The Master Build Services team is set to enhance its current service with a new claims support officer. Sarah Wichman joins Holly Fyfe and Bruce Richardson as part of the Master Build Services team, with her work involving transferring and accepting guarantee applications, and arranging final inspections.
She will also be taking on the challenging role of reducing truancy. Her previous role with the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation gave her valuable insight into the construction sector and what makes builders tick. Since she has been in her role, Ms Wichman has seen a number of simple mistakes on guarantee forms which automatically make the guarantee invalid.
She says lodging a claim can be a stressful time for many clients. “Reading the guarantee carefully and making sure you comply with clauses means that any issues that might emerge can be resolved in a timely and painless manner.
“Master Build Services staff are more than happy to explain the guarantee in easy to understand terms if required.” Master Build Services manager Bruce Richardson says he dislikes declining claims over issues with the guarantee. “It makes our job very difficult when we have to say no to builders’ clients because they haven’t notified us of completion, made final payment or have already moved into their new home,” Mr Richardson says.
“One of the reasons we hired Sarah was to assist our builders in giving the best value to their clients by helping them provide clients with a functioning and useful guarantee. “I would encourage any builders who don’t quite understand the process to give her a call.”
Mr Richardson says Master Build Services has become aware that some builders try to cut costs during the tender process by leaving the guarantee out. “We want to remind builders that issuing a guarantee on all projects over $25,000 is compulsory.
If builders fail to do this, not only are they in breach of their Register Master Builders membership but they are also doing their clients a great disservice,” he says.
