‘Contempt for customers’

Roger Heavens may build good homes (‘Letters’, CM, March), but he should not misinterpret the 2000 National Customer Satisfaction Survey. The results made grim reading, and subsequent reports in 2001 and 2003 showed a further

deterioration - thus many of the housebuilders are showing contempt for customer satisfaction. Likewise, Chris Traill’s comments in the same issue about supply chains are worthy, but the reality is the customers do not care about these - they want properly built homes with a minimal number of defects.

Chris should accept Dr Mike Murray is a dissatisfied customer who has spent a substantial sum of money on a defective product, with little in the form of consumer rights. Unlike a tin of beans purchased from your local shop, Mike has no right to a money back return or exchange of goods. These basic consumer rights would be anathema to most housebuilders. Which is why they are happy for the largest purchase in one’s life to remain outside the Supply Of Goods Act.