2008 Finalists Revealed
By on Aug 13, 2008
The list of finalists for the 2008 Tarion Awards of Excellence, presented annually to Ontario new home builders based exclusively on their customer service delivery, was recently announced by Tarion Warranty Corporation.
"Buying a new home is one of the most significant and exciting investments that many of us will make in our lifetime. Tarion is proud to recognize builders whose commitment to customer service helps make this experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible," said Tarion president and CEO Howard Bogach. "The recipients of Tarion's Awards of Excellence are chosen by the people whose opinions count the most - Ontario's new home buyers."
Finalists in the 2008 Tarion Awards of Excellence were identified based on the results of a Harris/Decima Research survey of more than 51,000 Ontario consumers who took possession of a new home between January 1 and December 31, 2007. Over 13,300 responses were received, representing over 25 per cent of consumers who bought a new home in Ontario in 2007.
Survey questions focused on homeowners' satisfaction with their builder, covering every stage in the homeowner-builder relationship: from signing of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale, through construction and the pre-delivery period, to after-sales service. The finalists must have had at least five new home possessions during 2007 and a specified number of completed questionnaires must have been received by Harris/Decima.
Finalists are competing in four award categories: Small, Medium and Large Volume as well as High-Rise, with winners being announced on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at a gala to be held at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
LARGE VOLUME CATEGORY FINALISTS
Fostering and maintaining open lines of communication with homeowners is a hallmark of Fusion Homes, which has grown in just nine years to be a major player in the Southwest Ontario cities of Guelph, London, Komoka, Tillsonburg and Kitchener.
In addition to building high-quality single-family homes and townhouses, owner Lee Piccoli credits much of his company's success to the fact that all customer service issues are addressed in the most polite, professional and efficient manner possible. All homeowners are given a 1-800 number for direct access to a project co-ordination team in Fusion's Customer Service Department, and the company proactively initiates appointments with customers 30-days and one-year after closing, regardless of whether or not a customer has submitted service forms.
In the words of one satisfied Fusion homeowner, "It makes it a pleasure to make an investment in a Fusion home when you know you are going to receive a high level of protection in your investment, and that you also have the satisfaction of knowing that Fusion employees will go out of their way to take care of any problems that arise."
Hayhoe Homes, St. Thomas
Founded in 1970, St. Thomas-based Hayhoe Homes has built a strong reputation for focusing on its customers' needs - a reputation that helped the company win a Tarion Award of Excellence in 2005 in the Medium Volume category.
Such recognition is well deserved, given company president William Hayhoe's innovative approach to customer service, which is based on the idea that the customer is the company's first priority and that each Hayhoe employee is there to support that priority. This includes a staff member known as a "Home Completion Technician" whose responsibility is to ensure that each new home is completed in advance of the Pre-Delivery Inspection, and that any deficiencies noted during the PDI are quickly addressed soon after closing. Hayhoe also employs a full-time Service Manager, who sees to it that even non-emergency related service calls from homeowners are responded to within 24 hours.
In addition to winning 2005's Tarion Award of Excellence in the Medium Volume category, Hayhoe was a Finalist in both 2004 and 2006.
Mattamy Homes, Toronto
Mattamy Homes has been at the forefront of visionary new community design since 1978. It is the belief of company founder, Peter Gilgan that homes should be unique and reflect the needs of the families living in them and communities should be inviting and inspiring places where memories are made. As it turns out, many aspiring homeowners share that belief.
Thirty-thousand homes later Mattamy has become Canada's largest builder of new homes. But size hasn't decreased the amount of attention the company pays to keeping its customers satisfied. High levels of service delivery can be found at all points in the new home experience - including a frame-stage walk-through during construction, to give buyers a chance to make sure that what looked good on paper is just what they had in mind.
Such attention to customer needs led to Mattamy's winning the 2007 Tarion Award of Excellence in the Large Volume category.
Tribute Communities, Toronto
For more than two decades Toronto-based Tribute Communities has created dozens of inspired communities and more than 25,000 new homes across southern Ontario.
Respect for its customers stands as the most important principle defining Tribute?s corporate philosophy - a principle which is reflected in the words of one Tribute homeowner who said, "In today's busy world, it's nice to know that good customer service still exists." To this end, the company has developed what it calls a comprehensive "Total Service Policy" to promptly address customer needs - including a 24-hour instant service response when homeowners call with a problem. Tribute also offers a "Framing Walk Through Tour" to give customers the opportunity to see and ask questions about their new home long before its completion date.
Delivering exemplary customer service has helped Tribute garner some of the industry's highest awards - including being Tarion's Award of Excellence winner in both 2005 and 2006 and a Finalist in the Large Volume Category in 2007.
Quality Engineered Homes Ltd., Southwestern Ontario
Incorporated in 1987, Quality Homes is Ontario's leading "factory-built" builder, creating innovative residential home modules in its 34,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Kenilworth.
