Creating WOW moments: 1-on-1 with Reilly LePage, Logel Homes.
- Gary Stein
Logel Homes builds stunning low-rise condos in Calgary. Their award-winning homes bring an elevated style and easy living with modern features, walkable communities, and great amenities. We sat down recently with Reilly LePage, Sales and Marketing Manager, and asked him not just about the homes they build but also the way they differentiate with great CX.
Virtuo: Hi Reilly. Thanks for chatting with us today. Before we start, for those who may not know you, can you tell us a little bit about Logel and how you do things differently?
Reilly: What makes Logel homes different from our competitors is really the customer experience. Everything we do at Logel Homes, we’re trying to do differently, and that stems from the customer experience. With our interior design one-on-one appointments to the sales process, all the way to possession. You know, when we talk about customer experience, it’s a lengthy relationship we have with our customers. It usually starts in the pre construction phase. And then can span upwards of two years. Once people move into their homes, that relationship continues. So we’ve got multiple touch points, you know, from sales to design to construction and then our customer care team.
The goal is always to make each milestone a great customer experience. Our sales team is really effective in helping customers out: they’re super knowledgeable, and on the back end of things, our partners have been key in creating a good customer experience.
Virtuo: Can you talk more about some of those milestones and how you make those great?
Reilly: Sure. When people move in, they’ve got tons of stuff to think about. They’ve got legal appointments. They’ve got to meet with their mortgage specialist. They’re thinking about movers and all that. We want to make sure all of that goes smoothly for them. We need a good backstop for the little things that might slip through the cracks. Like forgetting to forward your mail or set up your phone or internet service.
A great move-in experience is about being able to help people with their checklist. And focusing on that milestone has been instrumental in creating a good customer experience.
Virtuo: Of course everybody’s a little bit different, but what do you think are the main ingredients of a great customer experience?
Reilly: The first thing is being flexible. Knowing we have to tailor the experience to each customer. We have a lot of people that are right-sizing, and so it’s a new journey for them coming from a big house downsizing into a condo or a townhome. And then we’re helping people start a new chapter in their lives with our first-time homebuyers—just getting out of mom and dad’s house, or a basement they’ve rented with a friend. And so both customers are equally excited. And we know that everybody’s got different backgrounds and different lived experiences, and we try to make sure that each team and all of our partners understand that and can tailor the experience.
Virtuo: In your customer experience, when you map that out, is there a WOW moment? Is there something in particular that you’ve got that really amazes people?
Reilly: Yeah, absolutely. When you’re helping out customers and they’re making one of the largest investments they’re going to make in their lives, there’s some wow moments there. And I think two standouts are when they’ve completed that purchase agreement with our sales team and they take this little itty bitty sticker and they put it on their condo, and it really feels like…okay, now it’s mine. That’s my future home.
The other moment is with our possession specialists when they’ve taken their customer through the home for the first time, and they’re fully realizing that dream that started when they met with our interior designers—there it is—to see, touch, and feel. The big reveal, opening that door.
And I’d actually say there’s one more and it’s when the final piece of paper is signed and that key is officially theirs.
Virtuo: When you get a five star review, what do people tend to talk about?
Reilly: When we get five-star reviews, whether it be customer insight or a Google review, the common theme is the experience that they had. And we always see the same touch points. And as I’ve said before, it’s our sales, our design, our possession specialist, which is comprised of our construction team, and then our customer care. So they feel like that level of excellence and that experience were maintained through the whole process from start to finish.
Virtuo: How do you find new people that are great at customer experience? If you’re hiring a new salesperson or a new design director, how do you either find those people or how do you initiate them into the way you want to do business?
Reilly: Yeah, when we’re looking for people to join our team, it’s really important that they’re passionate about customer service.
And it’s hard to get to know that through an interview, but you can kind of tell, you know, there’s some similar traits, and it’s just that engagement with people in general. They want to be face-to-face with the customer. They’re really empathetic and feel strongly about achieving that moment when they put that sold sticker on their condo or their townhome for the first time, or they get that key. Those heartwarming moments.
When they get to witness them, you know that’s why they’re here. And I’d say that that holds true for every member of our team. They’re tough to find, but they’re out there, and I think we’ve built that passionate team.
Virtuo: Are there ways that you share and reinforce that culture of customer experience and customer service within your team?
Reilly: The way we keep the customer experience, that passion elevated and top of mind—you know, it starts right from our chairman and CEO, Tim Logel, to our president, Brayden Logel, and all the way to our people that are building the condos. Understanding that it’s not just about putting nails in the wood or installing those cabinets, but that its going to be used by somebody for their home.
It’s not just a house. It’s not just a box. It’s going to be somebody’s home, where there’s going to be memories made and experiences had.
Virtuo: What do you think other builders, other companies like yours, should know about Virtuo?
Reilly: When companies are thinking about engaging with Virtuo, it’s important to understand that no matter how passionate your team is, everybody has limited bandwidth, and Virtuo, both for the customer and for your company, acts as a backstop, as a supplement, as a real partner.
If you’re interested in anything to do with customer service, Virtuo is the company. They don’t let things fall through the cracks, and when we’re having a hundred people move into a new apartment building, it’s inevitable that somebody’s going to forget to set up their mail, or maybe they don’t have enough keys, or maybe they need to get a sitter for their fish—and that’s a true story. Virtuo found somebody a fish sitter. So we can rely on them. To supplement what we’re trying to do. And quite often, they’re that backstop.
They’re so engaged with our customers, and I would say the only people or group of people that I’ve met outside of our company that are as engaged and serious about the customer experience is the Virtuo team.
Virtuo: Okay, so you happen to meet up with somebody at a bar or party. It doesn’t matter what industry they’re in. But they say, “we’re gonna invest in customer experience. I just can’t figure out what to do.” What advice would you give that person?
Reilly: I would say if anybody is serious about about customer experience, they want to align with partners and vendors and create a culture that centres around that. And that means so many different things, whether it be an accounting department, construction, or somebody that you’re working with. Alignment is the most important part there. And then keeping that drive and that passion elevated and constantly looking for ways to improve.
Logel Homes has been a great Virtuo customer for many years. We’re proud of the work we’ve done together and excited to help them deliver great customer experiences. For more details on how we do what we do, please check out our partners page.
Reilly LePage is Head of Sales and Marketing at Logel Homes in Calgary, Alberta. He chatted with Virtuo’s CMO, Gary Stein, on February 29th, 2024.
Virtuo works with home builders, realtors, financial institutions, and insurance providers to deliver exceptional experiences for their customers. Learn more.
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