Builders: Turn Warranty Data into Actionable Insights

Thinking About Turning Data into a Critical Asset

Data is in abundance and needs to be made sense of in order to realize its full benefits.

Aaron Tan | Executive Editor, APAC

Today, the value of data is well known as effective use can help businesses speed-up decision making and improve the customer experience.

Data...it's out there! Then, what?

But.. some might ask: How do I get useful data? and others might say, There's so much data! How can you maximize both data collection and use so there's a positive business value proposition? 

Taking a Discrete Look at Builder Warranty/Customer Service Data

Many builders provide their homeowners with warranty service after the home closes. Typically, this is a one-year period -- although two-years isn't unknown. During that time, builders manage homeowner requests for repair or replacement. There may also have been a builder/buyer walkthrough collecting issues for resolution prior to closing.

As a result, even the smallest builder has data! There are homeowner requests ranging from leaky faucets to squeaky floors to improperly installed appliances.

Yet, do you know how many faucet leaks your homes had over the last 6 months in the Happy Acres community? How about over the last 3 years? And, how many were due to poor workmanship vs. bad materials vs. design issues? 

Do you know how many leaky faucets happened this month?

If you knew these answers, what would you  do to address them going forward?

And, wouldn't your operations be more efficient and profitable, as a result?

Warranty Management Software Provides Analysis Tools

Warranty management software provides a very effective tool for a builder's operations because there's a large amount of data that evolves as a result of homeowner requests and repairs -- and software provides the tools to take large amounts of data and slice & dice & display for effective use.  There really isn't any additional work required to obtain the information; it's a question of how to make use of it! 

Take the leaky faucet issue above. That issue will be recorded as a homeowner request. Software provides the ability to easily review how many leaks occurred -- over a period of time, community-by-community.

The value proposition is significantly enhanced by adding a second step: why did this leak happen? Poor installation, bad faucets, bumped while doors were installed?

Over time, you'll have the data to know the most common issues as submitted by your homeowners. You'll know facts -- not squeaky wheel problems or the "big" ones! You'll also know why the problems happened.

If you're using an integrated software suite, you'll also know the vendor providing the work so you can address these workmanship or material quality issues. 

Take a look at the tablet above; your team could see what problem categories were most prevalent over the last 30 days (turns out drywall was highest, here); you' be able to drill down for the "why" and vendor, as well.

Warranty Software Breaks Down Data Silos

Effective use of warranty software provides a great resource for a builder to be able to examine their operations as well as providing a good opportunity for enhanced customer service. Interested in finding out how you can turn all those requests & repairs into actionable insights? CPS will be exhibiting at IBS2020 -- or you can request a personal WarrantyWatcher software demo here!

Builders: Electronic Signature Key to Improving Efficiency & Satisfaction

Builder Hot Topics: Efficiency, Productivity, Buyer Experience

The Solutions Blog has devoted quite a bit of virtual space focused on improving efficiency and productivity -- particularly on the operations side of homebuilding. Take a look at recent Blog articles:

• Builders: Increasing Productivity Helps Offset Labor Costs & Availability
• What Can Builders Do to Up Their Productivity?

Efficiency, Productivity to Buyer Experience

We've also been talking about the Home Buyer Experience -- before, during and after the new home purchase:

• Customer Service: A New Paradigm for Builders
• Have You Asked: What is Our Buyer Experience Gap?
• Builders: Consider Value-Unique Experiences

CRM Offers Experience and Efficiency Opportunity, too!

One key concept emerges from all the articles highlighted above: the builder's universe is expanding! There aren't any islands left, in other words! Thinking about buyer experience is no longer limited to the sales office or marketing. It encompasses operations -- from construction to warranty, too. 

Efficiency can be thought of similarly: how long does it take your sales agents to process a sale? Do you have 25-40 documents ranging from Purchase Agreement to Options Orders to Avigation (yes; that's a real word!!) Disclosures?

Document Processing is More than Creation; Consider These Stats

How long does it take for your agent to generate these documents -- and how many signatures are required? Do you realize that 37% of documents are missing a necessary signature, initials or dates?

And, many people don't always consider the post-signature activities required to support documents: that's the proper collection, filing and retention. 51% of businesses report that some or all of the documents needed are mis-filed or lost!

Efficiency, Productivity Moves Beyond Operations!

In other words, are you certain that Lot 55's purchase agreement package is completely processed, stored properly and accessible?

Electronic Signature Can Go Beyond Purchase Agreements!

You're probably familiar with electronic document signature processing as it relates to purchase agreements (CPS CRM, for example, provides seamless integration with DocuSign to obtain signatures for all documents, distribute the documents amongst all necessary entities in a specified order and save a completely executed set). And, the value is not only for the builder: buyers appreciate the ease and ability to obtain and store a full set of accessible, executed documents. That doesn't even take into consideration processing a sale with buyers in multiple locations!

And, have you considered the value of electronic signature for your warranty/customer service operations? Why not provide your customer service rep or vendors with the ability to accept electronic signature on work orders via phone or tablet? CPS WarrantyWatcher does exactly that -- and keeps a copy in the lot's permanent history file, as well!

