While studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Paul Cardis knew that he wanted to help organizations excel at what they do best. So after receiving a master’s degree in Psychology, adding to his first master’s in Research Methods, he founded AVID Ratings™ Co. in 1993. His goal was to help homebuilders measure, understand, and change their organizations to improve customer delight and increase company profitability.
Paul didn’t pick the homebuilding industry by accident. His father was a builder in the Chicago market, working on prominent skyscrapers and later working in asbestos abatement before retiring to Mexico. It was his father whom encouraged Paul to take his fresh research knowledge to the homebuilding industry, which desperately needed help understanding its customers and improving the purchasing process for homebuyers.
“Homebuilding is so much more than just building houses; it’s creating homes and families. When it’s done right, it leads to a meaningful experience. Not doing it right damages the fabric of society,” says Paul, recalling the two times he has purchased homes for himself. “I went through the phases of excitement and confusion just like everybody else who has purchased a home. When you do it right, the emotional impact to a buyer is huge. I’ve told many people what a great experience I had with my builder — not because I didn’t run into any problems, but because the builder knew how to solve problems in a way that delighted me and ensured my loyalty.”
Now Paul has built a prosperous company providing enterprise-level surveys, organizational consulting, and proprietary solutions that help builders create their own avid homebuyers. Originally founded as NRS Corp., Paul rebranded the business as AVID Ratings™ Co. in 2007 to better reflect the company’s mission. “I believe that avid leaders create avid employees, who create avid customers,” Paul says. “That’s what AVID Ratings is all about.”
Paul’s message has resonated with clients, too. On several occasions, clients have given him a going away present when his consulting time was over. “When the people who are paying your bills do something extra like that, it means a lot,” he says. “It tells me that they really valued my services and what I’ve been able to do to take their company to the next level.”
Since its inception, AVID Ratings has helped hundreds of companies maximize homeowner loyalty, resulting in increased referral sales, customer cooperation, and brand awareness. In fact, one of the keys to success in the home-building industry is the ability to generate homeowner loyalty. Whether the market is hot or cold, it is critical for builders to maximize referrals, Paul says. “Our research has shown that referral prospects who visit a sales center are twice as likely as marketed prospects to purchase from a builder. Twice the conversion! With those kinds of numbers, your company needs to go beyond merely satisfying customers.”
Over the years, Paul has written numerous articles for trade publications, including a monthly column in Professional Builder magazine and for the Canadian publication, Home BUILDER Magazine. He is also a regular speaker at major residential construction industry events, including the International Builders’ Show, Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC), South East Building Conference (SEBC), Professional Builder Benchmark Conference, and many Canadian home builder association events. His work has been highlighted in a variety of publications, including Time, Builder Magazine, Professional Remodeler, Custom Builder, Nation’s Building News, and numerous local newspapers and industry newsletters.
With so much expertise in creating loyal homebuyers, it seems everybody wants Paul to reveal his secrets to success. “If there is one piece of advice I could offer every homebuilder” he says, “it’s this: Create a culture of caring. That is the magic that makes everything come together.”
Even though he has had a successful legal career, Phil Cardis is more of an entrepreneur than a lawyer. Fortunately, the skills he developed while practicing law are the same ones that have led to his success at AVID Ratings™ Co., which provides enterprise-level surveys, organizational consulting, and proprietary solutions that help builders create their own avid homebuyers.
“I like the ability to partner with and advise our clients,” Phil says. “It’s similar to practicing law, because you do a lot of listening to what clients are saying. You try to understand what they are going through and to respond accordingly.”
Phil’s brother, Paul Cardis, is the founder and CEO of AVID Ratings, and Phil loves the opportunity to help run a family business. “Everything is so much more personal in a family business,” he says. “It makes me very determined to make sure the experience is the best it can be for both our employees and our clients.”
Under Phil’s leadership, the staff continually challenges itself to be the best that it can be. “Each day, we have to earn the opportunity to work with our clients and to welcome them as part of the AVID family,” Phil says. That often means focusing on the quality, instead of the quantity, of client relationships.
Phil joined AVID Ratings in July 2006 as Vice President of Business Development and General Counsel and was promoted to Vice President of Operations in November 2006. He became Chief Operating Officer in July 2007 and is now is responsible for all aspects of daily business, including staff management and supervision, as well as strategic development of the company’s research, consulting, and training services. But it is the consultative aspect of the job that he enjoys the most. “We’re in the foxhole with them,” he explains. “We’re not just a survey company. We’re here to build long-standing relationships with clients though in-depth research, consulting and training — which ultimately helps homebuyers. That is something we take great pride in.”
Helping clients balance their business needs with their business goals can lead to some difficult conversations. “Sometimes it isn’t all good news, but our clients really appreciate our frank and honest approach to diagnosing problems and helping to solve them,” he says.
