Excellence in customer service is something that most of us expect when we're paying someone to do something for us. Actually, maybe excellence is too strong a word. Although excellent customer service is what we all hope for, I think most of us just expect to be treated with respect and warmth when dealing with people. Not too much of an ask you would think. I've talked about this before. What amazes me however is how many people expect brilliant service, but then fail to give it themselves in their own business. How does that work?
I think all of us can recall an occasion where we've experienced exceptional customer service. It's those little things like not having to ask for your wine to be refilled at a restaurant, it's the person on the checkout who actually looks at your credit card and says "thank you Mr Mylott" before handing it back to you. It's simple gestures of obvious care that result in us feeling totally looked after. These are also the gestures that result in us returning to the same places, or recommending a company to someone else. So why don't we automatically do these things ourselves?
In real estate, customer service can sometimes be lacking. I've worked in the real estate industry long enough to know that many agents have their own interests ahead of their customers'. Obviously not at Century 21 of course, but there are those real estate agents out there who definitely don't apply the notion of excellent customer service the way that they should.
This is one of the reasons that when you're choosing an agent it's important to look at things like testimonials, previous successes, and professionalism rather than judging them purely on their commission level. Could you possibly be paying a higher rate for a better result and better customer service? It's the same mentality that applies when you choose a restaurant. If you choose a 5 star place to eat, you expect that the service and quality of the food will be better, but you also expect to pay for it. In the same sense, if you choose to eat at a low cost fast food chain, chances are you're not expecting a gourmet meal or much customer service. But when it comes to real estate, for some reason that line of thinking seems to dissipate.
In today's climate, you need to offer exceptional customer service to win business, and to keep it. Real estate is no exception. The next time you experience customer service that stands out, think about how you can apply that to your own business and your own clients. They'll thank you for it, and chances are so will your bottom line.