Augusta Fine Homes Takes Top Honours As Avid Ratings Canada Diamond Award Winner

Calgary, AB – Augusta Fine Homes Calgary has taken home the top AVID Ratings award for providing the best customer service experience in Canada. This is the first time any Qualico Homebuilder has received this honour in their category.

Augusta Fine Homes Calgary was distinguished as the Avid Ratings Canada Diamond Award winner for 2019, within the custom builder category. The prestigious award was announced at the Canadian Home Builders Association National Conference on May 10, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, recognizing the highest ratings in the country.

The award itself is reflective of superior customer satisfaction, from the time of purchase to the end of the first year of possession. Feedback is provided on all aspect of the home building experience, including construction, home design, warranty, and overall level of service.

“We are so proud,” said Mike Plumton, Vice President, Augusta Fine Homes.  “Our team has done an excellent job adapting to this challenging market, and this award is proof of our team’s success in going above and beyond." 

Augusta Fine Homes home in Riversong 

Over the past five years, Calgary’s housing market has been difficult. It is a buyer’s market, and as a result, customers come into the homebuilding process with high expectations.  In response, Augusta Fine Homes has made it a priority to be responsive and ensure excellent communication with trades, employees and of course, the customer.

“We have found it beneficial to meet the client early in the process, during a Home Review Meeting, in order to determine expectations,” said Mike.  “We also set build process expectations with the client, ensuring that nothing comes as a surprise, so that the client is fully educated on the building process.”

Customer service, a Qualico principal of success, is a major focus right from the start. Augusta Fine Homes largely achieves this through solid team work and good communication between staff.  Designers/architects, construction managers, area sales managers and senior estimators all work together to ensure that customers are taken care of every step of the way.

“All members of the team are empowered to answer the most technical questions, as well as offer ideas to help the client produce their dream home,” said Mike.

Avid Survey ratings are collected across participating homebuilders from Canada and the United States. Customers are surveyed at critical points during the building process (pre-start, pre-drywall, move-in, mid-year and year-end) and survey results are then shared with the homebuilder. These results include everything from satisfaction on home features to positive interactions with members across the company, including the construction team, warranty service representatives and the customer experience team.

Augusta Fine Homes home in Ranches of Silverado 

“Our partnership with Avid has been beneficial for Augusta Fine Homes, as it allows us to uncover customer concerns before, during and after construction. By drilling down into the survey results, we are able to make changes to our processes and improve the customer's experience,” said Mike.

At every stage of a build and after every survey, Augusta Fine Homes phones the client to follow up on concerns. When a survey receives a score of five or less out of six, it is flagged for closer review. After each call, notes are added to the survey, including details on customer feedback, as well as information about any steps that might be taken in response to unresolved issues. All departments are able to see the notes, and staff are encouraged to add comments or additional feedback.  

“Augusta Fine Homes is fully involved with the customer throughout the building experience,” said Mike. “Our team knows that the survey results affect everyone, and therefore we have developed strong lines of communication between all staff, including trades, office staff and sales. We truly want the customer to have a good experience.”