Introducing THE GUILD. The Guild of Professional Home Services

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2 Introducing THE GUILD The Guild of Professional Home Service exists for the benefits of its members. The Guild s objectives are to assist members to obtain work by increasing public perception of their skill and integrity. This booklet and corresponding website is designed to tell you about the many benefits of membership. It is very important that you are aware of these benefits. We promote our sites and membership through the extensive use of on-line advertising, search engine optimization, barter ad swaps, blogs, also we syndicate to all search engines regularly. Our primary area of focus, are members of the public that are currently engaged in the buying or selling of homes. Roger Pennlington Roger Pennlington BSc FRICS, Guild Secretary

3 Aims and Objectives To bring together all skilled people engaged in a trade, profession or service in order to safeguard the interests of professionals and the home trading public. To ensure that the minimum qualifications for membership, preserve the high standards of The Guild members. To promote to the public the skill of the members, their honour, professional expertise and integrity, their high standards and the value for money which they offer. To provide clear identification and recognition for members. To ensure The Guild's high standards are being maintained, and by encouraging members always to strive for excellence. A SYMBOL OF QUALITY. The Guild allows you to tap into new customer bases by allowing your trade or service to be located online easily through not only our own search feature but by major search engines. Smart Modern Advertising and Support for your Business. This is all about local search, and we help you get there, Catch the wave of the future, our social vetted network gets your business out there on the internet with high style. The Guilds data base is one of the world s key sourcing tools for North American services and products for the home along with homemove websites (accessible through the Guild) that get over 15 million hits per month. The Guild is where today s buyers go to find the exact product or service they need, when they need it. Using its powerful search features, users instantly access information on over 5,000 North American companies with a total of over 100,000 pages listed. 3

4 THE GUILD A SYMBOL OF QUALITY Obtaining recognition for skill and integrity Every businessman knows the importance of a good reputation. A good reputation opens doors. A poor one can be a permanent barrier to obtaining new business. One of the main advantages of belonging to The Guild of Professional Home Services is to share in its reputation for skill and integrity. In the eyes of prospective customers, any new member of The Guild is automatically identified with those who have already shown their determination to provide quality products and services. This is something that gives reassurance to the customer, but also places an obligation on the member to achieve high standards. The Guild has long established that one of its primary objectives is to preserve high standards. This is achieved through a selection process which ensures that only those committed to skill and integrity are admitted to membership. Because of this The Guild s crest, which members are permitted to use, are recognised in the market place as symbols of The Guild s reputation for quality. Today, thousands of companies across North America belong to. 4

5 Building a Reputation A large proportion of these were recommended for membership by members of the public, institutions, other businesses and fellow members. And all have had their membership endorsed by their customers. Membership is only available to those who can demonstrate that they consistently achieve high standards. For some companies membership of The Guild is one of their most important assets. Many recognise that it would cost them a considerable amount of money to build a comparable reputation for quality with such a strong corporate identity. Their membership of The Guild is recognition of their commitment to skill and integrity, and their determination to maintain high standards. And every time a Guild member is seen to do good work, and to treat customers with consideration and fairness, the reputation of The Guild is enhanced. You will help yourself by helping us to maintain high standards at all times. The Guild has an enviable reputation, earned over many years, for representing quality, craftsmanship and customer service. Extensive internet promotion by The Guild and its members has enhanced this reputation and increased public awareness of The Guild as a symbol of quality and service. 5

6 USING THE GUILD CREST Distinctive, different and instantly recognisable Large companies sometimes spend enormous sums of money on the design and manufacture of a distinctive symbol, logo or emblem. Having done so, they promote it at every available opportunity. Members of The Guild of Professional Home Services are fortunate in being able to use instantly recognisable, distinctive emblems which have the strength and support of a large corporate body behind them. Members are encouraged to use The Guild emblems to promote their goods and services, there by advertising their membership and associating themselves with The Guild s long established and well-earned reputation. CUSTOMER REASSURANCE Building confidence in your ability To help members win over new customers The Guild provides members with a letter of introduction and a folder explaining the design and intentions of The Guild and the workings of the mediation service. Any member of The Guild that receives more than 3 complaints in a year that are not cleared, their membership will not be renewed. 6

7 RECOMMENDATIONS More work for Guild members Members of the public anxious to contact skilled craftsmen in many different trade categories seek assistance from. Institutions and organisations also require lists of contractors to whom they should submit tenders. To assist them, The Guild maintains a register of members which is constantly updated and a telephone help-line which ensures that enquiries are dealt with promptly and efficiently. The Guild and its affiliated companies have worked with thousands of Real Estate offices over the past decade. This special relationship built up over time, allows the Guild to promote its members directly to local real estate offices, building referral business for members. CONCILIATION SERVICES Reducing the impact of differences with customers Customer complaints are bad for business. Left unanswered they cause resentment, arouse hostility, and can easily tarnish a well earned reputation. Yet answered promptly, and with conviction, they can actually increase goodwill and open the door to new business. Customers are very appreciative of suppliers who listen to complaints and respond to genuine grievances with consideration and concern. In addition, prompt and efficient action in the early days of a dispute can prevent the problem escalating, and avoid incurring expensive legal fees. The Guild s conciliation service is entirely free. With complaints the Guild will telephone and to help get a resolution with the customer. INSURANCE-BACKED GUARANTEES The Guild maintains a $2 million dollar public liability insurance policy, that protects the public in the case of an unprotected uninsured member. This further enhances the Guilds reputation and makes it easier for members to acquire new work. 7

8 Notable Guild Members Ford, General Motors, Howard Johnsons, Mortgage Intelligence, Marriot, the Co- Operators, City Bank, Bank of America, Rona, Guardian, ADT, Re/max, Statefarm, RBC, Hilton, Edward Jones, Fidelity National,Hampton Inn, Allstate, Amerispec, Wells Fargo, Dish Network, AT&T, Scotiabank, NAPA, Farmers, BMO, Sears, BMW, Investors Group, Comcast, Rogers, Budget, Andersen Windows, Travelocity, Montessori Schools, Time Warner, Curves, Vonage, Century 21, Nationwide, Home Depot, Bell Canada, AMJ Campbell, Pillar to Post, Thrifty, TD, Chubb, Merrill Lynch, Best Western, Security Title, Benjamin Moore, Lawyers Title, United Van Lines, NAHI, Liberty Federal, Clarica, Service Master, Stewart Title, Toll Brothers, Realty Executives, Federated Electrical, Kohler, Invis Mortgages, Curves, NAPA, Hampton Inn, New York Life, Keller Williams, America Self Storage, Wells Fargo, AMSA, VISA, Verizon, Reliable Remodeler, Royal Lepage 8