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Posted by: TerryGrillo ® 08/22/2008, 12:56:25 Author Profile Edit |
Thanks for creating this website. Great job! We would appreciate it if you would consider taking a softer approach with the contractors. Many of us understand that we have been in an emergency mode due to Tropical Storm Fay, and we perhaps we need to give the contractors an opportunity to do their utmost to help us, before we escalate issues. The current approach may produce poor results. Read this article to see why coaches believe "honey" gets better results than "vinegar." http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2005-02-20-brown-advice_x.htm It would be wise to communicate with all contractors in a more effective way. Please consider this.
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Posted by: ki106001 ® 08/22/2008, 13:26:24 Author Profile Edit |
So far all of the contractors seem very sincere. The problem is Toll Brothers. They dont check work after it is completed.
Mike seems to have too much on his shoulders and Fred just dosent seem to care. We have tried the nice approach with Toll and it dosen't seem to work. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the oil. |
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Posted by: TerryGrillo ® 08/23/2008, 14:59:55 Author Profile Edit |
Too bad this forum was not in place, before the escalation letter to Toll Brothers. we would aprreciate it ifyou could check with the rest of us prior to including us in any collective communications to Toll Brothers and any other contractors. Thanks! Just a few unsolicited words about successful escalation procedures...In the computer software industry, we had success when we took a deliberate approach when escalating open issues. Usually within the escalation request, we first thanked the upper management for the numerous efforts of the specific individuals assigned to resolve the issue (here is the honey), then we expressed dissatisfaction about the unresolved issues. If it turned out that many people wanted to escalate an unresolved issue, we usually asked them to sign the letter. Then we specified the exact unresolved complaints, specified the amount of time the issues had been open and requested closure by a certain date. We could expect tangible results in a given time period when we processed the escalations this way. If we didn't get tangible results after the given time, we would escalate it further.These are just some soft suggestions. I am probably preaching to the choir. Good luck with these open matters. We really hope for the best for you. Best regards!
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Posted by: Ronda Witt ® 08/25/2008, 08:28:00 Author Profile Edit |
I hope that all of you that had problems due to Fay are finding that they are being resolved to your satisfaction.It was a most distressing time for all of us. As to the escalation email that I sent to TB, I'd like to offer this bit of elucidation.I received reports from at least 12 residents that they had water leaking into their homes as a result of Fay due to TB construction issues.Rains were predicted for the next several days as well.Some emails to me were mentioning that residents were considering contacting the local television channels,understandable under the circumstances ,but in the end possibly damaging to the whole community.Additionally, many residents emailed me that TB had attempted to fix their problems repeatedly to no avail. They has lost faith in TB all together. We all know that in our heat and humidity, any water problems can quickly turn into mold and mildew issues, a serious consequence that could permananetly go on the record when trying to sell your home.Immediate action was necessary to reduce this risk. We are all aware that TB has significantly reduced their on site staff due to slow sales and ongoing high operation costs.I thought it would be helpful to alert TB as to what was going on here in the hopes of getting their attention and help ASAP. Our TBRC found in our last meeting that a firm approach produces the best results. It was this approach that convinced TB to honor our request that a letter be sent out to every homeowner that was affected by the an inadequate Jacuzzi access panel.(Their original suggestion was that if a resident asked them, they would fix the problem. We responded that most residents didn't even know there was a problem) They have been diligent in following this through and my glowing thank you letter to TB in is the booklet in the FL sales office. I spoke with Mike Donnelly for almost an hour.I explained that my involvement was to facilitate better communication between both FL residents and TB. He believed that they had received all requests from homeowners. I let him know that they had not.I told him that I was looking for reassurance for our residents that TB would "be there" for them.
I signed my letter to TB in my name as a member of the committee.I did not indicate that this came from the entire community. Many residents thanked me for doing this and appreciated my efforts to get TB immediately involved.Some are still unaware of what issues they might face as they are currently out of town.My sincerest hope is that all issues are resolved in the most positive of ways.
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Posted by: ki106001 ® 08/25/2008, 20:09:17 Author Profile Edit |
Rhonda, I would like to thank you for all you have done to help us, especially calling Mike Donnelly. I'm suprised you were able to even speak with him. We have hired a custom home builder to (babysit) toll while they fix our issues to make sure they are fixed accurately. We are paying this out of our own pocket. We also found out that there is a clause in our contract called an "arbritation clause". (Read it and weep) Also go to Toll Brothers arbritation on the internet and go to the first link its interesting. |
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Posted by: Ronda Witt ® 08/26/2008, 08:28:41 Author Profile Edit |
It's a shame that you must resolve your issues at additional expense. Let's hope this insures that the job is completed to your satisfaction at last.I will check out the website you mentioned. Others may wish to do internet research on their own specific problems as well. I understand that some lawsuits were successfully filed in the past and TB was required to make repairs in certain situations. |
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