Construction Managers Key to Customer Satisfaction

Construction managers play a huge role in overall new-home buyer customer satisfaction, according to a survey by J.D. Power and Associates (JDPA). The 2005 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study, released in September, incorporated for the first time customer ratings of the construction manager as a driver of overall customer satisfaction with new-home builders.

The study found that as consumers become more active in communicating with their home builders during the construction process, construction managers are nearly as important in influencing customer satisfaction as the builder’s sales staff.

“In years past, the construction manager worked primarily behind the scenes with little interaction with home owners,” said Paula Sonkin, executive director of real estate industries practice at JDPA. “Today, builders realize that everyone involved in the building process — from the salespeople to the construction staff — are representatives of the company. By proactively communicating with owners at every step of the process, builders create a huge opportunity to develop strong relationships with owners, which can ultimately lead to higher customer satisfaction with the finished home.”

Satisfied Customers Refer Nearly Twice as Many People

The study also found that truly delighted home buyers — those rating their builders a 10 on a 10-point scale ― recommend their builder to nearly twice as many people compared to the average new-home buyer.

The 2005 study includes satisfaction ratings of builders in 30 of the largest U.S. home building markets.

Pulte Homes, including its Del Webb and DiVosta brands, ranked highest in 16 of 30 markets — up from 14 out of 25 markets in 2004. Centex Homes, including its Fox & Jacobs brand, ranks highest in 10 markets — up from three markets in 2004.

The 2005 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Survey is based on responses of 73,353 buyers of newly built, single-family homes who provided feedback after living in their homes from four to 18 months, on average.

For more comprehensive builder ratings for all 30 U.S. markets and Toronto, visit www.jdpower.com.

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Marketing Courses, Designation Programs for New Homes Sales Professionals

The Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) offers four designation programs for sales and marketing professionals:

• The MIRM designation programs for new home marketing professionals
• The CSP and MCSP designation programs for new home sales professionals
  
  

For more information on these designation programs, click here.

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