There's now another touchpoint (or two!!) for improving efficiency, productivity and the buyer experience!

Homebuilder Customer Service: A Critical Link

Homebuilder Customer Service is a Hot Topic

We've been talking about homebuilder customer service frequently this year; you can see earlier Solution Blogs here (Putting Metrics on Your Dashboard) and here (Add Focus to Actionable Customer Service).

Is Customer Service a Priority?

Value-Unique Motivates Referrals

Today's homebuyer and homeowner expect to receive a quality customer service experience. What will set your team apart is a value-unique experience. That's service that will generate posts, Tweets, and, most importantly, referrals. How to get value-unique?

Are You Prioritizing the "Most Important Department"?

There's a new Hanley Wood Construction Wire article asking, "What's the Most Important Department in Home Building?" and customer service emerges as a top contender! Author Jim Haffner points out that the "last person who interacts with customers leaves a lasting impression."

That doesn't mean that sales or construction (or estimating or accounting, for that matter!) aren't important. What it does seem to highlight is that customer service needs to be considered a critical component of the entire building process -- and that, sometimes, it is regarded as an afterthought.

Metrics: Effective Measurement Tools!

The last contact point can offer the most memorable experience -- frequently because your homeowner expected everything to already be in tip/top shape. No one likes to have to reach out for repair but... it does happen.

Go Quick, Consistent and Memorable

Why not make it as easy and straightforward as shopping on Amazon? CPS WarrantyWatcher provides a 24/7 Homeowner Portal so owners can quickly and easily submit a request directly to the customer service department -- complete with photos! And, they're able to use the same Portal for status updates and request history.

Go the extra step and ask your customer service rep or vendor to include a photo so they're able to check things out on their phone on the way home... isn't that value unique?

Key customer service terms: quick, consistent and measurable. You're able to take care of quick with the 24/7 portal! WarrantyWatcher also provides the metrics that allow for measurable! Do you know your longest outstanding Work Order? How about the most frequent warranty issue? How easily could you locate homes with a recalled microwave? Usable data is your friend in these cases!

Finally, there's the value in consistency as it will pay off in referrals. Your homeowners need communication -- not necessarily conversation! Keep them informed and they will be comfortable with your process -- even if that replacement part is taking time to arrive.

Technology Provides Desired SST

Technology facilitates your ability to deliver on your homeowner's expectations and there's really no other way to meet their need for SST (self-service technology). A recent Radial article summarizes:

Self-service channels consistently outperform other channels in terms of consumer satisfaction. Your homeowners love self-service because it reduces friction and provides immediate and consistent answers.

Customer Service: Expand Beyond Vanilla!!

Chip Bell Talks Out of the Box About Customer Service

Chip Bell, a well-known authority on customer loyalty and service innovation, has some interesting thoughts regarding customer service:

Outside the box customer service = retention, referrals!

Make Service Neopolitan, Not Vanilla!

Bell suggests: Walk on the wild side with your customers! In other words, provide a customer experience that is not only good but innovative -- which translates to meet customer expectations and then go for the unexpected!

Innovative Service Brings Rewards

What's interesting about customer service, from Bell's perspective, is a quality service experience will be met with customer loyalty and Tweets, referrals and all sorts of positive items for the organization.

Homebuilder Opportunities to Deliver More

How can you step out of that Vanilla box? 

1. Key customer service terms: quick, consistent and measurable! Do you know the average age of your homeowner warranty request? Can you drill down and find out how many times broken windows were installed in your community? Information (or, data) is key to being able to provide consistent, quality service.
2. Make your warranty process frictionless! Does your homeowner need to call between 8-5? Or, submit a written list of issues? How many times does your team trade voicemail messages? Do they know what's scheduled? Keeping homeowners informed is the single best way to obtain referrals!
3. Keep your vendors in the loop, 24/7 -- and make that process as easy as possible. Typically, vendors have their own processes and you can't really customize yours for each of theirs so make sure your vendors have everything they need anywhere/anytime, 24/7. Work orders, drawings, photos, contact info.

Software Will Help!

Homebuilder customer service is a day-in/day-out process. You'll want to have tools to expedite the heavy lifting so it's possible to move beyond vanilla!

Frictionless is 24/7 Homeowner Access!

CPS WarrantyWatcher provides cloud-based warranty management that's available 24/7 on all platforms (tablet, phone, desktop) so your team and vendors are able to respond quickly. And, your homeowners get a seamless process, too with 24/7 access to submit and monitor their requests!

Visit CPS at PCBC 2019

We'll be showcasing WarrantyWatcher at PCBC 2019 May 30-31; visit us at Booth 141! Or, reach out to us and we'll schedule a one-on-one demo.

Builders: Put Metrics on Your Dashboard!

SST Emerging as a Preference 

Concise, actionable information - 24/7

We've been talking about SST -- that's Self Service Technology -- recently; you can review Solutions Blogs about migrating your homebuyers towards SST customer service options here.

