Business Profile | Robin Boren

By Mark Zonca
April 2014 View more Business

President, Pivotal Home Solutions

Photo by Michael Hudson

Naperville-based Pivotal Home Solutions provides homeowners with peace of mind and added financial security of home maintenance by offering a suite of home protection products and services. Robin Boren, president Pivotal Home Solutions, recently talked with Naperville Magazine about its award-winning customer service and what makes Naperville an attractive city to run a business and raise a family.

You were appointed president of Pivotal Home Solutions in July 2012. Since then, you have doubled the size of the company and expanded its reach in five states. What has been your proudest accomplishment?

I am extremely proud of the entire Pivotal Home Solutions team. By working together over the past two years, we have accomplished so much to help us continue our journey as a successful, customer-focused company. A year ago, we completed a $120 million acquisition, which increased our annual customer counts by 50 percent and grew our geographic footprint, so now we provide our products and services in several other states. We also have successfully integrated with our parent company, AGL Resources, after Nicor Gas and Pivotal Home Solutions became part of AGL Resources in 2012.

I firmly believe that our success now and going forward is due to the talent and dedication of our team of nearly 400 employees. Many of whom are based out of our Naperville headquarters near Route 59 and Diehl Road. I am proud to lead a team that is thriving and at the same time moving forward with changes that continue to bring value to our customers.

What is the philosophy behind your award-winning customer call center in Naperville?

The dedicated people who work at Pivotal Home Solutions are what make our company great. We recognize that each team member plays a pivotal role in providing our customers with exceptional customer service and a positive experience. We empower our team members to address customer needs and that is one of the main reasons we have been so successful and why Nicor Home Solutions has received seven consecutive J.D. Power Call Center Certifications and the 2013 President’s Award from Carrier Corporation in recognition of our leadership, integrity and excellent customer relations.

From our customer service representatives answering each call with, “My goal today is to provide you with exceptional customer service” to our HVAC professionals being mindful of customers’ homes and putting on booties to help ensure floors stay clean, everyone on our team is committed to meeting our customers’ needs and exceeding their expectations. We are responsible for more than 1.2 million service agreements, a testament that homeowners trust us. Everyone at Pivotal Home Solutions is committed to preserving that trust.

The renovation of your Naperville headquarters earned Pivotal Home Solutions the prestigious distinction of LEED certification. Tell us about the renovations and the award.

Designing our office space to meet LEED criteria for energy efficiency and improved environmental and human health performance is one of the ways we show our commitment to our employees and live out our corporate value of environmental stewardship. As a company that helps customers save energy through energy-efficient heating and air conditioning equipment and providing air quality assessments for the home, we believe that we also should be environmentally responsible and improve our own work area. Just as we are committed to ensuring our customers are comfortable in their homes, we also want to provide that same experience for our employees at work.

Our LEED certification project features numerous green components, including water-saving plumbing fixtures, an advanced heating and ventilation system, energy efficient equipment and appliances, low VOC materials and a reduced construction waste program. The project also optimizes the use of natural daylight to reduce the amount of energy expended on lighting.

When you are not busy at work, how do you spend your free time?

With an energetic 5-year-old at home, my free time consists of creating art projects, hosting tea parties, kicking the soccer ball at the park and riding bikes along the sidewalks of our neighborhood in downtown Naperville. We enjoy exploring our new hometown and have spent countless hours this winter sledding down Centennial Hill and enjoying some hot chocolate afterwards. This summer, my husband and I look forward to taking our daughter swimming at Centennial Beach and indulging in a scoop of ice cream at one of Naperville’s many ice cream shops. We volunteered as a family at the DuPage Children’s Museum during Nicor Gas’ 17th Annual Volunteer Day last May, and my daughter fell in love with a number of the interactive play stations there!

What do you enjoy the most about living in Naperville?

Naperville offers many big city amenities, while retaining the charm and close-knit feeling of a small town. We have been embraced by our neighbors and have enjoyed participating in the family-friendly activities they host, including caroling this winter. Our friends and family from out of town love to visit us, as they appreciate the shopping, dining and cultural attractions in our vibrant downtown, especially Ribfest and summer concerts in the park. I am proud to work, live, and serve in the Naperville area and look forward to continuing to grow the Pivotal Home Solutions business while enjoying the numerous benefits offered by our lovely town.