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Milller Homes has taken first place in the prestigious 'Best Customer Satisfaction Initiative' category at the inaugural Housebuilding Innovation Awards.

The award, sponsored by NHBC and voted by industry leaders, was presented to the housebuilder which judges felt best demonstrated improvements in both the buying process and new home delivery.

Miller Homes' win follows ongoing company research into the 'emotional rollercoaster' that people experience when buying a house. On the back of its findings Miller Homes has developed a number of initiatives to help their customers deal with the stresses of the house-buying process.

Judges commented in particular on Miller Homes' use of internet technology, which helps make the house-buying process easier for customers. Its website, www.millerhomes.co.uk enables prospective customers to register their details and requirements online. Registered users then receive alert messages via email and text, when a suitable property, matching their exact criteria, is released.

Miller Homes also operates a customer dedicated web portal, www.mymillerhome.com, which launched in early 2004. The portal is an industry first, designed to allow home buyers to follow the build progress of their new home - either online or via text and email updates.

Already, nearly half of Miller Homes' buyers have used mymillerhome.com to track the progress of their home.

Philip Hogg, marketing director of Miller Homes, said: "Our pioneering use of IT has been an invaluable marketing tool. We are very proud to earn such a prestigious award, but we are even prouder of the difference it has made to our customers. Our service has been highly commended by our buyers who regularly comment on how much they appreciate the accessibility and level of information we provide through our technological services".

In addition to the use of internet and mobile technology, Miller Homes helps to counter the low points of the house buying journey by arranging up to five meetings and nine separate communications to ensure buyers are aware of all the details, helping them feel more relaxed and assured.

Earlier this year, Miller Homes became the first British housebuilder to publish its independently compiled customer satisfaction scores. In Q1 of 2005 over 86 per cent of respondents said they would happily recommend Miller Homes to their best friend.

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