There are a couple of key elements associated with the trend towards SST; demographics and technology. Cloud-based software applications are making information available 24/7, anywhere/anytime.

Preferences and expectations are changing, too; what was once viewed rather negatively is now seen as not only a solution but a preference!

Builders Have 2 Audiences Looking for Information: Buyers and Their Own Team

The benefits of SST apply across the builder audience:  homebuyers and your own team of field managers, operations staff, accounting, corporate management. 

Homebuyers Obtain Concise, Personalized Information via Portals

How can that be? Your homebuyers have access to information through web-based portals with data published through web-based software applications.  It's concise, time pertinent, personalized and available 24/7. 

Portals recognize their participants through credentials. So, it's straightforward for your buyer to locate stage of construction photos or warranty issue status.  They're able to use their phone or tablet and there's no digital clutter: their specific and unique information is presented clearly and concisely.

Metrics Deliver for Corporate Team Members

A business metric is defined as a quantifiable measure used to track and assess the status of a specific business process. Every business area has unique processes that need to be monitored.  Sales, for example, track marketing and social media metrics; senior management tracks key financial results and trends.

Metrics encourage your organization to become more data-driven -- and that's particularly true when SST features are built-in to your software applications.  Think: visual and interactive! 

Portals: Personalized status 24/7 for your buyers

What might your warranty team need as metrics?  Submitted requests, requests turned into work orders, open work orders?  The team doesn't necessarily want all the details at first glance; they're interested in scope and outliers.

Customer Service Rep "A" has 150 open work orders with 20% over 30 days; "B" has 260 open orders with only 5% over 30 days. That's easily viewable in a pie chart, for example, Then, drill down for details; you might find "A" has a community's worth of "manufacturer microsoft recalls" and is waiting for replacements.  

You're able to locate that type of information using a software-generated visual dashboard such as those provided by CPS' WarrantyWatcher. 

Visual Metrics Focus Attention and Investigation

SST means personalized, concise information 24/7, anywhere/anytime. Setup your dashboard to measure the data that's critical to your business -- adjust the timeframe, drill down for details, focus on what's important, offer Portals to your buyers -- that's CPS WarrantyWatcher!

Builders: Tips for Migrating Buyers/Owners to Your Self-Service Options

Self-service is a Preference for Many

We've been blogging recently about the paradigm shift in the self-service concept.  Frankly, it wasn't that long ago that self-service wasn't popular -- for either businesses or customers.

However,  attitudes, preferences and expectations change quickly. One reason is changing demographics; another is technology.

Self-service is one of those quickly evolving expectations.  Today, self-service is not only a solution but a preference for many -- regardless of age. Take a look at the 55+ community in the photo!

It's About Customer Experience and More!

Good self-service platforms can both improve the customer experience and save businesses money.

And, effective organizations are pushing forward with new customer paradigms as they recognize the need to engage customers amidst the current digital clutter is a way to enhance their brand.  

Get Proactive About Offering Self-Service 

It goes without saying that it doesn't much sense to just drop a self-service function into an organization.  The result would probably be similar to that of Coke Classic back in the day!

There are a few ideas that will make self-service work more effectively for your customer and your organization:

1. Make Self-Service Visible (and Visual, when possible): Sales offices have been challenged to enhance the home shopper experience.  Jonathan Wilhelm suggested, in a recent Builder article, that interactive kiosks provide an enhanced buying experience. Not everyone considers them to be self-service; yet, they're a tool to engage your home shoppers and provide all sorts of sales/marketing capabilities. CPS SalesTouch starts with interactive floorplans and goes from there with drag and drop furniture, local area maps, etc. Design is critical to engagement -- as well as functionality.
2. Offer Features that Will Maximize Use -- and Solve Problems: Self-service platforms are like any other product -- the more they satisfy a customer's needs, the more they'll be utilized.  Take a look at CPS WarrantyWatcher, as an example.  Not only do homeowners have 24/7 access via a builder-branded Portal to submit requests, they're able to see request status and history. No more calling, voicemail messages, emailing!
3. Get Employees On Board: Increasing employee buy-in involves showing how your new self-service platforms provide more streamlined processes -- for everyone.  Sure, a phone call might resolve a specific issue for one homeowner but.. help your team focus on how the new self-service platform adds customer value (such as allowing homeowners to submit photos illustrating their warranty issue) as well as business value (employees are better able to focus on "high touch" situations).

Use CPS' Self-Service Tool for More Info!

We try to practice what we write: reach out through our Portal to schedule a discussion or demo here!

Homeowner Customer Service: SST Preferences Change Quickly

Have you run across Urban Airship? They've just released 2019 Insights & Predictions into Customer Engagement (you can check it out here). 

Customer Engagement Strategies: There are Brand Impacts

Urban Airship suggests the new year is a good time to take a look at current strategies - and that we can never get too comfortable thinking we know what our customers want. Attitudes, preferences and expectations change quickly.

Self-service is one of those quickly evolving expectations.  Today, self-service is not only a solution but a preference for many. 

