'It's Included' Goes A Long Way

This article first appeared in the PB November 2007 issue of Pro Builder.

Sidebars:
Meridian Homes

Meridian Homes' "It's included" philosophy has gone a long way toward ensuring happy customers. Items that would normally be upgrades such as custom cabinetry, architectural shingles, fiberglass front doors and pre-installed security systems come with the base price.

Meridian's quality assurance manager checks each house after construction to make sure it's ready to show, sell or close, enabling the builder to uncover problems before they become issues for the customer, says Joel Gregory, vice president of sales and marketing.

The builder surveys customers 30 to 60 days after move-in and sometimes after one year as well. "We find out what they see and feel; how they felt they were treated; and what they think their home is like," Gregory says.

Meridian keeps warranty calls to a minimum by doing everything possible to deliver houses that are 100 percent complete — no punch list items. If something does need to be fixed, warranty-service technicians handle the small jobs and call in trade contractors for bigger repairs. Homeowners get a response within 24 hours and often have their problems resolved the next day.