NDI’s Service Model

At NDI, we’ve raised the bar on delivering superior service. It isn’t enough to do what’s expected. We need to do the unexpected.

Superior service means anticipating needs. It’s about being pro-active. It’s telling someone what they need before they need it. It’s eliminating the element of surprise. Because when you build a custom home (it doesn’t matter who you choose), there will be surprises. And there will be the unexpected.

But it’s also about building relationships. It’s serving the client throughout the process and even after they move into their new home.

So why this focus on service?

Goal #1 – Improve The Client Experience

I think most people who have never built a new home assume it’s going to be a hassle. They assume it will take longer than they are told and cost more than they expect. We want to continue to flip that perception on it’s head. But it’s not just about getting clients moved into their new home on time and within budget. It’s also about cultivating a relationship with them. It’s about serving them in a way that they feel cared for. And considered.

This has been a shift in culture for us. Not because we weren’t client focused before. But because we stopped looking at our clients as a collective group. Instead, we recognize them as individuals with individual needs. It becomes less about our function and more about our purpose.

Goal #2 – Improve The NDI Team Experience

Our team is passionate about what we do. We take building homes personally and we want that reflected not only in the homes we build but also in the experience for our client. Our function is building our beautiful homes but our purpose is building these homes on the cornerstones of quality, service and value. And the most important part of our purpose is our client.

This is one of our favorite quotes…

“The customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. We are not doing a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.” -Mahatma Gandhi

For our team, it’s about striving for excellence in everything we do. We hope this culture shift will encourage our team by empowering them to make decisions and to say “YES” to our clients at every opportunity.

Goal #3 – Legacy

One of the reasons I started to work for NDI was to carry on the legacy Dad started. The legacy of providing a custom home solution for families who didn’t think it was possible. We’ve gotten pretty darn awesome at building homes. Our process isn’t perfect but it’s close to perfect which is a testament to our team and to all of the subcontractors and suppliers who support us. And it has produced satisfied clients year after year.

But we don’t want just satisfied clients. We want loyal clients.  We want NDI to be the only builder our clients recommend. And there is no greater demonstration of our quality, value and service than the fact that nearly 50% of our clients each year are either a repeat client or a referral.

50%!!!!

It is FUEL for our purpose to be validated in this way. By our clients. By our friends. Over the years we have cultivated a community of NDI homeowners and clients who have become part of our family. They believe in us. They recommend us. They like us.

Which is good because we live where we work. We see clients around town doing everyday things all the time. And I love it. Even on my morning jogs. No kidding! I ran into a 6-time client on the trail last week. We stopped (I was grateful for the break) and chatted, and he got a sweaty hug from me.

So don’t be surprised if you hear me talk about our service. It isn’t because I’m trying to sell you or convince you to build with NDI. It’s because we have something special. Something different.

And I’m proud of that.

Dream Big. Build Smart.