Urban Airship reports: 

"78% of customers say poor customer service makes them lose trust in a brand"

Take a Look at Mobile and Website Options

How does customer experience, self-service and a good brand image fit together?

Offering your customer mobile and website options, reports Urban Airship, provides an easily accessible solution for questions and support.  Your homeowners want access 24/7, anywhere, anytime!

Access means you're able to provide a more consistent and reliable brand image.  Gone are the missed calls and voicemail exchanges; now, you're communicating directly and resolving issues!

CPS WarrantyWatcher Provides Accessible, Personalized Access for Your Homeowners

Now, take a look at CPS' WarrantyWatcher Homeowner Portal and how it streamlines the builder's customer service process and provides the digital experience that today's homeowners want.

WarrantyWatcher: Accessible, Personalized, 24/7

24/7 access and personalization is critical! Your homeowners have a unique location to report a service issue, receive confirmation of the problem and and appointment for repair.  They're also able to view all previously reported issues and their resolution. All convenient; all 24/7; without any additional work for your customer service group.  In fact, probably less work!

Communication doesn't always have to mean conversation!

Looking to improve your brand image through enhanced digital experience?

Talk to us! CPS will be at IBS2019.  Not able to attend?  Let us know and we'll schedule a one-on-one demo to show you how CPS can provide you with a more efficient customer service process and an improved brand image! 

Have You Asked: What's Our Home Buyer Experience Gap?

Just a couple of Solution Blogs ago, we talked about the how the concept of customer service has transitioned into customer experience -- you can read it here.

Let's focus this Blog on your buyer -- after the time of purchase.

Information Reduces the Gap!

What is a Buyer Experience Gap?

Ask yourself:

• What would you consider to be a great buyer experience after the Purchase Agreement is signed?
• What is the actual buyer experience today in your organization?
• The difference is your buyer experience gap!
  

Is Communication Part of Your Gap?

Did you see our Solutions Blog: Homebuilder #1 Referral Driver: Keeping Buyers Informed? You can read it here.

That Blog is one of our most frequently read! It starts with Eliant CEO Bob Mirman's statement in Builder and Developer: the single largest referral driver for homebuilders is how well the builder keeps buyers informed regarding the status of construction.

Lack of Information Creates Buyer Stress

Mirman asks us to think of the homebuying process as similar to a hospital stay.  No question: both are stressful! 

Yet, the stress can be mitigated by information. 

No one, in other words, feels comfortable in the dark. Mirman notes the #1 reason for buyers' Willingess to Refer a Friend is the builder's ability to keep the buyer informed of their status.

Communication Doesn't Need to be Complicated

Mirman points out, You don't need conversation -- just communication.

That's How Technology Can Decrease that Experience Gap

We'd like to suggest technology will provide the tools necessary to improve your communications -- and reduce the gap! CPS' web Portals take information already developed by FieldCollaborate's construction users and WarrantyWatcher's customer service teams and make it available to buyers and homeowners via the Internet.

No additional work required: the construction schedule can be set as viewable for your buyers. Warranty requests, status updates and appointments are available via mobile or desktop. In both cases, 24/7, anywhere/anytime.

Want to up your game, decrease the gap even further? Go the extra step and take stage-of-construction photos and attach them to your construction milestones. Your buyer knows what's happening, fewer trips to the job site, fewer calls --- and your internal team can view them, as well.

How about adding post-repair photos so your homeowner knows how things look before getting home from work? After all, you buyers have Portal access 24/7 so they're up-to-speed as the work is completed.

Referrals are the Result of a Great Buyer Experience

Referrals can be your least expensive source of traffic -- and the most rewarding. Enhanced communications is a win-win as your team communicates results internally and they're viewable by your most important audience: the buyer.

Customer Service 2019: A New Paradigm for Builders

Customer Service is Now the Customer Experience

No doubt you've heard: business is moving faster than ever -- and the customer experience is becoming more of a top priority for all types of businesses.

But...what does that mean for you as a builder?

There seem to be 2 important components to today's customer service concept:

1. Customer service is critical to competing effectively.  It's not all about price, in other words. Check Yelp or Google restaurant comments if that doesn't resonate. 
2. The customer process has expanded to be the customer experience -- not just service after the sale.  That means every touch point from prior to the sale, during the sales process and post-sale. 

What Makes a Great Customer Experience?

How "convenient" is your sales center?

Shep Hyken just released The Convenience Revolution and is recognized for helping businesses deliver great customer experiences. Ideas include:

1. A quick response time can help generate that remarkable WOW! moment you wish every customer experiences with your business.
2. There are many ways to be convenient for your customer.  Think about your sales center, as an example: are the hours convenient to your buyer demographic? Is there seating? Is it comfortable? How available is your team to answer questions; address issues? After hours?
3. Digital transformation is personalizing; too many think it is static.

Using Personalized Technology to Enhance the Customer Experience

You might be asking yourself: so....they're telling me that customer service needs to be quick, convenient and personal? How does that play out for a home builder?

