Impress customers by delivering a memorable experience from design to delivery.
As a custom home builder, you know that first impressions matter, and the secret to success is to stand out from the competition from the outset.
However, meeting with a builder to discuss designs and plans for the family home can be daunting for homeowners. They have a lot to consider, not the least being selecting a builder they trust to deliver their dream home.
The first meeting is all about building rapport – selling their skills and experience, and the process a builder will use to ensure the build will be as seamless as possible for the homeowner. Demonstrating a professional approach to communication is key.
We’ve recently released exciting new features and enhancements to take customer communication in Buildxact to the next level.
One portal for all communication
Consider all the different types of communication a builder has with their customer and the different channels – it quickly adds up. Design suggestions shared via Pinterest, quotes going out via email, signature approvals on PDFs, verbal approvals on change orders over the phone by the wife (although the husband is not across the change). Keeping track of communications and ensuring customers are across all documentation is hard!
Buildxact has solved this problem with a Client Portal.
Customized to the builder’s brand and accessible via the builder’s website (or direct link), builders can present prospective customers with a professional communication tool to provide a better customer experience. With a secure login, builders and their customers can easily collaborate on designs, sharing images and plans, and communicating in one centralized location.
Stand out with branded quotes
Builders can maintain cost visibility, manage customer expectations, and keep track of customer approvals on quotes, invoices, and variations on the go with the Client Portal.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that it’s important to have options – options to visit a customer face-to-face to talk through a quote or the option to send digitally.
Builders can choose to email (synced with Buildxact so the email can be viewed along with job information) or share quotes via the Client Portal so the customer can view all financial documents in one location. With the option to accept quotes digitally, even if builders can’t get out to see the customer, the job can still progress to the contract stage quickly.
There may even be times when the builder shares multiple quotes with the customer. With digital acceptance on the Client Portal, builders can easily identify and convert the approved quote to a job. And to ensure builders stay on top of their margins, notifications highlight any cost differences between the approved quote and the job estimate.
With transparency across the financial side of the build, customers feel comfortable knowing there will be no surprise expenses coming through at the end.
Easy progress updates
Easily keep your customers informed throughout the build by sharing images and messages on the Client Portal. With a record of all communication, the portal removes the potential for he said/she said confusion, shifting the conversation to collaboration and excitement about the build progress instead.
24/7 online access, always
With 24/7 access from any device, exceptional customer service doesn’t end with the build. Customers can access the portal long after the build has finished to reference any aspect of the job. For example, they may need to see the paint colors, or appliance details if additional work in the future.
Technology provides an opportunity for builders to thrive with an unmatched competitive advantage. By offering a professional communication tool, whilst also improving efficiencies, builders can save time, win more jobs, and grow their business.
From design to delivery and beyond, Buildxact helps builders keep their customers informed and satisfied throughout the entire build experience.
Check out this video to find out more about lead management and the client portal