Not only has this builder earned the trust of many discerning homeowners, Quality Homes has also gained the respect of the residential construction community which has led to their building modules for other developers and builders. There are many reasons for this, but perhaps one of these is the fact that their service employees are empowered with the authority to take care of "the little things" when they are at a home performing a service call- which may be outside of the builder's warranty obligations, but are still very important to customers .
Quality Homes also conducts surveys 30-days and one-year after closing to gauge customer satisfaction. Results are then tabulated by an independent research company and feedback is shared with all departments. Such efforts have resulted in a corporate culture focused on exceeding customer expectations throughout the experience of buying a new home.
MEDIUM VOLUME CATEGORY FINALISTS
City Homes, Durham
The MacInnis brothers' approach to customer service is simple: Every homeowner issue is addressed as soon as it comes into the office. This includes one-hour service for emergency situations, 48-hour turnaround for non-emergency related issues, and after-hours messages returned the following business day. In the words of one satisfied City Homes customer: "We've always had a feeling of confidence in this builder, particularly since he lives just down the street in his own City Home."
Donwest Construction Limited, St. Thomas
Since its beginnings in 1969, Donwest Construction has followed the goal of building a quality home that the average working family can afford. Through the years, Donwest has not lost sight of the importance of responsive customer service, which includes an established company policy setting out in writing the maximum response time that employees must adhere to when addressing customer problems or concerns. Another company policy is to provide assessments and conduct repair work even after the statutory two-year builder warranty has expired.
Going above and beyond on the customer service scorecard has proved to be a big part of Donwest's formula for success, as witnessed by such stories as the six homes built by the company for four members of the same family. In the words of Donwest President, Dick Greenway, "That is inspirational!"
French's Fine Homes, Muskoka
According to Larry, French's approach to dealing with customer service issues is based on three key principles. First, homeowner complaints are never left unanswered. Second, the company makes a point of educating customers early on in the selection process so that expectations are set long before the purchaser actually takes possession of their new home. And third, a warranty and service co-ordinator is employed to listen to customers and have their issues resolved both quickly and satisfactorily. The co-ordinator is also responsible for conducting a pre-closing run-through of each home to identify issues even before the customer arrives for their Pre-Delivery Inspection.
Ivystone Homes (1991) Ltd., Elmira
Over the past two decades, the father-and-son team of Bud and Brian Tulloch and their company, Ivystone Homes, have constructed 1,300 homes in the Kitchener-Waterloo area - from semi-detached family homes to retirement bungalows.
Ivystone's customer service philosophy is straight-forward: "Fix it quick, and fix it right." It's a philosophy that works. In the words of one satisfied homeowner: "Ivystone is a cut about the average builder in their effort to provide a quality house backed by a real concern for the buyer in follow-up service." Ivystone was also a Medium Volume Finalist in the 2007 Awards of Excellence.
Noah Homes, Kingsville
Integrity is the mortar that Walter Branco, owner of Kingsville-based Noah Homes, uses to build relationships of trust with his homeowners. While only in business since 2003, Noah Homes has already built more than 125 custom homes in the Leamington area, each of which has been created through Walter's hands-on approach.
He is constantly on-call to address homeowner issues, which the company strives to address within one or two days, and he meets on a regular basis with his customers - from the initial planning phase through construction, closing and the post move-in periods. In the words of one satisfied customer, "If you're looking for quality, great customer service and 100 per cent satisfaction, let Walter at Noah Homes be your builder of choice."
Noah Homes was the 2007 Winner of the Tarion Award of Excellence in the Medium Volume category.
SMALL VOLUME CATEGORY FINALISTS
Amine Construction Ltd., Windsor
Windsor-based Amine Construction is proud of its customer service heritage, begun when the company started building custom homes in the Windsor and Essex County region back in 1999. According to founder and president, Pierre Amine, preserving this heritage - and building upon it - is a top company priority.
Amine Construction lives up to its high customer service standard in many ways, including responding to homeowner issues quickly - often within 24 hours, or when it is most convenient for the customer. Such responsiveness includes having the most appropriate Amine staff member visit the home, assess the issue, and resolve it in the best possible manner by maintaining the company's standards of top-quality and precision craftsmanship.
According to Pierre, "We appreciate the opportunity of crafting unique and custom designed homes, while building trusting and long-lasting friendships between ourselves and our homeowners."
Apple Home Builders Ltd., New Hamburg
John Day, owner of New Hamburg-based Apple Home Builders, makes a point of fostering close and personal relationships with the owners of his homes - relationships often lasting for years after the move-in date. Such relationship-building includes John's taking all homeowner calls directly and addressing homeowner issues as soon as they arise.
Les Enterprise Carriere, Alfred
Les Enterprise Carriere doesn't mince words when it comes to meeting the needs of its homeowners. Not only does the company deliver homes built to the highest industry standards, but it strives to win the respect of its customers by addressing any issue they may have both promptly and with the utmost courtesy. In the words of one of their customers, "they are very professional and easy to work with."
Sobella House & Home, Kingston
While only in the business of constructing homes in the Kingston area since 2006, Sobella House & Home has already established a strong reputation for taking the time and care to do things right the first time. According to owner, Marten Bos, who learned the art of home building at his father's knee, his company is proud to know that they are raising the standard of homes in their community.