1. Provide convenience -- from the website to sales center to sales process, closing and post-sale. Innovative ways include: interactive kiosks to engage and inform your home shoppers as soon as they walk into the door. Use e-brochures; keep the paper weight down!
2. Self-service is not only acceptable; it's expected. Your buyers want information -- and they want it now! Add web-based Portals to disseminate information about their home, your process and status updates. Self-service reduces friction -- providing the desired convenience, as well!
3. Make your operation consistent and predictable.  Let home shoppers, buyers and homeowners know what to expect -- and deliver to that expectation. Home shoppers and buyers gets anxious about the unknown; letting people know what is happening is critical; use web Portals to deliver construction and customer service information that's already available in your organization. You're not doing more work; just making access more convenient!

Interested in Enhancing Your Customer Experience?

CPS will be at IBS2019 in Las Vegas the week of February 18; visit us at Booth SU631 -- or start your journey now! Or, use our contact form and we'll schedule a demo that fits your schedule.

What Can Builders Do to Up Their Productivity?

Productivity Issues Are Long-Standing and Complex

One of this year's "hot" topics has actually been a topic for a number of years -- in 2017, for example, MarketWatch noted, "the construction industry has a chronic productivity problem."

Use Technology to Manage the Details

The reasons are many and the impact is considerable on the global, national and local levels -- as well as individual homebuilder profitability.

Technology Offers Help at the Builder Level!

Rather than looking at the issue globally, however, let's focus on what you, as a homebuilder, construction manager or superintendent, can put your arms around to up your productivity -- which will improvide profitability.

First, however, we'll take note of a MarketWatch comment: there's been an underinvestment, in the construction industry, in technology.

Homebuilding is the Sum of Many, Many Details

Yet, there are relatively inexpensive and highly effective digital solutions that will have an immediate impact on your business -- as they'll help you organize, manage, evaluate and report on the many details surrounding every job.  For example, are you able to immediately answer these questions:

• Which of my vendors consistently meets my objectives for starting and completing a job on time? How can they access that schedule? What about when things change?
• Which vendor delivers work that meets my published standards and drawings? Do I have published standards? Are they readily accessible? How do vendors access the latest drawings?
• How much rework did my plumbing vendor have to do at the Estates community?
• Were all those homeowner roofing complaints related to this year's heavy rain, manufacturing issues or poor installation?
• Are punch issues resolved prior to walkthrough? Do I have a way to keep track of the punch items from the walkthrough?

Generate and Track Your Punch Items

Technology for the desktop and mobile devices (software such as CPS' FieldCollaborate construction scheduling and WarrantyWatcher customer service management) will help you create and distribute schedules to your vendors and track performance so you're able to address some of those questions. Consistent, easily available, measurable schedules -- along with all of the supporting details such as standards, drawings and easy access -- are key to getting your arms around some of those details.

Portals, Dashboards, Reports: They're Available & Will Up Your Game!

Being able to analyze which vendors are effective, the reasons behind rework and how punch items are addressed enables your organization to make huge gains in productivity as you use data to make sure you're laser focused on key issues based on facts, not commentary.  Use on-screen dashboards or generate reports detailing past-due punch items, find out which happen over and over, utilize Quality Inspection checklists to catch problems at the task level before your walkthroughs.  That's how technology helps you manage the details!

IBS2019 Before & After!

CPS will be demonstrating these easy-to-use and powerful solutions at IBS2019 in Las Vegas from February 19-21 (you can grab free passes to the exhibit floor here):

https://www.buildersshow.com/ComputerPresentationSystemsInc

Can't make it to Vegas or don't want to wait to up your productivity? Schedule a demo here and we'll be in touch asap!

Builders: Put Tech-based Self Service to Work for You!

Transitioning to Self-Service Takes Getting Used to But.. Benefits Emerge

Great article discussing the transition to a self-service model in Kiosk Marketplace. It's fairly common for organizations to be reluctant to change and adopting self-service is no different. Not everyone knows what's expected and there may be a few lumps in the road but..once the first step is taken, benefits start to emerge and self-service quickly becomes the new norm. 

WarrantyWatcher: Self-service at your fingertips!

Where are Self-Service Opportunities for Builders?

A recent Radial article notes self-service is one of the hottest trends in customer service.

Isn't homebuilding one industry known for the value of the one-on-one interaction? There's still a place for that type of interaction -- most particularly in the sales process. But.. there's a significant opportunity to transition to more of a self-service model in a builder's warranty/customer service organization.

And, that's because recent innovations in technology provide web-based, 24/7 access for homeowners, vendors and builders to data -- anywhere/anytime!

Consumers Want Interaction, Now!

An earlier Solutions Blog noted consumers love the idea of being able to quickly and easily meet their objectives from submitting a warranty request to checking status to being able to review their warranty history.

CPS' WarrantyWatcher software, with 24/7 web-based access for homeowners and vendors, offers an anywhere/anytime process to submit homeowner requests (including photos!), review open items, track status, close work orders and analyze trends.

And, it's efficient; no double entry, calling back and forth, voicemail or misplaced emails. Everything is in one, easily accessible, location.

