Home Builder Customer Service: Another Referral Source

Did you catch our blog titled Keeping Buyers in the Loop is #1 Referral Driver? You can read it here!

Status updates: 24/7 availability!

We noted that Eliant, home building's largest firm specializing in managing the consumer experience, said in a recent Builder & Developer article that the single largest referral driver is how well the builder keeps buyers informed regarding the status of construction!

That statistic is part of a great article by Eliant's founder/COE, Bob Mirman, noting similarities between hospitals and home builders.

At first, you could think such a comparison is silly; yet, there are striking similarities: patients and home buyers are justifiably anxious, worried, confused and scared as they're involved in an unfamiliar environment. Not for the same reason but.. still concerned. Mirman suggests empathy goes a long way towards making everyone feel comfortable.

Doesn't the same thought apply to your homeowners? They've just made their single, largest purchase and... now, there are some issues!  Empathy coupled with good indicators that progress is being made will go a long way in making the homeowner feel satisfied.

Another Mirman point: the value of contact when delays are encountered -- or anticipated. Are you keeping homeowners in the loop as to status of their service request? Are your employees proactively reaching out?

Then there's the third and most critical point that is striking almost in its simplicity:  impact of status updates. Mirman really appreciated the daily calls from an assigned staff internist. He knew he'd get the latest information and didn't need to worry about voicemails, missed calls and miscommunication through a 3rd party.

Take that thought, apply it to your home builder warranty/customer service department and ask:  how well do we keep your homeowners up-to-date? We'd like to suggest taking a look at CPS' WarrantyWatcher and its Portal.  Homeowners have access, 24/7 and in real-time, to submit a request, view the scheduled vendor visit and review previous requests.  It's their "piece of the pie" automatically generated from use of WarrantyWatcher's customer service software. Service request status is automatic, always visible and available 24/7 -- on your homeowner's desktop, laptop, phone or tablet! 

Homeowners like to feel they made a good decision -- and will talk about it when given a chance. Referrals can be a key sales driver; we can help you make sure your post-sale status updates are one of your referral drivers!