But to get a happy ending you need a great start. And that means one where your customer receives the keys to their new home and finds absolutely nothing to complain about. It makes sense yet so often it’s not what happens. The roll call of developers who have failed to do this is alarming. Always starting with the best of intentions but struggling to pull it off. Occupants moving into properties with dozens of snags (some quite serious) creates a negatively charged relationship from the word go.
Your sales team may have done a great job, but then service has fallen short. There are two processes that must be incorporated with every new plot, if you want to avoid a dreadful handover followed by months of misery as occupants continuously complain about the quality of your build.
1. QUALITY ASSURANCE INSPECTION - this means that any overlooked snags that have been missed by the construction crew, are identified and captured in a comprehensive photo-report. This enables site to correct each problem so when your purchaser sets foot over the threshold for the first time, there are no ‘nasties’ waiting to greet them.
2. HOME DEMONSTRATION - this is the professional way to hand over a property and at the same time, demonstrate how appliances work, explain the nuances of the heating/ventilation and hot water systems and deal with any questions that usually arise at that stage.
Failing to achieve a great start always results in a poor ending - because your customer spends time, they neither have nor can afford, chasing you to fix their problems. This leaves a bad taste and impacts adversely on your reputation as a quality developer.
You can’t just say that you pay attention to every detail and deliver an excellent After Care service -you must do it. Always remember that unhappy purchasers are equipped to complain in ways that will cause your business lasting damage
It is quite likely that once past the ‘moving in’ stage, there will be the odd defect that gets reported over the 2 years that follow (the ‘Builder’s Rectification Period’). And for the most part, if the start has been trouble-free, most homeowners don’t object to handling one or two minor issues. And a great start means that our team can address everything without a backdrop of pre-existing disappointment.
Be under no illusions about ways a frustrated purchaser can deal with a problem. Social media provides an instantaneous, free platform from which to announce to all and sundry that they have a problem with YOUR BUSINESS. And remember this - a posting on social media isn’t like a letter of complaint – it’s there for all to see and never goes away.
These two services are easy to organise and a low-cost way to overcome problems you really don’t need. Every year we conduct hundreds of each, setting out a positive and professional relationship between developer and occupant.
After Build – the UKs leading provider of fixed-price after care. www.afterbuild.com
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