TTI Home Team Launch Comes at Critical Time...

Builders Say Their Customer Service Programs Rate 'Fair'...

TTI Does it Again: TTI/Trade Temps Expands...

'Good Help is Hard to Find'...

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TTI Home Team Launch at Western Building Show
Comes at Critical Time for Builders

Homes are selling like hotcakes. Anxious buyers await, with high expectations. Added to the mix are labor shortages, which are creating delays in construction as well as in customer callbacks. Home builders fret about delivering a quality product while also racing to keep up with demand.
While certainly a dilemma, many builders are using this situation as an opportunity to rethink how they deliver customer service. Focusing on that need for solutions is the concept of "third-party" customer service, such as that launched recently by TTI Home Team at the Western Building Show.
As the boom continues, builders are searching for ways to ensure customer satisfaction and provide effective after-sale service, steps they realize are also critical to maintaining their long-term competitive edge. Typically, builders operate in-house customer service departments, which handle the process of delivering the home to the buyer and any follow-up work that is needed. A buyer's warranty experience greatly influences a builder's future referrals.
The concern with customer service programs was also reflected in the results of a recent survey conducted by National Survey Systems of Irvine.
In interviews of leading California builders, respondents rated their customer service programs as "fair," with an average score of 5.5, on a scale of one to ten (one being "poor" and ten being "excellent"). Builders also noted the need to improve in the areas of response time, managing the expectations of buyers, clarifying communications and upgrading training.
"These results are absolutely consistent with our previous research into customer service,"

A buyer's warranty experience greatly influences a builder's future referrals!

says Bob Mirman, president of the survey firm. "Builders want to enhance their homebuyers' experience and are looking for ways to accomplish that goal." The survey results also validate a year-long field-test conducted by TTI Home Team, a division of Orange, Calif.-based Trade Temps Inc. (TTI), a 10-year-old construction-staffing firm, as well as feedback from builder clients. Its experience with supplying specialists to supplement builders' customer service staff led TTI to pursue the third-party idea, according to TTI General Manager, Joe Wiseman.
The need for a third-party customer service program has grown quickly in the last few years as production has greatly accelerated to meet robust market demand. As a result, builders' resources are strained by trying to provide adequate customer service while also pursuing aggressive construction schedules. In fact, a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) listed labor shortages as builders' top concern.
TTI Home Team's concept is designed to address these concerns by offering a single source for all customer-service needs. This relieves the builder of the burden of warranty service while addressing concerns about preserving control of the process and maintaining a positive relationship with buyers.
Working as a partner with the builder, the Home Team assumes the customer service responsibilities for the normal one-year builder warranty period. Well-trained, professional Home Team personnel handle pre walk-through preparation and orientation, and schedule subcontractor call-backs. A 24-hour service request line is provided to insure prompt response.
A key advantage of the Home Team concept is the incorporation of state-of-the-art information technology. Builders have available "anywhere, anytime" accessibility via the Internet of password-protected "Homeowner Status Reports," as well as a comprehensive database which provides early warning of potential problems.
Home Team staff, many with previous experience with building companies, undergo a rigorous recruitment and training program, ensuring reliable, well-trained personnel.
"By bringing us aboard, the builder can concentrate on its core business of building quality homes, while knowing its homebuyers are in good hands," says Wiseman. "And we can generally handle warranty administration for a fraction of the cost of an in-house operation."
With the launch at hand, Wiseman reports growing interest in the Home Team. "Builders are excited about the concept. They can receive the level of customer service they need, when they need it, and pay only for what they need," Wiseman states.
In addition to its corporate office in Orange, TTI Home Team has offices serving the San Francisco Bay area, as well as Los Angeles and San Diego. For additional information, call toll-free (877) 488-4669.

Builders participating in a recent survey rated their customer service programs about average and acknowledged the need for improvement in several important areas, according to National Survey Systems of Irvine. Leading California builders were asked to rate the overall performance of their own customer service programs on a scale of one to ten (one being "poor" and ten being "excellent"). The average rating from respondents was 5.5, or "fair." When questioned further as to which areas needed improvement, builders mentioned most frequently: 1) training all personnel to interact with buyers in a professional manner; 2) clarifying communications and decision-making; 3) timely response, and 4) managing the expectations of the buyer.

