What do customers want when they purchase a new home? Their expectations are simple: they want the home they ordered, they want it built right, and they want it delivered on time. One of the best ways to ensure that the home being built meets these expectations is to communicate well during three construction meetings held with the customers: the pre-construction meeting, the pre-drywall meeting, and the pre-closing meeting.
Construction meetings are meetings between the builder's representatives (typically a site supervisor and a sales representative) and the customers while the home is being built to review progress and conduct an inspection. Each of the meetings occurs at a key milestone and gives you the chance to talk about the issues that are most important to customers. If you prepare carefully and do a good job, it can really make a big difference in customer satisfaction. Most customer satisfaction surveys in the residential homebuilding industry ask whether the builder's representatives were friendly and courteous and whether they communicated effectively. When you meet customers at construction meetings, that's your chance to treat them well.
Pre-construction
At the pre-construction meeting, the customer reviews the site plan, home plans, and other paperwork for the home with the builder's representatives, usually the site supervisor and sales representative. The meeting is typically held immediately before the foundation work begins on the home and is often accompanied by a lot walk, so the customer can get a complete picture of the site.
Pre-drywall
At the pre-drywall meeting, the customer tours the home with a member of the builder's team to review the construction and the location of the major mechanical and structural systems of the home. The meeting is usually held just after the framing is finished and insulated but before the drywall installation begins.
Pre-closing
At the pre-closing meeting, the customer walks through the home with a member of the builder's team—usually a site supervisor, sales representative, or quality assurance person—to review the construction and agree to close on the home. The meeting is typically held one week prior to closing.
These days, customers are more likely than ever to take an active interest in how their home is built. As a result, much of your time has to be spent making sure the home they've built in their head is the home described in the paperwork. It's up to you to manage their expectations so they're satisfied with the result. Infrequent or unclear communication usually leads to unwanted surprises later in the process, such as someone upset over a missing upgrade or a misunderstanding about the floor covering.
Continuously making sure you and your customers are on the same page is important in managing expectations and receiving high satisfaction ratings. Construction meetings are spaced throughout the homebuilding process for just these reasons. Use these communication opportunities to your advantage!
More Best Practices® for setting and meeting customer expectations can be found in the following online training courses from BuildIQ University:
