Gary Roberts has been a customer service manager at D.R. Horton for 13 months and has his own home inspection company, Daylight Home Inspections.
WHAT DOES HE DO?
He takes warranty complaints from homeowners. “The only Realtors I really deal with are for people who have their homes on the market or people who have just bought the house. D.R. Horton warranties their homes for one year, but there are certain issues that may last longer, up to ten years, which would be structural.” He manages eight warranty technicians and three office staff members.
HOW ARE REALTORS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
“Well, the Realtors are selling our houses.” D.R. Horton has its own site agents but other Realtors are the ones who get involved in the resale of the homes.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO CUSTOMER SERVICE?
“I’ve been doing this type of work for many years. I started in Ocala as a customer service manager with On Top of the World, a major builder there.”
BEFORE D.R.HORTON?
Roberts really is a jack of all trades and has had several careers over the years.
He has driven tractor trailers for the U.S. Postal Service’s bulk mail (which he still does during the holidays), served in the Army, has driven buses for East Coast Transportation, was a substitute school teacher, owned a remodeling and construction business, owned a Subway franchise, owned Daylight Donut shop and ran operations for the Southern Baptist Convention after Hurricane Andrew in Miami, along with other mission work. Most recently he fought forest fires with the Division of Forestry for the State of Florida for four years. “I like to work, that’s my hobby. I’ve always had two or three things going at one time. When I was a kid, I delivered papers in the morning and after school. In the summers, I would deliver papers, mow yards and work construction.”
HOW DID YOU END UP AT D.R. HORTON?
“This is much more exciting. It’s Monday through Friday, weekends and holidays off.”
COLLEGE?
He has a bachelor’s degree in theology from Florida Baptist Theological College.
HOME INSPECTION BUSINESS?
He’s been running his home inspection business, Daylight Home Inspections, for a year and a half. “I got out of forestry, started my home inspection business and then this job occurred. Now I do the home inspections at nights and on the weekends. I do them whenever I want. I call the shots. I get jobs by word-of-mouth and I pass out flyers but I keep the two jobs completely separate.”
HOW DOES YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP YOU IN THIS JOB?
“They helped me with customer service and how I relate to people. When I talk to homeowners, I know what they are talking about when they say the sill on my window is rotting out or the threshold on my door has a twisted truss. It all mixes in.”
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED FROM A CO-WORKER?
“‘Slow down.’ I hear that all the time. I like to keep going. I don’t like to look back. That’s just the way I am.”
PET PEEVES?
“People being late.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
“The interaction with people. It is fun. They are usually mad, but I can use that to my advantage. I just let them talk and get it out and then I handle it.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
Amelia Island/Nassau County Board of Realtors.
HOMETOWN?
Alexandria, Va.
RESIDES?
Hilliard.
CHURCH?
First Baptist Church of Gray Gables.
PERSONAL SIDE?
He has been married to Yonna for five years. Between them they have four children and one grandchild. When he is not working, he and his wife enjoy visiting St. Augustine. A movie he would recommend is “Gods and Generals.” His favorite book is the Bible. When traveling, he likes to visit Mountain City, Tenn. A restaurant he would recommend is Tombo’s or any greasy spoon.
— by Michele Newbern Gillis