COLUMN: Local builders net high marks from buyers

Studies are J.D. Power and Associates' business. Since its inception in 1968, the firm has conducted consumer studies in a variety of industries: airlines, auto- motive, cable TV, computers, durables and appliances, fast food, financial services, health care, hotels, real estate, soft- ware and telecommunications.

The first syndicated home builder study was released in November 1997 in Southern California. Since then, the survey has expanded to include the markets in Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Dallas-Fort Worth; Houston; Las Vegas; Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix; and Washington, D.C.

For our purposes, we'll concentrate on the recent customer satisfaction survey in the Las Vegas market.

With the Las Vegas market average at 106 points, Pulte Homes far outstripped the competition with 134 points. Therefore, it's not surprising that even with only a handful of new-home neighborhoods for sale in Southern Nevada during 2000, Pulte was No. 3 in recorded sales with 855.

Placing was Del Webb with a score of 118; its home sales in 2000 were 1,889. Pardee showed with a score of 117 and 2000 home sales of 851.

Coventry (a now-defunct arm of Del Webb) scored 116; Greystone, 113; Centex, 112; Toll Brothers, 111; Astoria, 110; and John Laing, 108. Tied at 107 were American West, Perma-Bilt and Signature.

The survey found there were nine factors driving overall satisfaction with a home builder and the percentage that each factor weighed as most important in a buyer's mind:

Builder's customer service, 23 percent; home readiness, 18 percent; builder's sales staff, 16 percent; quality of work- manship and materials, 14 percent; price and value, 10 percent; design elements, 7 percent; design center, 5 per- cent; recreational facilities, 4 percent; location, 3 percent.

Paula Sonkin, senior dir- ector of real estate industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates, said Las Vegas home builders achieved the second highest customer satisfaction scores among the 10 markets surveyed.

She said the study emphasized the nationwide trend toward preferring great customer service over price points or location.

"Customers want new homes of the highest quality and they want them built on time. Historically, quality of workmanship and materials has been the most important factor driving overall satisfaction among new-home buyers," Sonkin said. "However, our 2001 study results show consumers expect a high-quality product from the start, so they don't have to disrupt their busy schedules to address problems that may arise once they're living in their new home."

Once upon a time in the valley, a builder bragged about his customer service being a guy in a pickup truck with a hammer and a shovel. That builder has left Southern Nevada and his antiquated concepts of customer service have gone with him.

Pulte, Del Webb and Pardee are three companies noted for their great customer service. Home buyers know that if they have a problem, the customer service department of each company will go out of its way to fix it.

"Pulte Homes takes customer service very seriously," Joe Whatley, vice president of sales for Pulte Homes Nevada, said about the honor. "All of us at Pulte Homes take pride in the fact that customer service is emphasized at all levels."

Whatley said the company's commitment to owner satis- faction is the cornerstone on which its reputation is built.

Carmel Hopkins, Real Estate Product Manager for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun, can be reached at 380-4574. Her e-mail address is Carmel_Hopkins@ lasvegasnewspapers.com. Snail mail is P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.

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