Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC announced today it received the prestigious 2010 National Commercial Real Estate Customer Service Award for Excellence – Category II.
Also known as the “A List” award, the honor recognizes excellence in real estate industry customer service based on direct customer satisfaction surveys. Established in 1997 by CEL & Associates, Inc., the Customer Service Award for Excellence recognizes companies whose management performance and commitment to highest levels and quality service are considered best in the Industry. CEL conducts more than 2,500,000 customer surveys annually to establish service and performance benchmarks used throughout the U.S.
“Customer service is the center piece of our company culture,” said John Goff, Chairman and CEO of Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC. “This recognition of success for that goal – superior customer service – resonates loudly within Crescent. We know that customer service distinguishes Crescent amongst its competitors.”
Crescent won six prior Awards for Excellence earning the top honor every year the company participated in the survey process, 2001 through 2006. After a few years of not participating, Crescent surveyed customers again in 2010 and was selected by CEL as the Award for Excellence winner in Category II for companies with 31 to 100 properties. While 2010 marks Crescent’s seventh overall company Award for Excellence, for the first time ever each of Crescent’s premier office building properties achieved individual “A List” status. Additionally, Crescent improved 2010 overall property and service satisfaction scores over prior year winning scores.
Christopher Lee is founder of CEL & Associates, Inc. the largest independent surveyor of customer opinions in the real estate industry and the company that surveys customers for the “A List” awards. According to Lee, the quality and level of service provided to office customers is a key factor in building and sustaining brand and customer loyalty, retention, increasing asset value and generating best in class operating and financial performance.
“In today’s challenging marketplace, those who focus and connect with their tenants are going to have a competitive advantage,” Lee said. “Crescent has taken customer satisfaction and service to an exceptional level and it shows in the opinions of tenants throughout their portfolio … and we congratulate Crescent for an extraordinary effort.”
Crescent property managers focus on quality interactions with building customers, speaking with customers frequently to understand their needs and to ensure that Crescent meets expectations. In a sense, company employees conduct day-to-day informal surveys to understand customer requirements and to immediately address customer needs. In addition to personal contact, each property has a web site where customers can go to request services, suggest improvements and find out the latest news regarding property activities, maintenance and amenities.
“We are recognized as the ‘Best in Industry’ because we have the best customers and everything we do is focused on our customers,” said Anderson, COO of Crescent. “Building design, maintenance, amenities and programs are focused on the customer experience at our Crescent properties. We pay close attention to our customers and we take care of details.”
Goff and Anderson value long-term relationships and loyalty with both customers and employees. Crescent is proud of a significant number of customers that have been in properties for more than 20 years. More than 70 percent of Crescent’s management staff has been with Crescent properties for more than 20 years.