As Gus guided the children to that home, his mind raced with a litany of questions and judgments about this derelict parent. What kind of parent would let their children play unsupervised on such a potentially dangerous building site? Gus found their father and said, “I found them playing by themselves near a sand pile with heavy machinery operating near by. Do you realize these kids could have been seriously injured?” The father was silent. “Look I know you’ve got to work but couldn’t you leave them at home with your wife or with a sitter? The father explained, “Last night my wife was killed in an auto accident. We have no family. There was no one to help with the children. I didn’t know what to do so I brought them with me.”
Don’t jump to conclusions
It may seem like an extreme example, but Gus told me that this incident has taught him not to make assumptions or jump to conclusions so quickly with trades people, employees, or homeowners. Sometimes people act in what seems to be in irrational ways. But things aren’t always as they first appear. Sometimes the real cause is hidden, and can only be uncovered if we take the time to try to understand. By suspending our preconceived notions, asking a few questions, and not jumping to immediate conclusions, we can learn the real root of a problem, and everyone benefits.
If our intent is to help create a quality homeownership experience by understanding our customers, finding the true cause of a problem is critical. Ultimately it will save time and money because we’ll improve our chances of getting it right the first time by learning the real issues. Here’s another example.
Dennis, a service warranty technician, was handling a customer’s punch list. The homeowner seemed overly irritable about the minor items on the list. The service tech assumed that it was the checklist items that were making him nervous—but this guy was over the edge with anxiety. Then Dennis noticed a small chip broken out of the homeowner’s beautiful new hardwood floors near the front door entrance. He mentioned something to the homeowner, who became increasingly distressed. Dennis continued to ask questions and the homeowner explained that the movers had chipped his otherwise perfect hardwood floors. The homeowner was anxious about having to live with the defaced floor and Dennis offered to take care of the chip immediately. The homeowner sighed with relief, and Dennis knew that the punch list items weren’t the real reason for the homeowner’s dissatisfaction.
Recalling that incident, Dennis said, “If I had assumed the several items on the homeowner’s punch list were what was making him irritable, and I hadn’t asked a few questions about the obvious chip in the floor, I know from experience that he would have never been fully happy with his home. In fact, he probably would have slammed us on survey scores and possibly word of mouth even though someone else caused the damage.”
Understanding the real problem pays off. If a homeowner is unhappy, the customer survey scores will not likely be good, no matter how much we try to resolve concerns with the home. Sometimes, a homeowner’s dissatisfaction may not be directly related to the home itself. Every time we understand the real issue, we move one step closer to a delighted customer.
Bottom line, if a home is built right, but the relationship with the homeowner isn’t, the builder will not be perceived of kindly. In fact, customers simply expect the builder to build a good home. Going above and beyond means understanding the homeowner’s needs and wants.
So when it comes to dealing with contractors, employees, or homeowners, remember that things aren’t always as they seem. Avoid making assumptions-- ask more questions instead.
--Daron Powers
Daron Powers is the Senior Associate and Director of Quality Programs at TrueNorth Development, Inc. which is a consulting and training company specializing in residential homebuilding located in Northville, Michigan. E-mail: Daronpowers@aol.com
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