Marten takes the time to get to know his customers and also deals with all their service issues personally - taking calls, making service arrangements, and overseeing trades people to ensure the job is done properly. He then makes a point of following up with homeowners to confirm that their satisfaction level is high.
Terry Waito Homes Inc., Petawawa
For Terry Waito, owner of Terry Waito Homes of Petawawa, making the new home buying experience as stress-free as possible for customers is a top priority. This includes maintaining open lines of communication with homeowners and being personally on-site as much as possible, both during construction and whenever post-construction issues arise.
According to Terry, he gets a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that he is just a phone call away from each and every one of his customers, allowing him to address their questions and concerns immediately. It's an approach that works, for in the words of one of his customers: "We consider Terry to be not just the guy who built our house, but the friend who helped us live in our home."
HIGH-RISE CATEGORY FINALISTS
The Conservatory Group, Toronto
The Conservatory Group has been building high-rise condominiums in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond for several years. The company was started by Ted Libfeld who came to Canada in 1951 with only a few dollars in his pocket, and it is run today by his four sons Sheldon, Jay, Mark and Corey.
On the customer service front, the company's motto is: "Each home should be treated as if it was our own, and each homeowner should be treated as we would want to be treated."
The company works to ensure homeowner satisfaction by maintaining open lines of communication through phone contact, feedback letters and regular on-site visits. In addition, a full time on-site Customer Care Representative® is stationed in the company's condominium buildings where they get to know each purchaser so they are able to understand and address their concerns.
An innovative "Customer Care On-Line Portal" was also recently added to provide homeowners with secure access to information regarding many aspects of their new home - including purchase and sale details, interior design charts and an appointment scheduler for after-sales service.
The Daniels Corporation, Toronto
Over the last two decades, The Daniels Corporation has become a well-known condominium builder in the Greater Toronto Area. Their goal is to provide leadership in the housing industry by creating quality homes for people in all stages of the life cycle - including first-time buyers and seniors looking for either independent or assisted living.
The company has also long been committed to the idea of responsive customer service - a commitment that has paid off well. In fact, one-third of its new homes are sold due to word of mouth referrals. They employ a very basic premise that homeowners should 'love where they live'. That is the corporate mantra and the company's underlying philosophy. Included in the Daniels approach to customer service are ongoing educational seminars for field personnel to encourage them to provide service that exceeds customer expectations.
The company also believes that providing and adhering to scheduled dates for performing service work is essential to homeowner satisfaction.
In recent years, the Daniels Corporation has won Tarion's 2003 Award of Excellence in the High-Rise category, and was a Tarion Finalist in the Large Volume Category in 2004 and 2005, and in the High-Rise Category in 2006 and 2007.
MintoUrban Communities Inc.
Since 1955, Minto Group Inc. has focused on conducting business in an efficient and professional manner while maintaining the values and commitments of a family-owned enterprise. Originally based in Ottawa, the company also operates in Toronto and Florida, and has contributed significantly to the high-rise condominium market in Toronto over the last few years through their Minto Urban Communities division.
Minto's mission is to provide quality residential and commercial accommodations to satisfy the needs of the marketplace and support and enhance the growth and well being of the communities in which they operate. In addition, they have continued to set new standards for buildings that are sustainable and energy-efficient.
Monarch Corporation, Toronto
Monarch Corporation's history is a long one, dating back to its founding in 1917. Over the years the company has become a major player in Toronto's growing high-rise condominium segment.
The delivery of superior customer service for Monarch hinges upon open communication with its customers - based on the premise that "when you talk, we listen." In the words of one of their homeowners, "they addressed every service request, no matter how trivial, with a smile and an excellent attitude." Homeowner communication takes place in a variety of ways: from regular newsletters and an interactive website that allows purchasers to make service requests online, to customer service performance surveys given conducted at the time of occupancy and 90-days later. Monarch uses the information gathered from these surveys to better understand each purchaser as well as to identify service areas where improvements could be made.
Attention to customer needs has resulted in many homeowners now living in their third or fourth Monarch home. It also led to the company's being named a Finalist in the High-Rise category at the 2007 Tarion Awards of Excellence.
Tridel, Toronto
It was back in 1961 that Tridel built its first apartment complex featuring twin towers, 260 suites, a recreational centre and landscaped grounds. That complex was to become one of the forerunners of the luxury condominium development and it started Tridel on the road to success in what has become a highly popular choice for homeowners.
Today Tridel is known for building quality high-rise condominium complexes and for developing innovative programs that help ensure customer satisfaction on a mass scale. The company's belief is that exceptional satisfaction comes from anticipating homeowner needs, rather than just reacting to them. Among the company's customer service innovations is a customized website called "MyTridelHome.com," that allows homeowners access to all their agreements and service records, and provides a round-the-clock tool for reporting any concerns they may have.
Tridel was Tarion's High-Rise Builder of the Year in 2004, 2005, 2007, and a Finalist in 2002, 2003 and 2006.
