Buying and building a home involves a lot more than just bricks and mortar (or stucco or stone in some cases!). The customer service you receive throughout and even after the home is built is an important part of the experience too. Partners in Building has created a culture of service in their organization where every department is focused on serving the customer and making what they do contribute to your overall satisfaction. That way, every part of your home buying experience matches the quality of the homes that they build. This month Peggy spent some time talking with Tom Rabalais, Vice President of Design. Among other things, his department works to make sure you get the most distinctive home possible. “We want to try to do something different from what everyone else is doing so your house is truly distinguished and uniquely yours,” he emphasized. One of the things Tom does to make this happen is to observe what other builders around the country are doing and then discover things Partners in Building can do to be different and better. In fact, he mentioned that he often finds that the competition has copied Partners in Building on some of their innovations! Design details like having two bedrooms or the game room downstairs, turrets on houses, mirrored dressing areas and secret rooms are just a few of the things Partners in Building were some of the first to do, and were quickly copied by other builders. This means that Tom then has the challenge of coming up with something even more distinctive and different for future home designs. Constantly surveying area managers about what their buyers are looking for is another way Tom stays on top of things. He takes the information he receives and funnels it into the designs he creates and tweaks. One of the important aspects of customer service in the plan design department is to go the extra mile to anticipate and avoid possible problems a customer could experience with the product once it’s built. Tom says, “There are a lot of ways to make mistakes in the design of a home and we are very careful to avoid them.” With his many years of experience as a master designer, he is able to ensure that things like the traffic flow of the house, ease of furniture placement, an open feeling and the amount of natural light in the home are just right. Partners in Building is always looking for ways to help you make your home and your experience with them very special, different and tailored to how you want to live in your home—a true custom home that is uniquely yours. If you would like more information on how Peggy Morrow is helping Partners in Building create a culture of service, contact her via her website, http://www.peggymorrow.com.