Employee Spotlight: Meet Robert Torres
Salt Jacket: Tell us a little about yourself.
Robert Torres: I am originally from South Texas and grew up there until I left for college at 18. I am the oldest of 3 siblings. My sister is the next oldest and she is a teacher and my little brother is a Sergeant for the Department of Public Safety. My family and children are my fun. We live in the hill country here is Fredericksburg TX. My wife (Stephanie) and I spend as much time as I possibly can with them and enjoying watching each of our kids as they get through high school, college, and on their own in life. My little one Brandon is 16, Vonn is 18 and graduating HS this year, Justina is graduating from University of Texas at Austing in the spring, my oldest boys are Ryan who recently graduated from Texas State, Matthew just left the Navy after 6 years, and Aaron is in the workforce. My hobbies include hunting, gardening, and most importantly cooking and BBQing. My wife and I this year recently started a catering business that started very small with one client and now has blossomed to many more. Our pets include 3 cats.
SJ: What do you like about working in insurance?
RT: The insurance is an ever-evolving industry and is constantly changing. I love that it has allowed me to learn multiple skills, it presents new challenges each day, and I get to talk to a whole wide spectrum of people every day. It has given me many opportunities to grow professionally and advance my career.
SJ: What inspires you and why?
RT: My children inspire me. They inspire me to be a great dad, provider, role model , and someone to look up to for guidance and strength.
SJ: Tell us about any volunteer work or giving back you like to do.
RT: I volunteer my time often with the Good Samaritan Center and Central Texas Food Bank here in Fredericksburg, Texas. I volunteer my time because I appreciate how blessed I am to do what I do on a daily basis to take care of my family. Life isn't easy and for a brief moment if I can make someone else's life better than I will do it for as long as I can.
SJ: Who is your hero and why?
RT: My wife is my hero. This is cliché, but she is my soulmate and without her I would be lost.
SJ: Do you have a story about someone you helped when they had a claim that would inspire readers of the blog?
RT: I love when we’re able to help take away some of the stress when our clients need us. I recently helped one of our customers who was involved in a rear end accident in a parkling lot. At first, our insured was given information that she thought was honest and she was led to believe there would be no issues getting her vehicle fixed from the other party that was responsible. When our insured attempted to contact the other party and the other party's insurance company, she was having a hard time getting ahold of anyone. She was being led into several dead ends based off the other driver not cooperating and then changing their mind about what happened. Finally, we were able to obtain statements and photos that I submitted to the claims adjuster for review. As this information was sent to our claims team for investigation, our insured was set up for inspection and repairs. Shortly thereafter, contact was finally made with the other party, who ultimately stated they were responsible for the accident due to being distracted while talking on the phone when driving. Our insured has since been taken care of and all repairs have been completed with no additional delays.
SJ: What drives you every day?
RT: I love to help people in any way and in any capacity. Ironically, most don't believe insurance helps. Most just feel it's another bill they have to pay each month. But when a situation arises, we will be there to make sure our clients are going to be okay and taken care of.