Before coming to AVID Ratings, Phil was the founder of Cardis & Associates, LLC, specializing in real estate, business, and general contract law. He also served as an attorney with the Wisconsin Legislative Council from 2001-2006, working as nonpartisan legal counsel to the Wisconsin legislature and legislative committees.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” Phil says, “and real estate is an entrepreneurial venture — one that I enjoy being part of. I truly admire the builders we work with and appreciate the opportunity to help them in their endeavors.”
Phil, who belongs to several homebuilder associations and serves on the Education Committee of the Midwest Builders Show, earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis. Before that he was awarded a B.A. in Sociology from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he brought his experience playing for Team USA in the Junior Pan American Games and became co-captain of the college’s baseball team. “Baseball has really taught me the value of teamwork,” he says, “and we have a very dedicated and customer-focused team working here at AVID Ratings.”
Fred Baptiste, Ph.D. Vice President of Information Technology
Building a new home is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many consumers. Fred Baptiste understands that, which is why he is so excited to be working for a company that strives to make the home-buying process the best it can be.
As Vice President of Information Technology for AVID Ratings Co. — which provides enterprise-level surveys, organizational consulting, and proprietary solutions that help builders create their own avid homebuyers — Fred is responsible for all operational aspects of IT, as well as strategic planning and IT initiatives. He ensures that data is presented in a way that is easiest for homebuilders to understand and put to use. “I like being able to help businesses be more profitable,” Fred says. “That’s a key motivator for me.”
What makes Fred unique among IT professionals is his ability to grasp the big picture and see “people solutions” to problems. “I’m able to look at a problem in an abstract, objective way, which helps to simplify the problem,” he says. “That approach also tends to produce the simplest, most logical solutions.”
Under Phil’s leadership, the staff continually challenges itself to be the best that it can be. “Each day, we have to earn the opportunity to work with our clients and to welcome them as part of the AVID family,” Phil says. That often means focusing on the quality, instead of the quantity, of client relationships.
Fred, along with the rest of the IT team, has a knack for getting at the heart of a builder’s problem. For example, instead of focusing narrowly on what a builder is asking for, team members look broadly to discover what are the real underlying concerns. Then they are able to not only provide the information the builder asked for, but also information the builder may not have known he needed. It’s all part of the company’s customer service approach to helping clients.
Prior to joining AVID Ratings, Fred was a Senior Developer and Project Manager for Northwoods Software. There he managed and collaborated on a variety of software development projects for Visa, Briggs & Stratton and the Medical College of Wisconsin in web-based content management systems and workflow management. Fred also worked for one of the largest tour operators in the United States, The Mark Travel Corporation, and was involved in data analysis, revenue management, data warehousing and airline inventory systems.
“I’ve always been interested in science and math,” says Fred, who earned an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and later a Ph.D. in Mathematics (Functional Analysis) from University of Strathclyde, located in Glasgow, U.K. “I like the logical aspect of it. I like looking at specialized problems from a broader perspective and connecting the dots in a way that reveals generalized solutions.”
Fred is also passionate about technology. “Not for the sake of technology,” he says, “but for how it can help day-to-day work and activities. I love using technology to help clients realize their full potential — which usually means turning average homebuyers into lifelong and loyal customers.”
Anne Vitale loves the ever changing home-building industry, but one thing that doesn’t change is the importance of customer service. “The goal for every builder should be to have a satisfied customer base,” Anne says. Fortunately, customer service also happens to be Anne’s specialty — which she makes the most of as Director of Client Services for AVID Ratings™ Co.
AVID Ratings provides enterprise-level surveys, organizational consulting, and proprietary solutions that help builders create their own avid homebuyers customers. Since joining the company in February 2006, it has been Anne’s job to oversee client management, research operations, and internal operations — all while ensuring the best experience for the company’s clients.
Anne has an extensive background in customer service. Before joining AVID Ratings, she oversaw an IT call center, which required providing quick and reliable service under some stressful situations. What Anne enjoys must about customer service is how transferable those skills are to other industries and market segments. “So much of customer service is the same, whether you are dealing with information technology or homebuilding. If you know how to deliver customer delight in one industry, it’s much easier to learn how to do it in another industry.”
However, it is a lot easier to make customers happy when you are passionate about what you are doing — which Anne is when it comes to the home-building industry. This enthusiasm stems from a true desire to help homebuilders succeed, as well as close family ties to the industry. Her husband is a contractor sales representative in the fireplace industry, and her brother is a custom homebuilder.
At AVID Ratings, one of Anne’s major responsibilities is making sure employees and clients are trained on the company’s tools to ensure they get the most out of them. AVID offers a powerful array of web-based tools to help builders understand how satisfied their customers are at each step in the process. Anne makes sure there is enough upfront and ongoing training so clients are comfortable with the tools and will use them to their fullest potential.
