Julie Di Lorenzo, the new president of the Greater Toronto Homebuilders Association (GTHBA), reported on a recent tour that Tarion President and CEO Greg Gee gave to Greater Toronto Area (GTA) builders of Tarion’s new Customer Centre in north Toronto.

With reference to the Customer Centre tour, Di Lorenzo points out that Tarion's new Call Centre was one of the most revealing examples of the company's commitment to customer service. Mr. Gee explained how advanced technology had been assembled to ensure homeowners receive prompt and professional service when they call Tarion with their home related questions. “We visited a dozen large call centres when planning ours, and took the best from each to ensure we got it right for Ontario’s new home buyers,” said Mr. Gee.

While he spoke, all eyes were on the electronic display boards where builders could see exactly how many calls had been taken that day (over 800 by late afternoon), the number of callers in the queue, the elapsed waiting time, and other relevant benchmark information.

Di Lorenzo continues her article by stating that the Call Centre and the Customer Centre are part of a larger effort by Tarion to improve the customer service that new homeowners receive. As Mr. Gee pointed out, “[The Customer Centre] symbolizes the new direction that Tarion has taken over the past three years.”

As a convenient, retail venue that focuses on providing its customers with warranty information, the Customer Centre is also hosting an 8-month pilot program of seminars for new home buyers. For more information about these seminars, or to register, Di Lorenzo encourages her readers to visit www.tarion.com or call 1-877-9TARION.

In closing, Di Lorenzo states that Tarion has made great strides over the past few years in improving customer service, establishing warranty guidelines and making the warranty process more efficient.