The construction industry has always focused on serving its customers. Core values and mission statements identify this as a primary key to success.
My experience developing a construction warranty division and working with contractors to create their own warranty success has revealed that serving the customer with a clearly defined specific purpose creates amazing rewards.
However, many contractors do not have a specific purpose or plan for the post-construction effort, and as a result, are missing out on a valuable opportunity to reap these rewards.
Warranty is often considered the easiest phase of the build process, but it can also be the most difficult, and if it’s wrong, it can destroy everything your team has worked so hard to achieve.
Much of what is considered a persistent punchline, if processed correctly, becomes an opportunity to solidify your customer’s satisfaction and retention.
In addition, a well-defined process can help evaluate your suppliers, perform critical quality assurance and quality control, and process information internally, feeding all that big data back to leadership so they can make better decisions and even help market your business. All this allows your company to achieve its goals.
Where to start: A great warranty division starts with your company’s culture and ethics and a strong mission statement that focuses on group success, especially integrity and customer satisfaction.
When your project team knows that the contractor supports them in providing the client with the proper care and support in a new building, that client will typically do a better job. The owner can feel that passion and will naturally reciprocate by wanting to work with you again, and may even become your best marketing voice. The value of an intentional customer service program, regardless of contractual terms, always delivers trust and amazing returns.
What to do: The internal warranty management process can provide efficient pathways for all involved. To do this, your assurance division should include structured best practices, accounting guidelines and designated individuals, along with checklists and procedures or software to track and capture communications and data.
All of this is very manageable and can be built with your team in a matter of months.
What we learn: Many leaders tell me that they are managing their assurance well and trust that the teams building the project are doing the best they can. But they have no real information or knowledge to back it up or guarantee that this is actually happening. With a well-defined warranty program and a management system that includes tracking and recording, you have access to this real data and the immense learning that can only be achieved by organizing the post-construction phase.
Data and reports are readily available if done correctly and can be used to continually evaluate and adjust your program to ensure success.
As a result, you’ll earn the trust of your customers and their property managers, as well as your team, with an organized and intentional warranty program. Customers are more likely to work with you again when they receive professional support during the warranty phase.
Don’t underestimate the value of a well-planned and purposeful warranty management division.
