IN 2017 THE UK NEW HOMES SECTOR WILL FACE A £30M BILL FOR COMPLAINTS
Consumers generally expect more than ever. New home buyers in particular, demand a great deal and are unforgiving when service standards slide.
When problems arise, complaints generally follow. All too often, the poor handling of a problem becomes a bigger drama than the original issue … keeping on top of customer care will help avoid these costly distractions.
And when problems are left to stagnate they spiral out of control resulting in (far too often) compensation. Paying compensation is becoming more and more common, yet is a highly inappropriate stance to make a messy problem go away. It is wrong on so many levels and invariably raises expectations of other occupants to seek financial redress whenever they have an issue that isn’t resolved promptly. It is wise to have a compensation policy because this (contrary to common perception) reduces the likelihood of having to award a payment and, keeps the level of payments far lower in circumstances where such an action is unavoidable.
As technology has advanced, social media has become a part of our everyday lives. Smart phone portability means firing of a comment on Twitter or posting a statement on Facebook can be done with one hand while doing the weekly grocery shop in your local supermarket. It’s this habitual ease that has made social media a potentially dangerous platform from which unhappy consumers can cause chaos for ill prepared developers.
Ultimately, the avoidance of complaints is only ever achieved through better preparation and execution of snag and defect management.
How will you fair? Do you have the system and the trained resource to ensure you don’t become a statistical footnote to this year’s analysis of customer care catastrophes?
After Build are the industry’s leading out-source customer care professionals. Our fixed-price approach guarantees cost control while our highly trained teams ensure your customers receive a friendly, responsive service. Want to know more? Follow the FULL STORY or call us now on 0845 4546 4631 (email: markf@afterbuild.com)