For Andy Phillips (right) and Art Lenard, the best aspect of being a custom home builder is the chance to meet and get to know their clients. “One of the great opportunities of this business is the chance to develop friendships with the unique and varied people who live in our homes,” Phillips says. Because they think of their customer relationships as long-term, Phillips and Lenard want to be as up-front and honest as possible in all their client dealings. So when the pair found a prototype for a new homeowner letter in a trade publication several years ago, they revised it, personalized it, and began sending it out to clients at move-in.
The letter welcomes the new homeowners, then proceeds to list all the foibles and idiosyncrasies that can crop up in a freshly built house—squeaks, creaks, hairline cracks, and wood shrinkage, to name a few. With a sense of humor and in plain, simple language, it clearly explains why these things happen and which ones to worry about. It tells clients what Phillips and Lenard can fix and which factors are beyond their control. “We make every effort to produce the most stable floors possible,” it reads, “but the nature of wood makes a squeak-free floor as difficult to achieve as painless dentistry.” And it reminds clients how long their warranty will last and when walk-throughs will be scheduled. The letter helps clients by setting their expectations at a reasonable level. “Frankly, our attitude is that no surprise is a good surprise,” says Phillips. “People need to know what to plan for and make good, logical decisions based on the data we give them.”
Hill Country Integrity Homes, Kerrville, Texas
Type of business: custom builder
Years in business: 7
Employees: 22
2003 volume: $7 million
2003 starts: 28
