I would just like to say, that, so far, I have been impressed with the professionalism of your company. Specifically, at this point, the Sales & Marketing side of it.

Out of all the Philippine-based home builders, your website is one of the best, I would say. The chat-line and the do-it-on-your-own costing (where you can choose the pre-designed models and you could choose the options and then it showed the estimated cost) was very helpful. (Although the person I talked to before in the chat line wasnt able to call me back after 2 weeks, as I was going to be out of the country then.)

It was also a very good decision to accommodate clients on a Sunday. For working professionals like us, Sunday is sometimes the only day left to do for things like house-hunting or shopping. Also, the traffic on a Sunday is a lot more bearable than on a weekday or a Saturday.The sales & marketing credentials, like the folder that came with the sales quotation, is also good. Little things like this can show how "professional" and how your company value the services that you offer to your clients.

The sales quotation too was good. It is organized, and more or less complete as to what the client will be looking for (like the options, the upgrades, and how much they would cost, payment schedule, etc.)

I also appreciated that a JAO team went to the project site first, and checked out the place. Not all contractors do that without first closing a deal.

At this point, early in the process of Sales, the only area for improvement I can think of right now is in the finalization of the floor plan / structure of the house needed for the quotation (for custom-designed houses):

I think that it will save some effort (of those making the costing of the project, and those that actually make the sales quotation) to perhaps, finalize first the plan with the client, before making the sales quote/costing? It might save some effort of those making the project costing/quotation.

But for the client, it is good to always see the cost at each revision. In any case, so far, I have no complaints with this, as the JAO team I am working with has been very accomodating and patient, which is very important. (A regular client will probably build a house, only once or twice in his lifetime, so they would want it to be "perfect". And thus, for a company like JAO, referrals of previous clients is very important. Repeat clients may not be so common, unlike in a restaurant business.)

In terms of how "affordable" a JAO-built house is, based on this experience and so far, from the quotes, as I have mentioned na rin, JAO is a little bit on the higher-end price. BUT nothing outrageously high, but if this is what it will take to have a "peace-of-mind" and a less-headache, less-hassle house-bulding process, and ultimately, IF it will lead to a "pulido" and "high-quality" craftsmanship of the end product, it will probably be reasonable already and worth it.

And hopefully, if and when, that is what would happen to my project. I guess we will just have to find out, if the level of professionalism in the Sales/Marketing side of your company, will also translate to the actual project execution, and produce a high-quality finished product and services (including after-sales services).

Speaking of quality, perhaps your company can try to go for ISO certification or any Quality-certifications. This would really help differentiate JAO from the other home builders, if you can get your company certified for Quality processes/product. In terms of your competitors, I think none of them has any ISO/quality certifications. Getting that certification is not that expensive.

Thats about it. I hope I did not take too much of your time. And I hope this feedback helps. Although I work for a Danish company, I still believe that we, Filipinos, can build great companies. (JAO is a Filipino company, right?).

- Mr. Rick Timonera