The Toronto Star's W.D. Lighthall outlines that in late 2003, Tarion implemented new policies that specify the minimum level of customer service that Ontario builders must provide to their customers.
 
These new policy standards require that builders provide new home buyers with detailed warranty information as well as meet specified timelines for warranty service requests.
 
Since their launch more than a year ago, these policies have benefited Ontario’s new home buyers, according to Greg Gee, President & CEO of Tarion Warranty Corporation.
 
While noting that some builders are still struggling to meet the new standards, Gee remarked that the “customer service changes we’ve initiated are raising the bar for the entire industry. The changes implemented by Tarion have been a good thing for the new-home-buying public.”
 
This view is clearly supported by current research. As Lighthall points out, in 2004 almost all of the initial service requests made by consumers were resolved by the builder before the specified deadline. By addressing customer concerns in this proactive way, Ontario’s builders are definitely raising their level of service.
 
However, there remains some room for improvement. In focus groups held in September of last year, homeowners said that they didn’t always receive the required warranty information prior to the pre-delivery inspection of their new home. They also mentioned that they sometimes felt rushed by the builder while the pre-delivery inspection of their home was being carried out.