Goshen Terrace Apartments‘ Brent Sunderland discusses the importance of personal and company values.
So, what’s the job of a service manager? I direct the maintenance technicians on what they’re doing for the day. We take care of apartments for new residents to move into and average maintenance. I solicit bids for contractors to do major repairs. I order all of the materials and schedule the contractors. I also make sure everything runs smoothly and try to answer all service requests within 24 hours.
How did you get started? I just fell into out of high school. I took a vocational aptitude test and I scored very highly. In 1975, I worked at Westgate Village Apartments in Frazer as a landscaper for two months and in maintenance. And I’ve been at Berger since 1985.
How have you seen Berger change throughout the years? Before Berger, it was a property on the decline. But brothers Steve and Jim Berger bought it and the change was practically overnight. When I started working at Berger, I was a technician and then a superintendent. Now, I’ve been a service manager here since around 2012, and Steve’s son, Dan, runs the company.
How has your role as service manager changed over time? I make a lot of follow-up calls to make sure customers are happy with the work that was done. It really matters to me because I like to help people. There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to make someone’s life better every day. Everyone in the Berger family is customer-centric and everyone on staff treats each other as equals.
Is that what differentiates Berger from its competitors? We also have our “21 Fundamentals,” which are guidelines to abide by here. Fundamental Number 1: We’re a Family, that’s definitely true. But Number 16: We Embrace Change, that’s the toughest one for me. But after I get used to change, I do learn to appreciate it. But these rules are how you should be. You should try to have fun in life; you should treat people well; and you should deliver high-quality services.
To read the rest of the article, check out our “Family Owned and Operated” issue online, or grab a copy of our March issue around the borough!
