J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Dolce Vita Homes Achieves Builder of Excellence Distinction in the Edmonton Single-Family Home Market

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., March 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Dolce Vita Homes has been recognized as a J.D. Power Builder of Excellence for providing outstanding service and high customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Alberta Single-Family New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

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The study measures new homebuyer satisfaction throughout the new-home purchase and early ownership experiences among builders in Alberta and is conducted in association with the Professional Home Builders Institute of Alberta. Customer satisfaction is measured across eight factors: builder's service/warranty staff; builder's sales process/staff; home readiness; construction site/team; workmanship/materials; price/value; physical design elements; and design centre/decor centre.

Dolce Vita Homes has been recognized as a J.D. Power Builder of Excellence in the Edmonton region. To achieve this distinction, a homebuilder must perform within the top 20 percent of customer satisfaction scores, which are based on benchmarks established in J.D. Power and Associates' customer satisfaction research. Compared with the Edmonton regional average, Dolce Vita Homes performs particularly well in builder's service/warranty staff; builder's sales process/staff; construction site/team; and physical design elements.

"Builders that deliver their homes both on-time and right the first time can reap tremendous rewards," said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Their customers are much more satisfied, which boosts perceptions of their brand image. At the same time, their construction, warranty and customer service costs are reduced considerably. It's a win-win for both builders and their customers. In this economic environment, as builders seek to maximize efficiency and profit in the face of downward pricing pressure, even small gains in efficiency can be impactful."

According to Haines, some builders have been able to maintain higher levels of customer satisfaction, particularly in the personal service areas of their businesses. Typically, these companies have a customer-first mentality ingrained in their corporate cultures and prioritize customer care because they recognize its positive effects—both short-term and long-term—on their brand's reputation and ability to differentiate the company from its competitors.

"The Professional Home Builders Institute is proud to be able to offer customer satisfaction surveying to all Alberta new-home builders," says Angela Tripathy, Chief Corporate Officer. "Congratulations to the 2012 Builder of Excellence. Customer satisfaction will set you apart in this industry!"

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, homes and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
John Tews; Troy, Mich.; [phone]; [email protected]

Syvetril Perryman; Westlake Village, Calif.; [phone]; [email protected]

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate

SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates

http://www.jdpower.com

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