This article on “What is the most important department in a home builder’s company” inspires the following rant. While the article is about large companies, there is a lot in it that is relevant for those of us out there with our boots in the mud:

Need a topic for your next executive meeting? Wait until the meeting starts and ask, “What’s the most important department in home building?” You’ll usually hear a comment, “We’re sales. We’re the most important. We need a contract to begin the process.” The construction manager will add, “It’s production. Without someone to build the house, we don’t have anything to sell.” The accounting manager will say, “None of you know what we spend to build our homes; without accurate numbers we would go out of business.” …

My next question, “How many know the name of the warranty person who did your service work?” Four of the five knew his name. …

The biggest mistake most home builders make when staffing their warranty department is that the warranty department is treated as the training ground for production teams. Your warranty technicians should be your most senior and seasoned field staff. It should be a badge of honor to join the warranty department. It is your warranty team that is the last contact point with your customers.

One of the things that has worked for me Every. Single. Job. Is that I approach remodeling as customer service. I try to bring my customers’ dreams to life, to code—even if I’m skeptical, as in this deck-pergola build video. My job in client meetings is not to be the smartest guy in the room and to shout down prospective clients with confusing detail or technical whobee-whatee. It’s to aid them in getting what they want properly built.

I’ve found that people remember the first and last of things. No matter how sideways things get in the middle, if you can make your customers happy, you win.

Only by developing an efficient warranty department can you be sure your last contact is the one you want your customers to relay to their friends.