Consumer Satisfaction Rates Self-Service Channels #1

Self-service channels consistently outperform other channels in terms of customer satisfaction. Thnk about it for a minute: does anyone snail mail or fax over a list of issues any longer? How recently have you called-in a service issue? Consumers love self-service because it reduces friction and provides answers immediately and consistently.

Self-service doesn't have to be (and, shouldn't be) some generic, one-size fits all process.

WarrantyWatcher's 24/7 Portal provides a personalized, omnichannel experience. In other words, the Portal fits into your business operations, seamlessly. Make it available from your website, skin it with your logo and colors, include photos of your team members. It's all about providing an appealing, easy-to-use solution that fits your homeowners needs!

Check Your Buyer Experience Gap: Then, Watch Referrals Grow!

In thinking about the takeaways from Jeff Shore's Sales Leadership Summit, realized there is probably an opportunity to analyze the buyer experience as well as that of the home shopper.

How to minimize the buyer experience gap?

Do You Have A Buyer Experience Opportunity Gap?

Extending some of Jeff's home shopper concepts a bit, 

-- What would be a great buyer experience after the home shopper signs the Purchase Agreement?

-- What is a buyer experience today in your organization?

-- The difference is your buyer experience opportunity gap!

Have you been asked to increase your buyer referral rate? Uncertain where to begin? Closing the buyer experience gap is a great place to start!

Keeping Buyers Informed is Key to Their Experience

Any chance you saw our Solutions Blog: Homebuilder #1 Referral Driver: Keeping Buyers Informed? You can read it here.

Not surprisingly, that Blog is one of our most frequently read! It kicks-off with Eliant CEO Bob Mirman's Builder and Developer article statement: the single largest referral driver for homebuilders is how well the builder keeps buyers informed regarding the status of construction. 

Lack of Information Creates Stress

Mirman asks us to think of the homebuying process as similar to a hospital stay.  No question: both are stressful! Yet, the stress can be mitigated by information.  No one, in other words, feels comfortable in the dark. He notes the #1 buyers' Willingness to Refer a Friend is the builder's ability to keep the buyer informed of their status. 

Communication Doesn't Need to be Complicated

Critically, Mirman notes, you don't need conversation -- just communication. 

Information is Communication

We'd like to suggest using software to gain the tools necessary to enhance your current communication process. CPS' software Portals take information developed by FieldCollaborate's construction users as well as WarrantyWatcher's customer service teams and make it available to buyers and homeowners via the Internet. 

No additional work required: the construction schedule can be set as available for buyers to view. Warranty requests, status updates and appointments can be viewed via mobile or desktop. In both cases, 24/7, anywhere/anytime. 

Want to take things up a notch, improve the experience even more? Go the extra step and take stage-of-construction photos and attach them to your milestones. Add post-repair photos so your homeowner knows how things look before getting home from work. After all, your buyers have Portal access 24/7 so they're up-to-speed as the work is completed!

Referrals Are the Result of a Great Buyer Experience

Referrals can be your least expensive source of traffic -- and the most rewarding.  Communication is a win-win as your team communicates results internally -- and they're easily viewable by your most important audience, your buyers!

Home Buyers Want Convenient & Quick Warranty Service

A recent Radial article notes, in the age of Amazon, consumers have sky-high expectations. And that's regardless of industry -- customer service is a key differentiator at time of purchase as well as after-sale referrals.

Enhance Your Customer Service Ops with Self-Service!

Home Buyers Look for Personalized Customer Service

Homebuyers aren't any different than other consumers when thinking about their post-closing warranty service.  

Consumers want convenience and quick issue resolution -- in addition to an environment that is proactive with personalized service.

Self-Service Functionality is Hot!

Self-service is reported as one of the hottest trends in customer care. Consumers love the idea of being able to quickly and easily meet their objectives from submitting a warranty request to checking status to being able to review their warranty history.

Technology Helps Builders Meet Buyer Expectations

Innovations and advancements in technology enable builders to meet these expectations. Take a look at CPS' WarrantyWatcher software  -- particularly the Portal -- as an example. Homeowners are able to log-in, 24/7, to submit requests. No more waiting until Monday morning! And, they're able to check status at any time - no more calling, voicemail or missed calls.

The same Portal self-service is available for subcontractors. Although formal work orders are sent via email, it's always possible to log-in to the Portal, pick-up work orders, review associated drawings and photos and confirm availability.

Self-service channels consistently outperform other channels in terms of consumer satisfaction. Consider this, for a minute: does anyone snail mail or fax over anything, anywhere any longer?  How about calling?  Consumers love self-service because it reduces friction and provides answers immediately and consistently.

Go Omnichannel!

And, the Portal provides for a personalized, omnichannel experience, as well.  In other words, the Portal can fit into your business operations, seamlessly. Make it available from your website, skin it with your logo and colors, include photos of your team members.  It's all about winning and sustaining loyalty.

Referrals Are Yours When Service Exceeds Expectations!

Remember: the #1 referral reason for homeowner referrals is keeping buyers informed during construction and post-closing.