	IMPACT ON REFERRALS (1 = low; 5 = high)
	ISSUE	SCORE
	Speed of response to walk-through punch list	4.4
	Speed of responsiveness after move-in	4.2
	The social skills of Customer Service Representative	3.6
	Customer Service representative is knowledgeable	3.5
	Number of items on walk-through punch list	3.1

WISEMAN RECOGNIZED FOR INDUSTRY, COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

For his contributions to the building industry, Wiseman was honored by the Customer Service Builders Council with the "Volunteer of the Year" Award
in 1995. He also served as Vice President of Councils for BIA/SC and was recognized by two BIA/SC presidents, for Leadership on the Executive Board in 1995 and with the "Outstanding Service"
Award in 1996.
Wiseman has also participated in several projects for CSBC on behalf of HomeAid®, the building industry's program for the temporarily homeless."

A decade of innovation in trade outsourcing leads to newest venture: Third-party customer service.

In 1989 Joe Wiseman spotted an unfilled need in the residential construction industry: providing skilled tradespeople to supplement the need of builders in the field, primarily when they are in the process of delivering the home. Need a finish carpenter? No problem. Short a couple of painters to help complete homes prior to a buyer walk-through? They're on their way.
Within just five years of its founding in Orange, Calif., Trade Temps (now TTI) became the premier provider of outsourced skilled tradespeople. TTI opened its first branch in San Diego in 1992, followed in the next five years by offices in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. Wiseman's work in the customer service arena provided a close-up view of the changes taking place in the industry, as homebuyers became more demanding and builders realized the need to upgrade their customer service programs to meet those expectations and also to minimize litigation.
In view of this evolution, TTI sought to establish industry standards by researching new construction methods and products, including a stucco waterproofing system for coating and lathing to help prevent leaks. A leading associate member of the Building Industry Association (BIA) since 1989, Wiseman recognized the opportunity to educate the industry on methods and products that would improve the home building process, and in 1994 co-founded the Customer Service Builders Council (CSBC) of the BIA of Southern California (BIA/SC). He served as president the first two years and was a member of the board of directors for four years.
A key accomplishment during his tenure as president was the promulgation of "Standards for Customer Service," a policy which was subsequently adopted by BIA/SC. He also helped establish the Council's Annual Wage Survey of the customer service industry.
As a force in CSBC, Wiseman also witnessed the challenges as the market heated up in the mid-'90s, increasing the pressure on builders to deliver homes and also provide ever-higher standards of warranty service (a non-revenue producer). The breadth and depth of his experience gave Wiseman a unique perspective of this growing dilemma, and led him to a potential solution: the concept of third-party customer service. Wiseman then formed TTI Home Team, a division of TTI, which would build on the extensive existing staff of service personnel to take over a builder's warranty service administration, and at a substantial savings over an in-house operation.
In 1997 Wiseman began field-testing the concept with various California builders, as well as with one in Chicago. Feedback from clients, such as Ryland Homes and Bayside Construction, further validated his initial assumptions, confirming that the time was indeed ripe for such a service. Today, TTI Home Team is poised to partner with home builders to meet the challenges of a far more demanding business in the next century.

Builders turn to TTI Home Team to handle their customer service.

In today's booming housing market, trying to keep pace with the tremendous demand to build and deliver new homes is putting a serious strain on their labor capabilities, particularly in the area of after-sale service.
Recognizing the importance of an effective customer service program to a builder's future referrals, TTI Home Team, one of the first providers of third-party customer service, is dedicated to relieving the builder of the warranty service burden, freeing their resources to focus on their core business of building quality homes. The key to its ability to meet the builders' needs is the Home Team's cadre of highly skilled, professional customer service representatives, many of whom have previously worked for builders.
Developed and refined over the last 10 years, TTI Home Team utilizes its proprietary "10-point Recruitment and Orientation Process" to ensure the recruiting of highly qualified and motivated employees. Acknowledging that a firm's own employees are often the best source for new hires, TTI Home Team maintains an incentive bonus program. Prospective employees must undergo drug-testing, and complete a screening questionnaire and three-step interview process, rigorous trade-skill and knowledge testing, and new-employee orientation process, including education in the builder's own customer service culture.
According to Joe Wiseman, general manager of TTI, the quality of his employees is continually validated by the fact that builders often hire away his best people. "Our mission is to be the premier source for builder customer service," Wiseman says, "and to accomplish that, we must demand only the best of ourselves and our staff. We're proud that our recruitment and training process leads to the caliber of employees that builders value," he says. "Customer service is our only business, and we strive for excellence in every aspect." "And that is why builders can have confidence in TTI Home Team," Wiseman concludes, "because we make them look good."