Working with customers 7 days a week, oftentimes more than 8
hours a day, I have to be really focused on delivering quality customer
service. Even though real estate has
experienced a technology revolution like many other industries, technology
alone can’t deliver the customer service necessary to a real estate
transaction.
So what is customer service today? I find that when I need
help with some aspect of the technology I use – websites, software, cell phones
and computers; I’m often directed to visit the Help Center on the website. Here I can enter a search term that can bring
up hundreds of results. I scroll through
page one of those results…then page two…then page three…and find nothing to
help with my situation. I then go to the
“Contact Us” tab thinking I’m going to get a phone number or email and contact
a real person. No such luck because that
page just refers me back to the Help Center. In a few instances where I am given an email
address for “customer support”, in sending the email I find I just get an
automated email response that refers me back to the Help Center or a link doing
the same. I know what I’m getting and
it’s a phrase you don’t hear much anymore: I’m getting the runaround. Not ready to give up, I search every page of
the website, every tab, multitudes of links, even the fine print at the bottom
- looking for some way to get in contact with a real live person with no
success. By this time I’m thinking: “Is
this their definition of customer service?” Is it yours because it sure isn’t
mine! Have we allowed customer service to erode to this level in exchange for
high tech? I’m afraid we have.
Customer service is having easy access to a live person!
That person should have the ability to listen to you outline your problem and
keep on listening while you describe the means you have already tried of
resolving the problem.
Customer service is also a willingness to give the customer
your full, undivided attention. How many
times have you started to explain a problem and been cut-off by a service
representative who is anxious to pawn you off – to the Help Center?! Or to a
solution you’ve already tried with no success?
Customer service is also providing a phone number to your
customers – one displayed prominently on your website and your printed
materials. I’d sure like to see the phone answered by a person on the first or
second ring but it appears automated phone systems are here to stay. If I want
to be a standout amongst the competition, I wouldn’t use them. To me, nothing
says “we’d rather not deal with our customers” like getting an automated phone
system.
No matter how high tech my career as a real estate sales
executive in the Kansas City area becomes, I’m going to provide customer
service according to my definition. Customer service that is personal,
available, and built around the needs of my customers. My customers are far too
essential to my livelihood for me to give them anything less.
