GARRETT GAZZETT
THEGARRETTCO.COM
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1 | JANUARY 24, 2023
JON BADGER Director of Safety & Warranty
MARK LAMAN Warranty Supervisor
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In short, we are the middleman. We work as a liaison between the property, the contractors, and the other departments within the company. MAKENLY CHEFALO
MAKENLY CHEFALO Warranty Administrator
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When Garrett Construction builds a new project, many of the products incorporated into the community come with a warranty from the manufacturer or service provider. The Garrett Companies is diligent in utilizing the warranty to minimize operating costs and create the highest return on investment for our stakeholders. This is where Jon Bager, Mark Laman, and Makenly Chefalo make their impact on the mission of The Garrett Companies. The Warranty Team’s primary goal is to quickly and efficiently assess warranty claims reported by the property management teams. This is a hands-on task and requires research to identify who did the work, if the work is still under warranty, obtaining bids for work when needed, and scheduling the repairs. “In short, we are the middleman. We work as a liaison between the property, the contractors, and the other departments within the company.” Makenly told us. The Warranty team uses a software program called Buildr to keep track of the details. Since February of 2022, the department has handled 1,016 warranty claims. The team’s median first response time to the property teams is 50 minutes and the median time from open to close 8 days (due to long lead times for materials/ parts). And while he is now working as an Assistant Project Manager in Construction, Paul Martin made huge impacts to the
after moving in. This approach assists our efforts in building and operating successful communities.” She also praised their role in their “ability to attract potential buyers by providing a post-close commitment to handle all items that should be covered by the terms of the subcontractors. This allows for lower maintenance-related expenses for the new owner.” Tabatha Rasch shared her perspective by saying, “resident satisfaction has increased significantly. They are an integral part of the day-today functions and maintenance support. They are always quick to respond with a can-do attitude. They check in frequently to ensure the repairs/service requests were completed correctly and no issues occurred. Very thankful to have them!”
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WARRANTY WARRIORS
statistics and relationships while working in a Regional Warranty Manager role throughout 2022. While Mark and Makenly have less than one year of experience with The Garrett Companies, they have overcome this challenge by quickly building strong relationships with their partners and having an elevated level of collaboration within the team. “One of my favorite things about this team is that I can ask any question,” Makenly explained. “There is no stupid question... ever, which makes learning and growing so much easier.” Jon and Mark spend much of their time in the field and working with partners. Makenly is primarily in the office or at her home office to manage Buildr, “while they’re driving/flying all over God’s green earth,” she humorously shared. She also manages invoices and expenses, as the team works to identify efficiencies that will save more money. Jon told us, “My goal for the department is to control costs and save the company every dime we can while making residents feel taken care as if it was a family member. By doing this Garrett Residential or the new owners are happy! It is especially important to me that we as a team develop great relationships with the property management teams: that means face-to-face meetings with the community staff. Phone calls and emails just do not cut it.” The Management Team sees tremendous value in the people of the Warranty Team. Angie Atkins, Senior Director of Operations expressed, “they provide huge savings in maintenance-related expenses by holding the subcontractors accountable. In addition, their help with the subcontractor follow-up allows for a responsive maintenance experience for our residents