“The main thing I’m always telling clients is to not be afraid of the technology,” says Anne, acknowledging that some people or more computer- and tech-savvy than others. “‘You won’t break anything,’ I tell them.”
Anne is constantly looking for ways to improve AVID Ratings’ own customer service. To that end, her team has instituted more touch points with clients during the start-up phase to help builders reap the benefits of their relationship as soon as possible. “Our web-based tools are available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so we give builders our contact information and let them know they can contact us at any time,” she says.
“It’s a challenging job, but I enjoy helping companies perform at their best,” she continues. “I guess I just love what I do.”
Christian Caswell General Manager - Canadian Operations
As General Manager of Canadian Operations, Christian Caswell oversees Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service for AVID Ratings’ Canadian initiatives. In addition he co-writes articles with Paul Cardis, CEO of AVID Ratings, on customer loyalty in several industry magazines such as Ontario Builder and Home BUILDER Magazine.
Before joining AVID Ratings in 2006, Christian had seven years of extensive experience in the residential construction industry, plus three years of management experience in the commercial, institutional, and industrial industries. As an achievement-oriented leader, he specializes in marketing, educating, and supporting the best process-improvement programs the residential building industry has to offer.
Christian is studying Architectural Technologies at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and working toward his MBA from Athabasca University. He has a Marketing degree from University of Lethbridge and a Marketing diploma from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. In his leisure time, Christian enjoys participating in Ironman competitions, running, scuba diving, skiing, swimming, and competing in triathlons.
When colleagues rave about Nancy Schuette, the often cite her close attention to detail and how she takes ownership of any assignment she is given and follows through to make sure it is done successfully. "Perhaps my work ethic stems from hard work growing up on a farm with six siblings — never time for vacation but always time for Sunday family gatherings," she says.
As Executive Strategy Manager, Nancy sits on the Executive Leadership Team and ensures the company is on track with the firm’s strategic plans and all related projects. She also works to improve the efficiency of the company’s offices, which includes everything from finding smarter ways to purchase supplies to phasing out old equipment. “I continually try to question the ‘It’s the way we’ve always done it’ principles,” she says. Nancy also sits on AVID Ratings’ internal Activities Committee, which is charged with wellness education, community involvement, and making sure AVID Ratings is a fun place to work.
Maintaining a “Culture of Excellence” has been a passion of Nancy’s career, and it’s evident through her leadership of enhancing communication channels, shared team experiences, and leadership training and education that have given AVID Ratings an A+.
As a member of the AVID Consulting Team, Nancy plays a critical role ensuring project work moves swiftly and efficiently along its course that continually wow’s the client. Working alongside the Executive Consultants during the entire process guarantees document control and management, while maintaining important project timelines.
But no matter what the task at hand is, Nancy keeps clients’ needs foremost. “I always strive to meet the needs of the clients and to respect their valuable time,” she says. This often means rearranging internal schedules to accommodate a clients’ wishes.
“My personal expectation for myself — to deliver a quality product in all I do — has always been extremely high,” says Nancy, who has prior experience working for a law firm and an insurance company. Her biggest piece of advice for homebuilders is to know the difference between listening to customers and really hearing what they are saying. “Knowing the customer and his or her needs is critical to maintaining that relationship,” she says.
Outside of work, Nancy likes to spend time quilting and knitting. “I’m a very keep-my-hands-busy kind of woman,” she says. She even sews quilts for the Project LINUS, a charitable organization that gives blankets, quilts and afghans to traumatized and hospitalized children. Her passion for creative arts has also prompted her to take up drawing, painting, and photography — most of which has been self-taught.
One reason Nancy is so adept at teaching herself new skills is that she attended a one-room schoolhouse until the third grade — and she was the only student in her grade. Years later, she graduated with honors from Madison Area Technical College. At AVID Ratings, she says she feels privileged to be helping reshape organizations to run more smoothly through better processes. “It’s exciting when all of us at AVID Ratings celebrate a client’s success,” she says.
Kristin joined AVID Ratings in December 2005 as the Senior Marketing Coordinator. Since then, she has been promoted to Marketing Manager, leading and coordinating all industry conferences, speaking engagements, and tradeshow events. She additionally oversees all company advertising and public relations, as well as the day-to-day marketing functions. Kristin earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. In her leisure time she enjoys playing softball and volleyball, scrapbooking, traveling, watching sports, and music.
Todd Schroeder became AVID Ratings’ Accounting Manager in November 2006. A 2001 graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, Todd acquired several years of accounting experience before joining AVID Ratings, including time in the residential and commercial real estate industry.
