The November 2004 Builder Update meetings, which took place in three locations within the GTA (Markham, Thornhill, and Burlington), provided Tarion President and CEO Greg Gee and his staff the opportunity to showcase the latest service improvements that Tarion is making for its two core customer groups: Ontario’s builders and new home buyers.
At each of these meetings, Mr. Gee provided a detailed presentation that focused on six specific areas where Tarion is implementing new initiatives to improve its customer service delivery:
- The New Builder Relations Group
- Licensing & Underwriting
- Educational Seminars for Consumers
- The New Claims Department
- Customer Service Standard
A key highlight included Mr. Gee’s presentation of the positive results that the Customer Service Standard is having on the levels of customer service provided by builders across Ontario. Introduced just over a year ago by Tarion, the Customer Service Standard requires that builders provide new home buyers with detailed warranty information and meet specified timelines for warranty service requests.
To measure its impact, consumer data collected in 2002 was compared to consumer data collected in 2004. The comparison revealed that builders have actively responded to the requirements of the Customer Service Standard, which is improving their level of customer service. Another benefit is that in 2004, consumers said that they had an increased understanding of their new home coverage and the warranty service process.
Following Mr. Gee’s remarks, attendees were invited to visit staffed kiosks that provided more information about each of the areas outlined above. This provided an excellent opportunity for builders to have their questions answered, learn more about our upcoming initiatives, and meet new senior staff such as Bob Jewett, the new Vice President, Claims, and Mike Coté, the new Vice President of the Builder Relations department.
We’d like to thank all the builders who joined us for taking time out of their busy schedule to learn about the recent enhancements at Tarion.
If you weren’t able to attend, and you have a question or concern, please contact Janice Coburn at (416) 229-9200 in the new Builder Relations Department.