Builders: Collaborate to Increase Your Referral Rate

Have you been asked to increase your buyer referral rate -- and not quite sure where to start?

Keeping Buyers Informed is Key

Any chance you saw our Solutions Blog: Homebuilder #1 Referral Driver: Keeping Buyers Informed? You can read it here.

FieldCollaborate Is All About  Communication!

Not surprisingly, that Blog is one of our most frequently read as it kicks-off with Eliant CEO Bob Mirman's Builder and Developer article comments:  the single largest referral driver for homebuilders is how well the builder keeps buyers informed regarding the status of construction. 

Information Mitigates Stress

Mirman asks us to think of the homebuying process as similar to a hospital stay.  Both are stressful -- yet, the stress can be mitigated by information.  No one, in other words, feels comfortable in the dark.

The same applies to good experiences, suggests Mirman in June 2017 Builder and Developer. He notes the #1 driver of buyers' Willingess to Refer a Friend is the ability to keep them informed of their status.

Collaborating to Enhance Your Communication Process 

Importantly, Mirman notes, you don't need conversation -- just communication.

Buyer communication -- in an organized and consistent manner -- may be easier said than accomplished -- and that's where corporate collaboration can assist. Did you attend the Housing Leadership Summit in May 2018? A great session suggested collaboration is more than "working together"  as it involves a commitment to structural change involving both cultural and behavioral elements.

Information is Communication

We'd like to suggest adding software to provide the tools to enhance your current communication process. CPS' software Portals take information developed by Field Collaborate's construction users and WarrantyWatcher's customer service teams and make it available to buyers and home owners via the Internet.

No additional work required: the construction schedule is available for buyers to view. Warranty requests, status and appointments can be seen via mobile or desktop. In both cases, 24/7, anywhere/anytime!

Want to take things up a notch, become more user friendly? Go the extra step and take stage-of-construction photos and attach them to construction milestones. Add post-repair photos so your homeowner knows how things look before getting home after work.  After all, your buyers have Portal access 24/7 so they're up-to-speed as the work is completed!

Referrals Can Be Your Least Expensive Traffic Source

Referrals can be your least expensive source of traffic -- and the most rewarding.  Communication is a win-win as your team communicates results within the organization -- and they're easily viewable by your most important audience, your buyers.

Builders: Get Proactive, Increase Referrals with Mobile Customer Experience Moments!

Let's take an earlier Solutions Blog: How to Improve Your "Refer a Friend" Rate (read it here) with Eliant's Bob Mirman thoughts regarding the referral impact associated with keeping customers informed - and add Full Story's Scott Voight's thoughts, "You can win on customer experience" and "Excellent customer service can largely be distilled in two words, speed and convenience."  

Have you adopted  "proactive customer service" -- that is, not waiting for an event to offer specific, customer-focused attention.

Get Mobile and Create Proactive Customer Service moments!

A recent Innovative Retail Technologies article sparked a new thought: the value of mobile relative to proactive. 

There's a "First Dibs Opportunity" study suggesting 46% of mobile usage sessions start with no real aim! Author Christine Kern also mentions 70% of respondents use their mobile devices to "kill time." 

The study concludes "if smart phones were smart, they'd do a better job of giving us something useful!"

Software can help builders turn mobile time into proactive customer service moments! Your homebuyers can grab a minute or two, while waiting in line at the store, to check out stage of construction photos. And, can't you see your buyer getting excited to see a just-installed countertop and turning to the next shopper and saying, "Check this out! My new home's kitchen was just finished!"

That's a refer a friend moment! Or, how about the impact of a homeowner browsing their warranty service requests while getting a hair cut and seeing a completed request with a photo?  Wouldn't that be a "Wow! My builder is on top of things!" moment?

CPS' FieldCollaborate and WarrantyWatcher Portals can help you easily create these proactive customer service events -- and do it quickly and conveniently. Customer experience will improve and your referral rate will jump!

CPS will be exhibiting at #IBSOrlando next week -- drop by for a demo at Booth W5583.  Or, contact us at info@cpsusa.com and we'll schedule a demo for you!

Builders: Get Added Value from Your Buyer Surveys

Rating our experiences... that's a concept that has started-up brand new companies and entered almost everyone's life in the last 10 years.  There used to be pen-and-paper questionnaires.  Today, we have Yelp, TripAdvisor, Amazon, Survey Monkey ... even primary care physicians are asking for feedback!

 Get Proactive: Engage buyers mid-stream with surveys

Traditionally, many homebuilders took advantage of post-closing surveys.  Pen-and-paper has migrated to web-based. Some builders utilize results to evaluate sales agents and construction managers.

We'd like to suggest surveys be a part of your ongoing communications process.

Doesn't it seem a bit abrupt to ask "How did we do?" out of the blue for such a major event as a home purchase -- although it can make sense for a dinner out or hotel stay.  There have probably been many "great job" and "could have been better" events from the first sales office visit through closing. 

Finding those mid-stream results -- and managing around them -- not only engages your buyer and enhances the customer experience but allows the builder to manage people and process on a more timely basis.

