Victory Home Center Raising the Roof on Customer Service

When prospective home buyers stop by Victory Home Center at 2005 South Morrison Blvd. in Hammond, owner Connie Thomas wants them to already feel at home. Her team quickly greets visitors with a warm smile and a cold bottle of water. Guests are encouraged to wander through the homes at their leisure without the added pressure of a salesperson at their side. When they are ready to discuss options, the team is more than prepared to do everything possible to make homeownership happen.

Connie understands the trepidation associated with a major transaction like buying a home. “We have all faced struggles in our lives,” she shared, “I want my clients to know that my team understands their struggles.”

In Her Own Words

Connie openly admits that her own path to success has been quite rocky. Conditions at home became untenable, causing her to leave home at 15. During those difficult years, she managed to finish high school as a cheerleader, calendar girl, a champion barrel racer, and became Teen of Florida. Upon graduation, Connie became a licensed cosmetologist and eventually became the successful owner/operator of two salons.

Connie built on her experiences to partner with her then-husband in the manufactured home industry. While divorce proved the couple's fate, Connie realized she could still make a go of the business. In 2018, she bought out her ex’s interest and took over the company.

Fate Strikes More Blows

In addition to enduring a traumatizing divorce from 2016-2018, Connie experienced the loss of her father, who, along with her daughter, was the love of her life. Next, she dealt with the passing of her beloved pet dog, Max, at 12 years old, as well as a serious boyfriend who passed unexpectedly. Upon returning from his funeral in another state, she found her home was infested with termites, yet Connie persevered, continuing to grow and serve others.

“As a young girl, I made choice to surround myself with only positive energy,” shares Connie. “I’m happy to say my team shares that philosophy. We start each day with a prayer to be sure we are giving credit to the Lord for our successes and receiving strength for our daily struggles.”

At Victory Home Center, there will never be any hard selling or manipulation, just a willingness to meet the customers’ needs by providing expert advice and service. Everything is above board, including the price, and no hidden costs. The pricing, including set-up, delivery, skirting, and A/C, is clearly displayed on the front of the refrigerator in each of the manufactured homes. “That is one of the reasons we encourage our clients to look through the homes without our team present. It gives them the opportunity to see the pricing and discuss it privately before we get involved in the process,” says Connie.

If you’d like to learn more about Victory Home Center and Restore Louisiana, they can be reached at (985)-542-5420.

Meet the Victory Team

Connie’s dedicated team members have become like family. During the interview we asked them to weigh-in on their expereinces working alongside Connie. We spoke first with operations manager, Walter Sills who shared, “I was here during the split between Connie and her ex-husband/business partner. When faced with the choice of who to stand behind, I chose her because her integrity is stronger than anyone else I’ve dealt with in the busniess, and I haven’t regretted it for even one minute."

Next we spoke with Sales Consultant Jorvas Glover who was quick to explain, “By far, in my entire employment history, Connie is the best person I’ve worked for. She takes the time to hear me, and I know even after we leave the industry, we will remain friends."

Kevin Kempff, Service Coordinator, shared some insight into what Connie has had to deal with along the way. “There are many road bumps that Connie faces as a single-woman business owner and she faces them with strength and grace, becoming stronger along the way.”

Sales Consultant Dwayne Martin added, “She is a strong business owner who puts both her team and her clients first. She won’t let anyone be mistreated and I respect her for her strength and commitment to doing what is right.

Lastly we spoke with her daughter Angel who is following in her mother’s footsteps and learning the business from the ground up. “I’m lucky to have her as a mom and I know it,” says Angel, “She has shown by example time and again what it means to persevere and succeed. She’s strong, kind, and an over-all great person. I can honestly say I work with my best friend.”