J
jgreebnerg76
Guest
Here's a proper survey. None of that Tarion crap here.
Builders faulted in satisfaction survey
www.theglobeandmail.com/s...ealestate/
Move-in date delays top the list of concerns cited by home buyers in J.D. Power study. Customer service problems ranked second
By JANE GADD
Friday, September 16, 2005 Page G6
Buyers of new homes across the Greater Toronto Area are dissatisfied with the service they get from builders and are particularly unhappy about delays in their move-in dates, an independent survey has shown.
In its first-ever survey of building-industry customers in Canada, released this week, U.S.-based marketing consultants J.D. Power and Associates found that the average customer satisfaction score on a scale of 1,000 was 612.
That's low in comparison to all the other industries J. D. Power measures, says Darren Slind, a senior director with the company's Canadian branch.
It's also lower than the satisfaction rates of home buyers in the United States.
"It's clear that new home buyers are sending a message that there is considerable room for improvement in how some builders handle what is probably the largest purchase consumers ever make," Mr. Slind said in an interview.
The results were based on 63 questions asked of 4,822 people who bought single-family homes in the past couple of years from 28 leading builders in the Toronto area.
The answers were grouped into eight key factors of satisfaction, which were weighted according to how important buyers said they were.
The survey found that "home readiness" is the No. 1 issue for buyers.
"That means the accuracy of the completion date, when the builder promised the home would be ready, and the condition of the home at the pre-delivery inspection and after," Mr. Slind said.
Builders who delivered homes on time did especially well in the survey because readiness was weighted at 23.8 per cent of the total score.
The second big issue is customer service, weighted at 23.6 per cent, and includes how quickly builders handle customer complaints and warranty requests as well as the general courtesy of their staff.
"These two account for almost 50 per cent, and they are clearly areas where customer expectations are not being fully met," Mr. Slind said.
The three builders that scored the highest on the 1,000-point scale were Tribute Communities (769), Mattamy Homes (731) and Brookfield Homes (727).
The lowest three among the 28 builders looked at were Conservatory Group (503), Summit View Homes (471) and Monmar Homes (445).
The study found that builders who proactively communicate with buyers enjoy significantly higher levels of customer satisfaction than those who wait for customers to contact them.
Although J. D. Power uses a different scoring system when measuring U.S. home buyers' satisfaction, the Canadian results are still markedly lower, Mr. Slind said.
"That 612 in the GTA is comparable to the U.S. average in the late 1990s," he said. "They've made some gains since then and we fully expect the same to happen in Canada."
There was also some good news for builders in the survey -- most scored high for home quality, physical design features, location and helpfulness of sales staff.
But some dissatisfaction was expressed with the trend toward "decor centres" where developers increasingly expect buyers to go to choose their colours and finishes rather than showcasing all the choices in a model home at the building site.
While centralized decor centres can offer a wider range of choices, the tradeoff is that home buyers may have to drive across the GTA to see them, Mr. Slind said.
J. D. Power plans to make the home-buyer satisfaction survey an annual event. It will be a syndicated service financed by subscribers to the study.
Until now the company has been best known in Canada for measuring consumer reactions to new cars.
In the United States it conducts surveys on everything from new homes to cellphones and financial services.
jgadd@globeandmail.ca
Builders faulted in satisfaction survey
www.theglobeandmail.com/s...ealestate/
Move-in date delays top the list of concerns cited by home buyers in J.D. Power study. Customer service problems ranked second
By JANE GADD
Friday, September 16, 2005 Page G6
Buyers of new homes across the Greater Toronto Area are dissatisfied with the service they get from builders and are particularly unhappy about delays in their move-in dates, an independent survey has shown.
In its first-ever survey of building-industry customers in Canada, released this week, U.S.-based marketing consultants J.D. Power and Associates found that the average customer satisfaction score on a scale of 1,000 was 612.
That's low in comparison to all the other industries J. D. Power measures, says Darren Slind, a senior director with the company's Canadian branch.
It's also lower than the satisfaction rates of home buyers in the United States.
"It's clear that new home buyers are sending a message that there is considerable room for improvement in how some builders handle what is probably the largest purchase consumers ever make," Mr. Slind said in an interview.
The results were based on 63 questions asked of 4,822 people who bought single-family homes in the past couple of years from 28 leading builders in the Toronto area.
The answers were grouped into eight key factors of satisfaction, which were weighted according to how important buyers said they were.
The survey found that "home readiness" is the No. 1 issue for buyers.
"That means the accuracy of the completion date, when the builder promised the home would be ready, and the condition of the home at the pre-delivery inspection and after," Mr. Slind said.
Builders who delivered homes on time did especially well in the survey because readiness was weighted at 23.8 per cent of the total score.
The second big issue is customer service, weighted at 23.6 per cent, and includes how quickly builders handle customer complaints and warranty requests as well as the general courtesy of their staff.
"These two account for almost 50 per cent, and they are clearly areas where customer expectations are not being fully met," Mr. Slind said.
The three builders that scored the highest on the 1,000-point scale were Tribute Communities (769), Mattamy Homes (731) and Brookfield Homes (727).
The lowest three among the 28 builders looked at were Conservatory Group (503), Summit View Homes (471) and Monmar Homes (445).
The study found that builders who proactively communicate with buyers enjoy significantly higher levels of customer satisfaction than those who wait for customers to contact them.
Although J. D. Power uses a different scoring system when measuring U.S. home buyers' satisfaction, the Canadian results are still markedly lower, Mr. Slind said.
"That 612 in the GTA is comparable to the U.S. average in the late 1990s," he said. "They've made some gains since then and we fully expect the same to happen in Canada."
There was also some good news for builders in the survey -- most scored high for home quality, physical design features, location and helpfulness of sales staff.
But some dissatisfaction was expressed with the trend toward "decor centres" where developers increasingly expect buyers to go to choose their colours and finishes rather than showcasing all the choices in a model home at the building site.
While centralized decor centres can offer a wider range of choices, the tradeoff is that home buyers may have to drive across the GTA to see them, Mr. Slind said.
J. D. Power plans to make the home-buyer satisfaction survey an annual event. It will be a syndicated service financed by subscribers to the study.
Until now the company has been best known in Canada for measuring consumer reactions to new cars.
In the United States it conducts surveys on everything from new homes to cellphones and financial services.
jgadd@globeandmail.ca