A family moves into a new house. Within a fortnight they have a list: a door that does not close properly, a radiator that never gets warm, a cracked tile and a patch of paint that was never finished.
None of that is unusual. How the developer responds over the next six weeks decides whether they recommend you to everyone they know or write about you instead.
What buyers ask
They usually ask what counts as a snag, how to report one, how long they have, how quickly someone will attend, what is covered by the warranty and what is not, who to contact after the sales team has gone, what happens to shrinkage cracks, whether they must be home and what to do if nothing happens.
Publish the process before they need it
A page explaining how to report, what happens next, the response and completion timescales and who to escalate to. Buyers who know the process complain far less than buyers who are guessing.
Example conversations
These scripts use information a developer might publish. Your answers should come from your own pages.
Buyer: There is a crack above the door frame. Is that covered? Assistant: The aftercare page explains how shrinkage is treated in the first year and what the warranty covers, along with what is considered a defect. The team assesses each report, so I can log this for them. Could you confirm your plot number and add a photograph?
Buyer: I reported something three weeks ago and heard nothing. Assistant: The page sets out the response and completion timescales and the escalation route if they are not met, including who to contact. I will log this as a chase with your plot details so the customer care team picks it up. Could you tell me the date you first reported it?
Buyer: Who do I contact now the sales office has closed? Assistant: The page gives the customer care contact details, the hours and the emergency route for anything urgent such as a loss of heating or water. It also explains what counts as an emergency.
Define emergencies clearly
No heating in winter, no water, an electrical fault or a leak need a route that works at night. Publishing what qualifies and how to reach someone prevents a genuine emergency sitting in an inbox.
Be honest about what is not a defect
Shrinkage cracks, condensation from drying out and maintenance items are normal and frustrating. Explaining why, in plain language and before they happen, is far more effective than arguing about it afterwards.
Photographs speed everything up
Asking for images with every report lets a team triage and often bring the right part first time. It also creates a record that protects both sides.
Acknowledge every report
Silence is the complaint, not the defect. An immediate acknowledgement with a reference number, even outside working hours, changes the entire tone of what follows.
Explain who fixes what
The developer, a subcontractor, an appliance manufacturer or the warranty provider. Buyers do not care about the distinction and do care about being passed around, so explaining the routes prevents that feeling.
The handover sets expectations
What was explained at handover shapes everything afterwards, which connects to reservation and completion date questions from new-build buyers.
Off-plan buyers worry about this earlier
They ask about quality and recourse before committing, as in off-plan buyer questions for new-build developments.
Specification questions never stop
They are covered in new-build sales teams and repetitive spec questions, and prompt responses build the trust described in building trust with new shoppers through instant support.
Getting started
Publish your reporting process, timescales, warranty coverage and emergency route, then capture reports with photographs at any hour. SpideyChat for property businesses answers from your published pages. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about capture on the features page.