In home building, the advice “don’t sweat the small stuff” does not apply. Builders seldom build the client’s home on the wrong home site, they are unlikely to forget the kitchen, and it is truly rare that they build a two-car garage when a three-car has been specified. As vital as it is for builders to get such big things right, the little things offer a wealth of opportunities to step out from the crowded marketplace.
By thinking in terms of experience engineering, builders can find and manage the often overlooked details that transform the home building experience from tolerable to terrific. In doing so, they maximize the word-of-mouth marketing that is so critical to gaining sales in tough economic times.
Consider the phrase experience engineering. Experience in this case comprises every detail from beginning to end, whether by phone, e-mail, in person, or on paper. Focused on ordering materials, retaining trades, and scheduling the work, builders can too often overlook the minutiae that turns adequate to excellence. Yet such seemingly trivial items can have a major impact on client memories and opinions.
Engineering suggests taking control, applying proven principles, and ensuring that all systems work together smoothly and that each occurs at the appropriate time. Thinking, planning, testing, and continuous improvement are all implied by the word engineer.
Perhaps most important, experience engineering stands for proactively managing the process home buyers navigate. It means intentionally seeking out the annoying, frustrating, worrisome, and indefensibly silly details and eliminating them. Second, it means creating and integrating the entire process with thoughtful support, bits of hospitality, and moments of celebration.
Experience engineering begins with looking at every step in the process from the home buyer’s point of view. What follows is a menu of items builders have put forward as examples of the results of this mind-set.
- Check space, seating, lighting, sound control, and interruptions as these apply to each meeting you have with clients. What, if any, refreshments are available? If you offer coffee, serve it in a ceramic mug rather than a Styrofoam cup; serve water in a glass with ice and lemon or lime rather than a plastic bottle. Have tablets (and clipboard if this is a stand-up meeting) available for clients to take notes–avoid the embarrassing design meeting event where the buyer made notes on the napkin under her Mrs. Fields’ cookie.
- On site, install portable toilets so that they open toward the construction rather than toward the street. This prevents drivers from having a view of the less-than-attractive interiors as workers enter or leave.
- Prepare for on-site meetings with buyers by picking up all trash, ensuring materials are stored neatly and well-protected, and that there is a safe path from the parked car into the home. Have chilled bottled water available, especially in hot weather.
- When landscaping is included with the home, deliver an accurate list of the names of trees and shrubs, with color photos and bulleted points about the care of each type: watering, fertilizing, pruning, and pests/diseases to watch for. Conclude with a resource list (books, Web sites, and so on) or even better, provide a landscaping book that focuses on specifics for the region.
- Change the filter in front of the buyers at delivery and take a moment to mark the date on the edge. Hang red key tags on interior gas shut-offs and blue ones on water shut-offs. Put a sticker on the side of the water heater with space to record the dates when deposits are drained from the tank.
- Add green home care tips and even recipes for cleaning products and polishes in your homeowner guide. (For a sample, visit www.cjsmithhomeaddress.com and click on “Green Glossary” under the Download menu.)
- Gather all manufacturer booklets and warranty cards, insert the items for each appliance in a separate plastic page protector, and arrange in alphabetical order in a three-ring binder. This simple presentation surpasses the kitchen drawer full of wrinkled plastic bags and torn and stained gold envelopes.
- Supply warranty staff with small parts that might be needed: bumper pads for cabinet doors, disposal wrenches, batteries, privacy lock keys, silicone wipes for window track lubrication, and tubes of various types of caulk for the customer’s future use.
These ideas only begin to illustrate the vast possibilities presented by experience engineering, most of which do not cost much or even take much time. What they do require is imagination and focus. Builders need to get out of their environment and look at their processes from their clients’ perspective. Once under way, experience engineering produces lots of “ah ha!” moments that lead to improvements. Those improvements can lead to future sales, rewarding the effort many times over.
Carol Smith offers customer service assessment, consulting, and training programs for home builders. She can be reached at csmithhomeaddress@att.net.
