As Field Supervisor for Pickett Homes, Shaffer stays as busy as his phone — the natural consequence of being responsible for oversight of home construction. When he’s not darting here and there, he’s usually on the phone solving a problem or coordinating a job with subcontractors.

“I’m the head schoolmarm,” he says, grinning again. “I’m just a babysitter.”

Actually, he’s a bit of everything: coach, field general, psychologist, consultant, and boss. Since it is Steve’s responsibility to hire subcontractors and make sure construction is done correctly and on time, he’s constantly keeping tabs on projects to insure that the home that people want built is precisely the home they get.

A Perfect Match
“I tell all my subcontractors that I don’t want to have to hide behind the steering wheel and duck when I see customers,” Steve says. “I want to be able to drive in, wave at them and say hello. I want to be able to look people in the eye.”

That philosophy is a perfect match with owners Bill and Barbie Pickett, who place a premium on quality construction and customer service.

“That was something Bill always had and something that I’ve always had,” Steve says. “We wouldn’t have gotten along for this many years without seeing eye to eye on things like that. We have the philosophy that if we look at something, we’ll ask ourselves, ‘Would we be satisfied with that in our homes?’ And if the answer is no, then it’s not going to fly. We won’t do it. As a result, our standards are higher than most builders.”

Being the Field Suypervisor requires knowledge in a number of areas.

“You’ve got to have a knack for all the trades — concrete, electrical, plumbing, framing,” Steve says, “and then you’ve got all the building codes to know and adhere to.”

Confidence in the Product
Steve was hired as Field Supervisor in 1993. When he and owner Bill Pickett were constructing homes in the Andover section of Lexington, both men wound up building their own homes there as well.

“Of about 100 houses we built there, I’ve had only one customer who came to my house with a complaint — and he was apologetic about it. It was just that his smoke detector had gone off and he didn’t know how to turn it off,” Steve says. “The point is, both Bill and I had enough confidence in our product that we moved into a subdivision where we built. Some builders won’t do that.”

A native of Belleville, Ohio, Steve and his wife Judith have two grown children—John, 28, and Lisa, 26. He lists reading history and biographies and following NASCAR and Kentucky basketball among his favorite pursuits.

Prior to coming to Pickett Homes, Steve helped a small builder in Lexington for about three years. “I did some framing and helped a guy build homes,” he says. “That’s how I got my feet wet.”

Like Father, Like Son?
Although Steve was only six years old when his father died, he believes that his father passed along much of his expertise to him.

“I read an article in a local paper where I grew up about a woman in her 90s recalling her life,” Steve says. “She talked about coming to the town and getting married but having no house. They bought a barn and she said that ‘this excellent carpenter’ had turned it into a house for them. That carpenter was my father.

“I was only six when he died, so I obviously didn’t learn any skills from him — but I often wonder if I didn’t pick up the knack for building things from him. It’s just a feeling. I don’t really know, but I’ve just always had this ability for things like seeing when something is plumb, level and square, which is what you need in this business.”

All Questions Are 'Big'
After building some 400 homes, Steve has come across virtually every situation imaginable. As a result, what might seem like a big question or problem to a customer is often easily handled.

“People will call in with a question they think is a big deal,” Steve says. “For us, most of those questions really aren’t such a big deal. But even though it’s a small question to us, we know that it’s important to the people asking — because for customers all questions are big questions. And that’s how we treat them with our answers.”

Taking nothing for granted. Recognizing the customer’s need to be assured and have things proceed according to plan. For Pickett Homes and Steve Shaffer, that’s a constant rule of thumb.

“We have a lot of respect for the customer and we want them to have respect for us,” Steve says. “We’re here to do a good job, not just tell them we’re going to. That’s do or die for us.”