Taking the Next Step:

A Pulte division builds on the customer care process

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Okay, you get the point. Some step-by-step processes sound like a crock of hooey, but in large production homebuilder companies, consistent processes are key. Pulte Homes has developed a customer care process that gives their customer relations team a consistent approach to customer satisfaction, while allowing room for team members to mold it to their personal approach.

Pulte’s 7-Step Process gives their customers a front-row view of their home’s construction so customers understand what’s happening and why. It’s common for homeowners to not know what to expect from the homebuilding process, so managing their expectations is key to ensure good customer relations.

Part of the 7-Step Process’ philosophy is that keeping the homeowners involved will make building their home an exciting event for them and keep everyone on the same page. Following the steps means meeting with your customers at construction meetings, throughout the construction process, and eventually following up with them until their warranty period is over.

Project Manager Jason Black and the Customer Relations Team in Pulte’s Grand Rapids Division use the 7-Step Process as a starting point for managing their customer’s expectations and improving their customer relations through open communication.

According to Black, “Aligning the customer’s expectations with Pulte standards, in part, is based on open lines of communication. The ability to make sales, construction, and customer relations personnel available to the homeowner for comments, concerns, and questions adds value to the process. The more frequent the communication, the more the customer feels a part of the process.”

It’s this thinking that leads Black and his team to contact the homeowner with weekly progress updates and give them an idea of what will happen the next week. This contact often includes a telephone call and sending them digital pictures of work that’s been completed. This contact has proved to be something the customers appreciate and enjoy.

Black says, “The home you are building for the customer is traditionally the biggest investment they make, and they need to be comfortable with the process, the people, and the product. There is no such thing as over communicating!”

Creating your own process for managing customer relations, encouraging your team to work within the process and to exceed expectations can improve your reputation, sales, and customer relationships.