A builder I know once issued work orders to five trade contractors. The builder’s representative had arranged access to the client’s home for a full day, 11 business days in the future. This work date appeared on each of the five work orders sent to the appropriate trades. The homeowner took a vacation day on the scheduled work day and stayed at home to let everyone into the house. One trade showed up.
Taking this in stride, the homeowner contacted the builder’s warranty office. The coordinator apologized and promised to reschedule the four remaining trades for a second work date 10 business days in the future. Immediately after this conversation, the coordinator received an emergency call, and then a real estate agent arrived looking for information. The coordinator left the office at 5:35 forgetting to contact the four trades.
The homeowner spent a second vacation day at home. None of the four trades showed up. Again, the homeowner contacted the warranty coordinator, who apologized once more and promised to reschedule the four trades for a third date. The homeowner took a third vacation day. Only one of the four trades showed up.
His patience wearing thin, the homeowner contacted the warranty coordinator yet again. The coordinator apologized and promised to reschedule the remaining three trades for a fourth work date and to let the builder know about the situation.
The homeowner took a fourth vacation day. The builder and the remaining three trades showed up. But one of the trades could not complete his work because he needed a part. On the fifth date, this last trade finally completed the work.
The homeowner contacted the builder asking for compensation for lost vacation time.
Similar tales are heard so often in builder offices that they frequently fall on numb ears. As one builder’s superintendent commented, “Homeowners just need to understand, that’s how it works.” Unfortunately, many companies have adopted this cavalier attitude, mainly because they feel helpless to counteract the annoying behavior. A more effective approach is to take steps to eliminate missed appointments. Here are some suggestions.
Talk about warranty service. When you contract with a trade, take time to review the basics of warranty item processing. Outline the steps you take to screen and confirm the legitimacy of a warranty item before you issue a work order. Provide copies of the service request form, inspection form, and work order. Explain how appointments are made for service work and make your response-time target clear. Emphasize the need for good communication. By discussing warranty service along with pricing, scheduling, and scope of work, you raise the topic to an equal level of importance.
Use all methods for scheduling. Three are common:
- Someone in your office coordinates the work schedule with the homeowner and the trade. While this is time-consuming and vulnerable to message-confusion, in some cases it is the best approach.
- You provide the homeowner and the trade with each other’s numbers and let them schedule the appointment themselves. This works well with trades who’ve shown themselves to be reliable.
You ask the customer for a work date at least 10 days in the future and you put that date on all work orders. Builders report that 75 percent to 80 percent of items can be accomplished with this method. Further, it allows someone from your office to stop by to check on the work being done. Monitor and follow up. Explain to trades how you track completion of work orders, whether you do so on your computer, with hard copies on a bulletin board, in a three-ring binder, or by some other means. Explain that you review outstanding work weekly and appreciate being kept updated on the status of pending work. When trades get a call from your office every Thursday afternoon to review needed warranty work, that work is more likely to get their attention.
