With the recent attention to customer satisfaction the J.D. Power and Associates survey has spawned, many companies are running in circles trying to arrive at a method for servicing customers that works. The big “winners” in the survey realm are not doing anything mysterious; they are taking care of business by taking care of their buyers. The following service basics, practiced day by day, will produce satisfied customers—no matter who’s doing the surveying.
- Take control. In the name of customer satisfaction, too many builders have become confused about who is in charge of the builder-buyer relationship. Just as a patient pays the surgeon, the home buyer pays the builder. But patients do not tell the surgeon how to remove an appendix. Nor should home buyers tell the builder how to do his work. Be the expert and trust your expertise. Study quality continuously and strive to get better in every aspect of your work. Buyers who know you to be a true professional will respect your ideas and answers.
- Be prepared. To take control builders need to be ready with answers. The common “difficult” issues in home building are well-known: change orders, delivery dates, quality, private inspectors, sweat equity, jobsite interference, warranty standards. Think through the recognized subjects that cause friction while you are calm and have time to research and discuss them with others. Arrive at your company’s policies on these issues and always be ready to apply common sense in adjusting them when needed.
For instance, under what circumstances would your company pay for a client’s stay in a hotel? Which hotel? Establish a corporate account there. Would you pay a per diem for meals? Deciding about such details makes handling a hotel situation much easier should one occur. Making up answers in the heat of the moment often causes regrets.
- Take time to think. If a unique situation arises, give the client a time frame within which you will respond, then do the needed research (and staff discussions) to arrive at a fair answer. “That’s an important issue; I will research it and get back to you by 4:00 tomorrow.”
- Get back on time. Contact the client no later than the deadline you set—even if it is just to say, “I’m calling to tell you I have nothing to tell you yet.” No one likes to feel ignored or forgotten.
- Write everything down. Never go to a meeting or have a conversation with a customer without some documentation. In the office use phone logs, in the field carry blank change orders, take notes at all meetings. Documentation serves a minimum of three purposes: It acts as a reminder for you, it reassures the client, and it builds a defense in the unhappy event that you need one.
- Expect questions. As you are thinking through those company policies, include one for managing client concerns during construction. Use a written system for tracking when the questions (or list) came in, and when your company responded. Know the typical response time for such conversations and set the customers’ expectations accordingly. Then beat your own deadline. Explain to buyers that a written system protects them. Most buyers will try such a system at least once. And if it works, they will keep using it.
- Bring each issue to closure. That holy grail of building, the closure builders seek, means the client recognizes he got a response, you know you responded, and the file proves it. It doesn’t matter what you remember, it matters what you can prove.
- Be friendly. Communicate with your customers regularly and in a forthright and hospitable manner. You can be firm in your answers, knowledgeable, empathetic, and candid all at the same time. Eliminate the word no and talk about what you can or will do. “This is maintenance,” instead of “That’s a non-warrantable item,” will keep the tone much more friendly. If you have to say no, give your reasons first and put the no at the end of your explanation.
- Celebrate. All meetings should start and end on positives. Avoid the technique one builder used when he began a review of the construction process by talking about mold. While such subjects definitely need to be covered, they do not need to be the first thing you mention. And when you do get to the tougher subjects, present them in a matter-of-fact, non-threatening way. Building a new home should be an enjoyable experience. While it involves a lot of money, many questions, a few worries, and inevitable surprises, it should also be fun.
- Initiate service. Watch for little ways to pleasantly surprise your buyers. The small attentions are often the ones most appreciated. Providing change-of-address cards (“We’ve moved to our new [Builder] home!”) and pads buyers can borrow to protect rails are just two examples of ways a builder can make moving easier.
As you read about how some company has won top honors in customer satisfaction surveys, you will find all of these basics are in place. They are founded on sincere respect and appreciation for customers. Make them habits in your daily work, and you will achieve the same level of customer satisfaction.
Carol Smith offers customer service assessment, consulting, and training programs for home builders. She can be reached at csmithhomeaddress@att.net.
