Aim High. Keep in mind that just because a detail meets code does not mean it will meet company or buyer requirements. Similarly, “The building department passed it” is not a defense; having a certificate of occupancy guarantees nothing. That a municipality could miss something during an inspection is not hard to believe. It happens all the time.
Expect that in some cases, the construction side of the debate will prevail and in others the quality management side will prevail. Some details come down to a matter of money, others to time; some come down to what the competition is doing or how often warranty runs into conflict with homeowners on the subject.
Develop a clear vision of company quality and align everyone with the details of that vision. Walking homes in small groups to arrive at a consensus regarding quality details can head off some of these clashes. This also provides practice that makes resolving quality debates easier in later months. Involve as many people as possible. This may include trade personnel in some cases.
Another approach to easing tensions if the quality inspector is a direct employee is to rotate personnel through both positions. When the proverbial shoe is on the other foot, it feels different. Good-natured debate is then easier on everyone.
Incentive systems based on the number of items identified during quality inspections need to be monitored closely. Over time, the number and significance of items noted is typically reduced and the nature of the items changes as well.
Experienced superintendents quickly respond to items noted and eliminate them from future homes. Quality inspectors then must look more closely and find details of increasingly less significance, what I like to call higher-quality flaws.
To be equitable, bonus program criteria may need to be adjusted to the resulting higher quality of flaws. This is a good problem–it means your buyers are getting excellent homes!
Carol Smith offers customer service assessment, consulting, and training programs for home builders. She can be reached at csmithhomeaddress@att.net.
