Annual survey shows record approval levels despite downturn. The results of HBF’s annual customer satisfaction survey, released today, show record levels of customer satisfaction that match or exceed those in other industries or sectors. Results show that: Nearly 9 out of 10 buyers (88%) very or fairly satisfied with the overall quality of their new home (up from 77% on previous survey) Nearly 9 out of 10 buyers (88%) would recommend their builder to a friend (up from 76% on previous survey) This is despite the results covering a period during which home buyers and house builders were struggling with the worst housing downturn for 80 years. All the results in this year’s survey, that will be launched today at HBF’s Annual Lunch, show a leap up from last year – a testament to the industry’s commitment to deliver the high quality product and service that today’s demanding home buyers expect. Despite regular, unfounded criticism from industry detractors, the latest survey results confirm once again that home builders are committed to quality and echo results from a number of independent surveys*.They show that the vast majority of new home buyers are satisfied with the quality of their home and the service provided by their home builder. Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman at HBF, said today; “These results are truly outstanding and a testament to the efforts made by our industry to deliver ever increasing satisfaction levels to new home buyers. Raising customer satisfaction levels in a home building company, where each house or apartment is effectively a bespoke product, built on location, requires commitment from everyone in the process, from senior management through to site sales and construction staff and subcontractors. These results are a credit to our industry in what has been the most difficult period many can remember.” Baseley continued: “All the evidence we now have demonstrates categorically that as an industry we are delivering in the overwhelming majority of cases the type of product our customers want, in a manner with which they are satisfied.” Imtiaz Farookhi, Chief Executive of NHBC, the organisation that collects and compiles the results on behalf of HBF, and is involved in work on increasing customer satisfaction, said today: “As a consumer protection body, we are of course delighted that customer satisfaction has risen in the midst of the most savage downturn the industry has seen in post-war years. “Clearly the challenge for the industry is now to maintain and build on this level of performance as we move into more stable economic conditions. “The new Consumer Code for Homebuilders, along with continued publication of these data, should ensure that the profile of customer satisfaction in company board rooms remains a top priority.” *See notes to editors no 4 Download Customer Satisfaction Survery 2010 For media enquiries, or to arrange an interview, please contact Steve Turner on 020 7960 1606 / 07919 307 760 or steve.turner@hbf.co.uk Notes to Editors: 1. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal representative body for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for some 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk 2. HBF’s national survey of new home buyers was launched in 2005 in response to one of the recommendations of the Barker Review of Housing Supply (2004).This report presents results from HBF’s fifth Customer Satisfaction Survey, covering the 12 months October 2008 to September 2009 3. The HBF National New Home Customer Satisfaction Survey is a continuous self-completion postal census of the new home purchasers of 15 home builders building more than 500 units per year. Based on NHBC registration records, the participating companies account for 45% of all private newly built homes. NHBC collects and compiles the results on behalf of HBF. 4. A survey by CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) in 2006 found 91% of new home buyers were satisfied (49% very satisfied) with their home (5% dissatisfied) . An OFT (Office of Fair Trading) survey of new home buyers in 2008 found 80% would be very or fairly likely to buy a new home again, with 70% saying they would be likely to buy from the same home builder again.
