Madison, WI - NRS Corporation, Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler Magazines (Reed Business Publications) announce the launch of the National Homeowner Satisfaction (NHS) AwardT. The NHS AwardT is the first industry-sponsored award for exemplary customer satisfaction within the homebuilding and remodeling industries. Eligible building companies must have closed 100 or more homes in 2001, and remodeling companies must have completed at least 25 projects of $2,500 or more. Companies large and small are expected to participate, and NRS estimates it will survey 15 to 20 thousand homeowners across the United States for this, the inaugural year of the award. The winners of the 2002 NHS Award will be published in the September 2002 issues of Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler magazines. The "NHS Award" is the second national award program co-sponsored by NRS and Professional Builder. Both companies have been long-time sponsors of the National Housing Quality (NHQ) Award, an accolade created by the National Association of Home Builders - Research Center in recognition of high standards for housing quality. Unlike the NHQ Award, the NHS Award regards customer satisfaction as the primary meter by which excellence is measured. "Over the years builders and remodelers have become increasingly aware of the impact that customer satisfaction has on their businesses," states Paul Cardis, President/CEO of NRS Corp. "Furthermore, researchers have documented that companies with high customer satisfaction have better financial performance and higher employee/trade partner satisfaction." Heather McCune, Editorial Director for Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler magazines adds, " Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler have as their mission to enhance the performance of the residential construction industry. Sponsoring the National Homeowner Satisfaction Award is an important tool to help us fulfill that mission." "By recognizing those firms that achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and highlighting their operations, we believe we can show all builders and remodelers the way to create organizations dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service. This achievement results in businesses that are more profitable and thus more sustainable." Quality of construction and zero defects is not always enough to please the homebuyer these days. It is common for a builder to score very high in home quality areas, and yet compile an average score for total homebuyer satisfaction. This usually occurs when the construction company has overlooked other areas that affect overall customer satisfaction, areas that might include delivery time of the finished product, warranty service timing, or a lack of courtesy follow-up. More than workmanship and material quality influences customer satisfaction. Many builders and remodelers go to great lengths to make sure their buyers are not merely satisfied, but are thoroughly delighted with their home. The exceptional construction professional understands that the perception of quality extends beyond the actual construction of the house. "The NHS AwardT recognizes builders and remodelers who set the bar high for excellence in this area," Mr. Cardis adds. "Since the NHS AwardT provide the results of the survey to each builder, they serve also as an improvement tool as well as a third-party validation of actual performance in customer satisfaction. I encourage all builders and remodelers who value the importance of customer satisfaction with their company to apply for the NHS AwardT." For information on how building and remodeling companies can apply to the National Homeowner Satisfaction Award, contact NRS Corp. at 608 273-4665, or by e-mail at nhsaward@nrscorp.com. The online entry form is available at http://www.nhsaward.nrscorp.com. More information is available at http://www.housingzone.com/nhsaward/nhsaward.pdf. Founded in 1993, NRS is a leading provider of market research services to companies throughout the U.S. and Canada. NRS corporate offices are at 5930 Seminole Centre Ct., Madison, WI 53711. For more information about NRS, please contact Sean Boyce at 608.273.4665, or at sboyce@nrscorp.com. You may also visit NRS online at www.nrscorp.com. Copyright © 2002 NRS Corporation All Rights Reserved. | 
