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!

What's In Your Tool Belt to Help Build-in Quality?

Interesting MultiFamily Executive article highlighting the growing demand for new housing and resultant labor constraint issues. The demand for labor has emerged as an issue for both single- and multi-family builders, nationwide.

FieldCollaborate
Quality Inspection Checklist

Do you know the last time builders reported such widespread labor shortages was just before 2001?

The demand for labor has forced the use of "B" and "C" quality trades, which will result in more issues and increases the demand for more oversight. Without a well-qualified and experienced labor force, builders are facing increasing quality issues. Field Managers were already being asked to produce more; how best to produce more with better quality?

Technology should be top-of-mind as a way to consistently survey, assess and respond to quality issues. And, mobile technology allows Field Managers to work directly from the job site -- yet remain in contact with vendors and the corporate office.

Quality issues can be observed and reported for followup as punch items and builders are able to create Quality Inspection templates aimed at catching issues as early and consistently as possible.

One big gain with mobile in the quality world is real-time reporting. Take a look at CPS' FieldCollaborate. Field Managers are able to record a quality issue, automatically email the vendor, post the issue to the Portal (including pictures) for vendor review and then close the ticket when resolved. All from their truck or construction trailer.

And, there's also the ability to analyze data over time -- in real time. Are today's problems consistent with issues last week or last month? Is this vendor consistently late or slow to complete tasks? All of that information is available on the mobile device while dealing with today's quality issue.

FieldCollaborate also provides scheduling, punch and safety tools -- as well as a homebuyer information Portal to keep builders in 24/7 communication with their clients.

New Home Construction Web Portals: 24/7 Access for Vendors & Buyers

Are you familiar with the concept of a web portal, sometimes referred to as a neutral platform in the cloud?  Portals provide users the ability to view — and sometimes update — information developed by one or more systems from a single web-based location.

Give Your Vendors 24/7 Access to Schedules & Punch

What would a construction portal do for your construction process — inside and outside the company, including vendors and home buyers?  Effective portals improve communication and collaboration by providing real-time data access to enterprise information.

Let's take a look at a real-world example: CPS' FieldCollaborate Portal allows a builder's vendors to log-in — any time, 24/7 — and view their construction schedules, punch items and safety assessments.  And, they're able to pull up builder documents and drawings, too.

Home buyers, on the other hand, login to the FieldCollaborate Portal to view their home's schedule and stage-of-construction photos.  The Portal keeps home buyers actively engaged throughout the home buying/construction cycle, which in many areas can take nine months from the time of contract acceptance to closing. Great for out-of-town buyers!

Home builders use the Portal, as well, to share information within their enterprise. When we consider the entire set of participants — the builder, vendors and homebuyers. 

Think about the number of phone calls, faxes, emails and misunderstandings that can be eliminated!

What's more disruptive than having multiple sources of information?  Your portal provides the same information to everyone (governed by access credentials, of course) — and it's all available 24/7, in real-time, via the cloud!

Portals improve communication and that makes the builder's entire enterprise more efficient and productive — resulting in more profit for both the builder and their vendors. Ask us how FieldCollaborate and Portals can improve your scheduling, communication and efficiency!

Construction Data Portals: Immediate Collaboration

Are you familiar with the concept of a Portal -- sometimes referred to as a neutral platform in the cloud?

Portals provide users with the ability to view -- and sometimes update -- information developed by a variety of systems and managed by different organizations in a single location. Typically, they're accessible via the Internet.

What could a construction Portal do for you, your organization, vendors and/or buyers? An effective Portal provides data access, governed by credentials, to all appropriate stakeholders.

Construction Portals facilitate Collaboration

Let's take a look at a real-world example. Vendors can log into CPS' Field Collaborate Portal and view or print their construction schedules, punch items, and safety assessments.  In addition, they are able to view builder documents and drawings.

Home buyers, on the other hand, log into the Field Collaborate Portal and find their home's schedule as well as stage-of-construction photos.

If we considered just this set of participants, can you think of the reduced number of phone calls, faxes, emails and misunderstandings? Portals make the entire enterprise more productive!

Home builders use Portals to share information internally, as well.  What's more disruptive than having multiple sources for information?  A well-managed Portal provides the same information to everyone (governed by access credentials, of course) -- and it's all available anywhere, anytime via the cloud!