(Toronto, ON, September 21, 2006) – A stellar group of Ontario’s new home builders took to the stage at last night’s 2006 Tarion Awards of Excellence in Toronto to receive recognition for their outstanding attention to customer service. Top honours went to Great Gulf Homes and Tribute Communities of Toronto, Rinaldi Homes of St. Catharines, as well as Waterloo-area builder Krepstakies Custom Home Building.
“The Tarion Awards of Excellence recognize builders from across Ontario who are leaders in making the new home buying experience the very best it can be,” said Greg Gee, President and CEO of Tarion Warranty Corporation.
The Tarion Awards of Excellence, now in their 16th year, are the only home builder awards in Ontario that focus exclusively on customer service performance. Awards are given in four key categories: High-Rise Builder of the Year, and Large Volume, Medium Volume, and Small Volume Builder of the Year.
“An increasing number of home builders today understand the critical role that customer service plays in their overall business success, and the competition to win a Tarion Award of Excellence has intensified,” said Mr. Gee. “We have seen considerable improvement over the last few years in terms of customer satisfaction, as builders aim to stay ahead of rising consumer expectations. This year’s competitors are true industry leaders in the area of customer service.”
New home builders must meet a set of stringent criteria related to their customer service record with Tarion in order to compete for these Awards. Once builders qualify, the awards process is managed by Decima Research of Toronto. Seventy percent of each builder’s score is based on random customer surveys—almost 2,000 homeowners were surveyed for this year’s awards. In addition, builders must provide their customer service philosophy and policies to Decima, and each builder’s approach to customer service is evaluated for the remaining 30 percent of the total score.
2006 Ontario Builder of the Year Winners
High-Rise Category: Great Gulf Homes of Toronto, Ontario
Since 1975, Great Gulf Homes has grown from a well-known regional home builder into an international, fully integrated group of companies. One reason for the company’s long-term success is its people-oriented corporate philosophy which focuses on approachability and accountability. In keeping with this philosophy, key staff positions that focus entirely on meeting customer needs have been created and each community built by Great Gulf has its own team of supervisors, warranty representatives and fast-response service technicians.
Large Volume Category: Tribute Communities of Toronto, Ontario
In its 20 years of operation, Tribute has built over 20,000 homes in dozens of communities across southern Ontario – from Kitchener-Waterloo in the west, to Newmarket in the north, and Clarington in the east. To address customer needs, the company has an innovative ‘Total Service Policy’ which includes a 24-hour instant service response when homeowners call with a problem. Tribute also has a ‘Framing Walkthrough Tour’ that provides an opportunity for customers to see and ask questions about their new home long before its final completion. Tribute Communities was the Tarion Award of Excellence winner in the Large Volume Category in 2005.
Medium Volume Category: Rinaldi Homes of St. Catharines, Ontario
Fostering open communication with homeowners is a hallmark of St. Catharines-based Rinaldi Homes which was founded in 1953 by Osvaldo Rinaldi, a furniture maker from Italy. Today the company is run by Mr. Rinaldi’s sons Jerry and Frank who believe in a hands-on approach to everything from design, through construction and after-sales service. This philosophy gives them the flexibility and versatility to respond quickly to the needs of their homeowners.
Small Volume Category: Krepstakies Custom Home Building of Waterloo
Region, Ontario Robert Krepstakies runs this company which was founded by his father Hans in 1972. Mr. Krepstakies takes pride in building each home as if it were his own. This means placing heavy emphasis on customer satisfaction, being on-site every day to personally oversee all aspects of construction, and working with every customer from the initial contact and planning stage through all phases of construction, including after-sales service, if and when it is needed.
About Tarion
Tarion Warranty Corporation is a private corporation established in 1976 to serve as the Regulator of the home building industry in Ontario. In this role, Tarion licenses all home and condominium builders pursuant to provincial legislation. This statute requires home builders to provide purchasers with warranty coverage that is guaranteed by Tarion. The Corporation also establishes minimum time standards for after-sales service, and adjudicates issues between homeowners and builders. Over 1.45 million homes in Ontario have been protected under warranty by Tarion.
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For more information, please contact:
Janice Wong
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Tarion Warranty Corporation
Phone: 416-229-3863
Email: janice.wong@tarion.com
