BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pulte Homes operations have ranked highest in customer satisfaction in 11 U.S. markets, as reported today in the results of the J.D. Power and Associates (R) 2008 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study. This represents the most top rankings for customer satisfaction by any homebuilder in the 2008 study.
Pulte brands, which include Pulte Homes, Del Webb and DiVosta, were surveyed in 26 of the 33 markets covered in the 2008 study. Pulte Homes operations garnered 11 top rankings in customer satisfaction, and were ranked No. 2 in six markets and No. 3 in three markets.
Highest in these 11 markets: Albuquerque, Chicago (tied), Ft. Myers/ Naples, Inland Empire, Calif. (Del Webb), Jacksonville, LA/Ventura, Northern New Jersey (Del Webb), Philadelphia (Del Webb), San Francisco (Del Webb), Tucson and Washington, D.C.
Second in these six markets: Ft. Myers/Naples (DiVosta), Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento (Del Webb), San Francisco and Tampa.
Pulte Homes also ranked third in Charlotte, Denver and Las Vegas (Del Webb).
"Pulte Homes is once again very proud of its position as the most recognized homebuilder in this annual study," said Richard J. Dugas, Jr., CEO of Pulte Homes. "Exceptional quality and customer service are vital competitive advantages for a builder when customers have a wealth of choices, and at Pulte Homes, they're an intrinsic part of our Company's culture. It's gratifying to see that homebuyers are recognizing the efforts of our employees and trade partners in delivering an unparalleled homeownership experience."
For its J.D. Power and Associates(R) 2008 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study, J.D. Power and Associates focused on individuals that purchased a new single family detached or attached home during 2007. Qualifying builders in each market had to have a minimum of 125 home closings in the prior year and a minimum of 50 returned questionnaires.
Pulte Homes does not operate in three markets included in this year's survey - Greensboro, N.C., Columbus, OH and Greenville, SC -- and did not meet the sample size requirement in California's San Diego, Central Valley/Fresno and Orange Country markets or Charleston, S.C.
The 2008 homebuilder rankings also included studies which evaluated homebuyers' satisfaction with new-home quality and new-home design. Pulte Homes' market operations earned top rankings for new-home quality in seven markets, tied for the most among all builders, and earned the most top rankings for new-home design with top scores in six markets. Pulte's Del Webb operations in Northern New Jersey earned the top ranking in all three categories -- customer satisfaction, quality and design -- in 2008, the first year this market has been included in the J.D. Power and Associates studies. Pulte Homes also earned top rankings in all three categories in the LA/Ventura market in 2008.
The New-Home Design Study assesses builders' home designs through homebuyer evaluations of the overall appeal and function of the home. Rankings are based on a 1,000-point index score which evaluates design elements in seven categories: exterior architectural design, windows and exterior doors, interior comfort and environment, floor plan and layout, kitchen, master/primary bathroom, and flooring.
The New-Home Quality Study evaluates builders on a 1,000-point index score based on eight categories of problem types -- home exterior, kitchen, bathroom, windows and doors, electrical and appliances, flooring and stairs, drywall, and interior paint. The index is adjusted to account for problem volume (number of problems), problem severity (impact to customer), and home size.