THE IMPORTANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF AFTER-SALES SERVICE IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR – Opinion article by Diogo Conceição, Director of Warranty and After-Sales

Warranty and after-sales service is essential in the construction sector, as it plays a crucial role in customer satisfaction. Its importance is such that, if it is carried out effectively, it contributes to customer loyalty and the building of a solid reputation for the construction company. It can even become a differentiating, competitive and decisive factor in winning new projects. In order to achieve these objectives, it is essential to continuously monitor the customer in terms of reported complaints, requiring rapid responses and a constant presence to resolve these issues. Only fast and effective responses from professional teams can turn this department into a valuable asset for the company, rather than a cost to be avoided. Based on our experience and conviction, we firmly believe that warranty and after-sales service goes beyond simply resolving problems during the warranty period, whether by legal or contractual obligation. This department is made up of a team that the end user trusts, knowing that there are qualified professionals ready to offer appropriate solutions in a timely manner, ensuring that the end customer’s use of the building is one of the most important priorities. The Warranty Department also fulfils an important internal function in the company, ensuring the continuous improvement of the departments and teams involved in the construction of projects. This is done by sharing the knowledge gained from the experience of our activities and by analysing the information gathered over time. This department can also play a key role in the prevention of problems in the company’s future projects, particularly in the correction of design errors (contributing to the improvement of the design) and the resolution of execution problems, the latter being dealt with within the framework of the construction guarantee. In this sense, and in view of the fact that the end client is becoming increasingly professional and diversified, always seeking to ensure that its projects are more profitable in the medium and long term, these premises are forcing construction companies to adapt and align themselves more and more with this model of professionalism. It is therefore essential to recognise that the warranty department is the team that closes the lifecycle and responsibility of construction projects in relation to the client.

Read the article in Diário Imobiliário