Earlier CPS Solutions blogs talked about initiating and maintaining the communications process during the construction process.  Keeping your buyers informed; providing stage-of-construction photos -- CPS' FieldCollaborate offers a Buyer Portal just for that reason.  Why not schedule a survey after the first Construction meeting?

Now, your buyers are involved in the feedback process and engaged to the level needed to provide meaningful feedback.  It's no longer a perfunctory "How Did We Do?" at closing; you've initiated full-scale dialogue. And, that's the type of communication that will generate referrals!

Find out how we can help you integrate SurveyMonkey into CPS' construction and warranty software!

We're All in the Customer Service Business!

Not that long ago, many organizations didn't necessarily think they were in the customer service business. Doctors, for example.  They treated illness, set bones and the like. Home builders, possibly.  Their business: homebuilding.

Get Proactive! Offer 24/7 communication channels

Today, with the advent of social media and culture changes, interaction with customers needs to be top of every organization's mind. Whether its Twitter, Facebook or an organization's own web page, customers have plenty of opportunities to speak their mind about product, service, followup... just about everything!

And, satisfying expectations for "good service" has expanded, as well.  It used to be a "thank you" card was considered thoughtful and enough.

Today, a continued conversation needs to accompany a homebuyer from purchase to closing and throughout the warranty period. BuilderIQ notes that buyers "start to regret" the purchase when they don't hear from their builder during the post-sale process. That's a fairly radical thought!

One solution: get proactive! Setup processes and systems that enable your buyers (and homeowners) to engage with you in a consistent, straightforward manner. Timing is everything: when an item is top of mind, people want to be able to communicate!  And, communication doesn't have to mean conversation.

Take a look at CPS' FieldCollaborate and WarrantyWatcher Portals as examples of proactive and effective customer service. Are you a homebuyer that doesn't live in the immediate area but is interested in seeing the latest stage of construction images? How about a schedule summary or a list of selected options? It's all there -- available via desktop, phone, tablet!

Maybe you're a homeowner with a disturbing leak, leak, leak in the master bathroom shower. No need to wait until 8am, Monday to contact your builder's customer service department. Log-on Sunday night and submit your warranty request -- and then check status on Monday when the office opens.

And, remember: the primary driver of new home buyer referrals is a homebuyer satisfied with their builder's communication process!

Home Builders: Interested in a Referral Win?

Had a chance to read an earlier Solutions Blog: Homebuilder #1 Referral Driver: Keeping Buyers Informed? You can read it here.

Communication is the Driver!

Not surprisingly, that Blog is one of our most read posts as it summarizes Eliant CEO Bob Mirman's comments in Builder and Developer, that the single largest referral driver for homebuilders is how well the builder keeps buyers informed regarding the status of construction. 

Mirman suggests: think of the homebuying process as similar to a hospital stay.  Both are stressful -- yet, the stress can be mitigated by information.  No one, basically, likes to be in the dark.  And, with today's social media, bad experiences can be broadcast all too easily.

The same can be said for good experiences, suggests Mirman in the June 2017 Builder and Developer. He notes the #1 driver of buyers' Willingess to Refer a Friend is the ability to keep them informed of their status.

Importantly, Mirman notes, you don't need conversation -- just communication! CPS' software Portals take information developed by Field Collaborate's construction users and WarrantyWatcher's customer service teams and make it available to buyers and home owners via the Internet.

No additional work required: the construction schedule is available for buyers to view. Warranty requests, status and appointments can be seen, as well, via mobile or desktop. In both cases, 24/7, anywhere/anytime!

#1 Customer Care Trend: Self Service

Today, it seems that it doesn't matter the industry when looking at customer service. As a recent Radial article notes, in the age of Amazon, consumers have sky-high expectations.

WarrantyWatcher: mobile self-service!

Homebuyers aren't any different when thinking about their post-closing warranty service.  Consumers want convenience and quick issue resolution -- in addition to an environment that is proactive with personalized service.

Self-service is reported as one of the hottest trends in customer care. Consumers love the idea of being able to quickly and easily meet their objectives from submitting a warranty request to checking status to being able to review their warranty history.

Innovations and advancements in technology enable builders to meet these expectations. Take a look at CPS' WarrantyWatcher software  -- particularly the Portal -- as an example. Homeowners are able to log-in, 24/7, to submit requests. No more waiting until Monday morning! And, they're able to check status at any time - no more calling, voicemail or missed calls.

Self-service channels consistently outperform other channels in terms of consumer satisfaction.  Think about it, for a minute: does anyone snail mail or fax over a list of issues any longer?  How about calling?  Consumers love self-service because it reduces friction and provides answers immediately and consistently.

And, the Portal provides for a personalized, omnichannel experience, as well.  In other words, the Portal can fit into your business operations, seamlessly. Make it available from your website, skin it with your logo and colors, include photos of your team members.  It's all about winning and sustaining loyalty.

Remember: the #1 referral reason for homeowner referrals is keeping buyers informed during construction and post-closing.