Customer Service Charter (Full Version)

Our Full Customer Service Charter

Buying a home is one of the most important financial decisions you are ever likely to make. We understand that and aim to provide you with a quality new home as well as making the buying process as simple as possible for you - all backed up by a good customer service.

Our Customer Service Charter sets out the help we will provide to you throughout your moving process and after you have moved in.

We will:

1. Strive to ensure all our marketing and advertising is clear and truthful, and use clear and fair terms and conditions in our sale contract.
   We also endeavour to ensure all our materials comply with the Property Misdescriptions Act and to follow the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
2. Give you detailed information about the home you are buying and guidance regarding the choices and options available to you.
   When you reserve a new Taylor Wimpey home, we will go through a checklist with you to make sure we have covered all the information you need. For example, we will make sure you have information regarding the specification of your home, type of heating used, the surroundings and any communal areas along with the terms of your reservation. We will tell you what choices and options are available in your new home, and invite you to a meeting to go through them and decide how you would like to personalise your home.
3. Give you your own files showing you all the steps involved in buying a new home, moving in, maintaining your new home, details of warranties and guarantees and our after sales service.
   One easy-to-read guide explains all the steps involved in the process of buying a new home through to when you move in. It includes a handy checklist of things for you to do, with space to write dates against each one, and a list of things to do just before you move in. We will discuss with you what happens after you move in and you will be given details of our Warranty.
   
   The other guide, which you will be given when you move-in gives you hints and tips for running-in and maintaining your new home. You will also receive all the instructions for your appliances, along with any warranties and guarantees for your home. We will also give you a copy of your meter readings for you to check when you get your first utility bills.
4. Invite you to meet with the Site Manager who is responsible for building your home, so you can ask whatever questions you might have.
   This is a great opportunity to meet the person who is responsible for supervising the building your new home. You can ask questions about the type of construction, materials used or anything else you would like to know about the construction of your new home. You will also be given information about the development on which you will be living along with essential Health and Safety advice.
5. Provide you with regular updates on the construction progress of your home, and when it will be ready.
   We will keep in regular contact with you to advise you of the progress in building your new home. As the time for you to move in comes closer we will give you an anticipated moving-in date. An exact moving-in date will be given when our formal 10 working days Notice to Complete is issued.
6. Invite you to visit your new home before you move in so we can show you how everything works.
   When your home is ready, we will invite you to visit so that we can demonstrate all the facilities to you. This will include such things as:
   • How to operate the heating and water systems
   • How to use your kitchen appliances
   • The location of stopcocks, fuse box and meters
   • ‘Running in’ and maintaining your new home
   • What warranties and guaranties you have, and how they operate.
7. Tell you about our 2 year Taylor Wimpey Warranty, along with the NHBC 10 year Warranty.
   Your new Taylor Wimpey home is protected by the 10 year Buildmark cover from NHBC. Buildmark is an insurance policy, which protects you, the homeowner against specific risks for a full 10 years.
   
   You are protected for the full 10 years against serious construction defects. There are limitations to the cover and these are fully explained in the Buildmark Cover document, which you will receive from your Solicitor.
   
   In addition, for the first two years, Taylor Wimpey, together with the NHBC cover you against physical damage to your home should this be caused by a defect, which results from a failure to meet NHBC construction standards. You will be given the Taylor Wimpey Warranty Brochure which explains what is covered, what to do if you have an emergency, and who to contact.
8. Ensure you receive Health and Safety advice when visiting a development, and when you have moved in.
   Your safety is of paramount importance to us. If you wish to visit the construction area of a development, arrangements will be made with the Sales Executive. Where it is safe to do so, we will accompany you and ask you to follow the guidance and safety advice we provide:
   
   
   • Unaccompanied visits to construction areas are not allowed
   • The production areas are clearly denoted by the fencing and warning signs, and should be read carefully
   • We will give you a hard hat, safety vest and boots to wear in construction areas
   We have posters for children explaining that building sites are very dangerous, and are not a playground. We will give you a leaflet when you move in to remind you that where there is on-going building work, all the Health & Safety advice still applies.
9. Arrange for your Site Manager to visit you after you have moved in to make sure you have settled in, and answer any questions you may have.
   Approximately one week after you have moved in your Site Manager will visit you to answer any questions you may have, to make sure you have settled into your new home, and help resolve any problems you may have encountered.
   
   He will also arrange a second visit around four weeks after you moved in, again to address any issues which may have arisen.
   
   After these two visits we would ask that you report any concerns you have to the Customer Service Department.
10. Provide an after sales service including a formal complaints process if you feel you haven’t received the service you should have.
    Although we hope there will be no problems after you have moved into your new home, our commitment to you continues for two years after the sale has been completed. We will give you our Warranty Brochure, which has details of who to contact about any problems you encounter and what to do in an emergency.
    
    To enable us to respond within the timescales shown below, our after sales service procedure is:
    
    • For non-emergency service requests, you should contact your Customer Services department. We aim to respond as soon as we can, normally within two working days.
    • In the unlikely event of an emergency, we provide a 24 hour, 365 day service for a full two years. We aim to respond as soon as possible, usually within two hours, and arrange for an emergency visit where appropriate. Our Warranty Brochure will help you identify what is an Emergency, and what is not.
    • Where spare parts or materials are required this may affect our response times, but we try to solve all problems within 28 days.
    
    Under the terms of the Buildmark Cover, defects will be dealt with, but you remain responsible for wear and tear, decorating and routine maintenance.
    
    If you feel that we have not given you the service you require, then you may wish to view our Complaints Procedure.
    

Download the Customer Service Charter
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Our Customer Service Charter fully acknowledges the requirement of the 2010 Consumer Code. Further details are available at www.consumercodeforhomebuilders.com