Bruce Burr, president of Alden Custom Homes, had a problem. He’d set up password-protected client pages on his Web site, only to realize clients never used them. “They’d forget the personal pages were there,” he says.And the pages didn’t contain much information that the owners hadn’t already learned from site visits. So Burr did what any savvy businessperson would do: He cut his losses and came up with a better way of documenting the building process.
He hired the son of an associate (his cultured marble dealer, as it happens) to take digital photos of each project at three stages: just after the foundation goes in, right before insulation is installed, and at the home’s completion. The photos are burned onto a CD and presented to the owners on move-in day. The system provides a visual record of the construction process, saving both Burr and his clients a great deal of trouble. “You can see exactly what’s in the walls, so you don’t hit a pipe when you’re drilling a hole to hang up a photo of Grandma,” he says. Each CD contains the home’s complete product specs, so if the clients decide to remodel they’ll easily be able to match their existing fittings and finishes. And since it struck Burr that the home’s warranty and appliance manuals would be handy for his customers to have digitally, they’re on the CD as well.
Alden Custom Homes has made the CDs for a year now, and Burr can feel the competitive edge they give. “I can think of at least two recent sales where the CD was a deciding factor regarding us getting the job,” he says. Of course, it’s hard to keep a smart idea secret, and some local builders have copied his lead. Burr is already pondering what he’ll do next to remain at the top of his game. “There’s always room for improvement,” he says. “I’m constantly thinking about what else we can do to stay ahead.”
Alden Custom Homes, Chandler, Ariz.
Type of business: custom builder
Years in business: 9
Employees: 4
2003 volume: $1.9 million
2003 starts: 4
