Software for Home Builders and Condo Builders

H.O.M.E.S. Customer Service System

 

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After-Sales Warranty Service System for Home Builders & Condo Developers

Introduction
 

H.O.M.E.S. Customer Service System is an optional (fully integrated or stand-alone) component of H.O.M.E.S. home builders’ project management software, designed to automate and organize after-sales warranty service issues and solutions. The system is useful for performing pre-delivery inspections, generating and tracking work orders, revising customer profiles, and maintaining a history of all details pertaining to after-sales service/warranty matters.

 

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The principle of the system is to continue the level of efficiency imparted in the main H.O.M.E.S. system into your customer service department, by helping to eliminate errors and omissions in the administration of repairs and warranty claim issues. In addition to maintaining a complete history for each Lot/Unit, the Customer Service system also retains a complete dated log of all transactions with each contractor, which is useful for interpreting trends.

 
Key Features and Benefits
 
  • Fully integrated with the H.O.M.E.S. system to eliminate double-entry, or available as a stand-alone product.
  • Powerful deficiency and work order management...keeps your customer service staff and trades up-to-date and in-the-loop!
  • Helps to ensure no service/repair issues are left unattended causing undesirable warranty claim compensation.
  • Generates, prints and tracks the status of service work orders at head office and/or site office(s) with or without Internet access.
  • Maintains a full history of all customer service transactions and communications by lot/unit, trade, contractor etc. (Log all phone calls etc for later analysis.)
  • Electronic Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) Software System:
    • PDI software the way it should be! Convenient, quick and easy to use.

    • Perform pre-delivery inspections electronically with or without Internet access. If Internet access is available and reliable, you can do inspections in real-time, or when used off-line, after the inspection you can synchronize data quickly and conveniently with head office by connecting securely from anywhere with Internet access. Of course, you can also synchronize by connecting to the head office network locally.

    • Your inspection representative has complete access to all construction related information normally found in the Customer Service module, (Purchaser info, upgrades/extras, colour chart etc,) even when inspections are done off-line!

    • Perform inspections without having to use a keyboard to type text using a touch-screen tablet tablet or notebook/laptop device. Deficiency descriptions can be entered quickly and easily using handwriting recognition, speech to text, on-screen keyboard or by clicking/tapping on commonly used words and phrases with a tablet stylus. Checklist items may be associated with a specific room to refine the list of common words for quick selection.

    • Use your familiar customized PDI checklist. It may be as simple or detailed as you like with quick and easy setup.

    • Easily Photograph deficiencies that are attached automatically (even when working off-line) to optionally print on the inspection form and/or work order(s) so there's no confusion.) Images are resized automatically and you can use any camera app with your webcam. Just point your tablet and shoot. You can even edit the images to highlight the problem for the trades.

    • Optionally pre-define by checklist item which trade(s) should receive a work order by default, and easily edit the list during or after the inspection. (A “PDI Deficiencies by Lot/Unit” report is provided to easily emphasize what trades are assigned, and which deficiencies are missing trade assignments.)

    • Optionally print your customized PDI Form/Report on-site ready for signing using a portable or wireless printer. (The report template may be customized using Microsoft Word®.) A different template may be assigned for each inspection checklist.

    • Collect signatures electronically right on the touch-screen tablet and email the completed signed inspection form to the purchaser(s) using a customized email message when Internet access is available.

    • e-Signing! Compatible with several e-signature service providers with automatic signature tag insertion to more easily send for e-signatures using the same document templates used for in-person signing. (Subscription to 3rd party e-signature service required.)

    • Inspection start and completion times can be recorded just by clicking to automatically track the duration of the inspection.

    • Automatically generate and distribute work orders for PDI deficiencies from completed inspections, grouping deficiencies for the same contractor and lot/unit on one work order to reduce paperwork and clutter while still allowing individual deficiency status/completion and due date tracking! Work orders are automatically converted to PDF files and emailed to contractors in one step!

    • Run multiple simultaneous pre-delivery inspections for the same project with or without Internet access.

    • Click here for more info and screen snapshots of the PDI system.

