We are far more connected to the outside world than ever before. With expectations at an all time high, it’s more important than ever to invest in this area of your organisation. Your aftercare team is arguably the most important element of your company; usually the only point of contact for homeowners/tenants following handover. They handle all enquiries and schedule appointments for any remedial works that may be required during the two year warranty period.

• 

Unfortunately, the common misconception by many construction companies is that as their aftercare teams don’t generate money, they are not as important as their other teams. The issue with this mindset is the inability to see the bigger picture; unhappy customers mean more complaints, more complaints mean more work for your aftercare team, more work means customers will feel like their issue(s) are not being dealt with efficiently. The snowball effect!

5 reasons why you need to move to a customer-centric model:

• Customer service impacts revenue: by providing excellent customer service, you position your organisation to receive excellent referrals via word of mouth and reviews
• Fast customer service matters: The majority of customers measure the quality of customer service by the speed at which their issue(s) are resolved. Customers dislike having to repeat themselves multiple times to multiple people. It is important to ensure documentation is updated in real-time and that the customer is kept appraised.
• Customer service experiences have a long lasting impact: The idea of a repeat customer may not be looked upon as a priority in the construction/housing sector, however, referrals made by friends and family and online can generate an influx of customers, it is therefore vital you strive to provide all of your customers with excellent experiences.
• Customer service stories are spread widely: Customer service stories appear in all forms of media; newspapers, magazines, blogs, social media.. the list goes on! Unfortunately, the negative stories are the ones that generate a great deal of traction.
• Social media drives increased sharing of customer service experiences: Social media can damage a brand in a few seconds.. It’s a common scenario; a disgruntled customer turns to social media and the post quickly generates shares and likes. It goes viral. By implementing effective aftercare and defect management processes, you mitigate these risks by streamlining your defect management processes.

“Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.” – J.C Penney

The market is extremely competitive. A huge differentiator within the sector is the quality of customer service. By investing a small amount into aftercare and defect management, you will see the benefits in a matter of days!