along with their other doctors and staff, promise the highest quality service and care. According to our readers, they deliver.