  • Create your own inspection checklists/deficiency lists in seconds that work just like the PDI checklist to record deficiencies, print custom reports and automatically generate and distribute work  orders. (e.g. "Construction" or "Pre-PDI", "30 Day", "Initial", "Mid-Year", "1 Year", "2 Year", "Tech Audit" etc.)
  • Optionally carries forward outstanding deficiencies in batches from one checklist origin to another. (e.g. carries forward  outstanding PDI deficiencies to the 30 day/Initial list, and optionally assigns new warranty program (or internal policy) deadline date.)
  • Imports deficiencies directly from TARION's Builderlink® website for any applicable deficiency category, (Ontario, Canada projects)
  • Work orders may contain unlimited number of deficiencies, each with its own completion status, contractor due date and optional warranty program (or internal policy) deadline date.
  • Include photographs of deficiencies right on the work order! (optional)
  • Emails work orders to contractors automatically or manually. Works independent of your email client program. Work orders for the same contractor are automatically converted to PDF format and grouped together attached to a single email. Use template(s) to customize the email message and subject including a list of attached work order numbers for confirmation. You can use an individual or shared email address to send work orders, and even send a copy to one or more individual or shared BCC (blind carbon copy) email addresses for record keeping/distribution tracking.  (Can include web-based shared email accounts.) PDF conversion requires MS-Word® 2007 or later, or 3rd party PDF print driver.
  • Define Custom User Alerts to automatically warn when due dates or deadline dates are nearing, when insurance or safety certificates will expire soon, or anything else that can be defined as a query and you would like to be warned about.
  • Create Custom Reports and Export Data via MS-Excel®. The Custom Queries feature provides convenient and easy tools to create your own Custom Reports, User Alerts or Data Exports. Database tables and fields are exposed to permit you to define your own custom queries that can be exported to Excel and even automatically formatted as custom reports.
  • Alerts you if contractor(s) have not acknowledged receipt of work orders within your preferred time period.
  • Automatic email reminders to trades with incomplete work order deficiencies whose due dates are nearing. Fully customizable deficiency reminder letters are automatically generated and attached to customizable emails as a batch process, fully automated based on your preferences. (May also be printed as a batch process, and used to print/email other mail merge documents to contractors as a batch process.)
  • Tracks and reports distribution of work orders.
  • Cancel or reinstate either entire work orders or individual deficiencies quickly and easily.
  • Repair Completion Letters can be emailed or printed as a batch process to inform purchasers which repairs have been completed, and when their repair warranties expire. Use customizable templates for the letter and the email message, and you can even be automatically alerted when repair notification letters are due to be sent to purchasers.
  • Flag all deficiencies on a work order as completed with one click.
  • Easily duplicate the contents of any work order onto a new work order. (Convenient for contractor reassignment etc.)
  • Powerful customizable reports available on-screen & printed:
    • Aged Work Orders - Categorizes work orders by age with user-definable ageing periods.
    • Appointments by Contractor
    • Contractor Efficiency - Analyses and categorized completed work orders for contractors by time required to complete the work.
    • PDI Deficiencies by Lot/Unit
    • Service Log History - Automatic tracking of all work order issuance and status changes, plus manual entries to track all customer and contractor communications and maintain a complete history by lot/unit and trade/contractor.
    • Service Status Summary by Contractor
    • Service Status Summary by Lot/Unit
    • Work Orders by Lot/Unit
    • Work Orders by Trade
    • User Alerts to automatically warn when important conditions arise, such as due dates or deadline dates nearing.
    • Contractor List, Trade List, PDI Checklist Report etc.
  • Keeps your customer service staff informed with all pertinent non-financial lot/unit/customer information, including customer profiles, what upgrades & extras were installed, what colour chart choices/finishes were made (integrated edition) and any other supplemental attachments such as floor plans, photographs of deficiencies etc.
  • Fully integrated with Microsoft Word® (templates for work orders and PDI form can be easily customized.)
  • Define your own warranty statuses, work order statuses and deficiency origin categories and use them to filter reports!
  • Email reports with the click of a button.
  • Manages multiple projects simultaneously.
  • View and edit floor plans, images and other attachments, even during an off-line pre-delivery inspection!
  • Multi-user/multi-tasking/network ready.
  • Multiple lots/units, reports etc may be loaded and viewed simultaneously side-by-side.
  • Easy to use intuitive interface even for novice computer users.
  • Built in pop-up context sensitive Help Manual for new users.
  • Quickly pays for itself by reducing costs and raising efficiency.
  • Priced affordably even for small builders!
 
Sample Reports
 

Testimonials:

“I love the way everything is at our fingertips. I could never go back to our old system.”

Abby Longlade, Summit View Homes

 

"We haven’t had a single hiccup for any unit since installing…I would recommend HOMES until I turned blue in the face!"

Sam DiSanto, Molinaro Group

 

“This system is fantastic. I love the new features.”

Robert Falus, Lorbeth Properties

 

“We are very happy. We like that a lot of attention was paid to details when the system was developed, and the support is excellent.”

Adam Belsky, Capital Homes

(Click to view sample reports)

 
 
Pricing / Evaluation:
 
Click here for information regarding pricing, live demonstrations or evaluation copies.
 
System Requirements:
 
The system requirements for running H.O.M.E.S. are minimal especially for remote sales or construction site office clients (or local head office clients) using Remote Desktop to connect to head office, because H.O.M.E.S. does not have to be installed on the remote client computers.

Administration is also minimal even if clients are not using remote desktop at head office because typically upgrades are only necessary on the main file server. (We are happy to perform upgrades for you if temporary remote access is granted.)

Click here for specific detailed system requirements for various H.O.M.E.S. implementations including on servers.

 
Conclusion
 

The H.O.M.E.S. Customer Service System is the ideal addition to ensure your after-sales service department maintains the same level of efficiency as your other departments enjoy using the main H.O.M.E.S. system. It will help you to reduce the work-load, raise efficiency and profits, and increase customer satisfaction!

More questions? Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to questions commonly asked of our sales and technical support departments.

Have we left anything out? You bet!

To receive more information, a demonstration or an evaluation copy of H.O.M.E.S. call Falcon Software at (705) 652-1999, or e-mail to: Sales/General Information

  Got Questions? Contact us!
 
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