- 22
- Jan 10
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Pay Attention!
How to win over consumers
I went to my local hardware store recently. It’s hard not to feel for the plight of the small business owner in these tough times, so I do what I can to support entrepreneurs.
But my visit repeated a theme that has inexplicably happened all too often lately and has forced me to wonder whether or not my sentimental leanings are worth the effort.
I walked into an empty store but for the owner, who didn’t even look up from the iPhone with which he was playing. I took the one item I needed to the counter, reached into my wallet, and noticed that I was flat out of cash. So I handed him a credit card. An annoyed sigh greeted me, followed by, “Gee, buddy, it’s $2.99. That’s real low for plastic.”
He was unmoved by my explanation that I had no cash on me but really, really needed this tube of instant glue. Desperate, I found myself scouring every nook of my car for coins only to come 42¢ shy. I drove off, empty handed.
Although his business is less than a mile from my home, he can count on me driving right past in the future on my way to a box store. There, I’ll harbor no expectation of better service, but I’m pretty confident I’ll get the cheapest price.
Unfortunately, this was not my first such experience from a place where they should be tripping over themselves to treat each customer like a treasured find. A minimal effort on my $2.99 purchase would have kept me coming back; if only he knew that my wife and I are rabid do-it-yourselfers who practically financed another store owner’s retirement!
It’s impossible for me not to think of the parallels to our industry. Although there are many great real estate professionals and companies, I continue to hear far too many stories of customers complaining while sales associates and brokers lament what the market has done to their income but continue to do business much in the same way as when times were easier.
The cold, hard fact is that too few customers see a differentiation in customer service from one real estate experience to the next so they are likely to act like I did--make price the deciding factor in their next transaction.
This is the time to rededicate yourself to stellar customer service. Now more than ever if you’re not singularly focused on the needs and wants of your customer you may as well just play with your iPhone while they drive on past.
But my visit repeated a theme that has inexplicably happened all too often lately and has forced me to wonder whether or not my sentimental leanings are worth the effort.
I walked into an empty store but for the owner, who didn’t even look up from the iPhone with which he was playing. I took the one item I needed to the counter, reached into my wallet, and noticed that I was flat out of cash. So I handed him a credit card. An annoyed sigh greeted me, followed by, “Gee, buddy, it’s $2.99. That’s real low for plastic.”
He was unmoved by my explanation that I had no cash on me but really, really needed this tube of instant glue. Desperate, I found myself scouring every nook of my car for coins only to come 42¢ shy. I drove off, empty handed.
Although his business is less than a mile from my home, he can count on me driving right past in the future on my way to a box store. There, I’ll harbor no expectation of better service, but I’m pretty confident I’ll get the cheapest price.
Unfortunately, this was not my first such experience from a place where they should be tripping over themselves to treat each customer like a treasured find. A minimal effort on my $2.99 purchase would have kept me coming back; if only he knew that my wife and I are rabid do-it-yourselfers who practically financed another store owner’s retirement!
It’s impossible for me not to think of the parallels to our industry. Although there are many great real estate professionals and companies, I continue to hear far too many stories of customers complaining while sales associates and brokers lament what the market has done to their income but continue to do business much in the same way as when times were easier.
The cold, hard fact is that too few customers see a differentiation in customer service from one real estate experience to the next so they are likely to act like I did--make price the deciding factor in their next transaction.
This is the time to rededicate yourself to stellar customer service. Now more than ever if you’re not singularly focused on the needs and wants of your customer you may as well just play with your iPhone while they drive on past.
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Category: Business
Comments [7]
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January 26, 2010 10:03am MST
Customer Service
Agreed, customer service is lacking in many establishments. Perhaps the person working behind the counter isn't the owner, but that's not an excuse for rude, inattentive service. On the other hand, the prospective buyer might have taken into account that the use of plastic for a $2.99 purchase will cost the establishment a fee that may be greater than the profit margin. Moreover, the clerk may have been warned not to accept plastic for sales under a certain amount. Couldn't the prospective buyer have found another item to purchase, so the clerk could have accepted the credit card? On both sides, there is frequently a lack of consideration.
... Read all 7 comments ...
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January 19, 2010 7:34am MST
Customer Service
I absolutely agree. I like to support locally owned businesses, but I too have seen a trend in poor customer service. When I go out of my way to eat at a locally owned restaurant, I want to be greeted with a smile, not a ugh...another customer. I want them to treat me the same as I will treat them when I work with them to buy or sell real estate. It doesn't matter that they are having a bad day, don't show it. If I just lost a deal because of a financing issue and I was counting on that commission check, I don't let the next person I'm working with know that I've had this experience. People have lost the art of customer service and pride in doing the best job every day no matter what that job is. I'm teaching my kids (hopefully) the right work ethic and what goes along with it.
Thank you
I often hear of people defining their company as either "broker-centric" or "agent-centric." As far as I'm concerned, the only orientation that matters is "consumer-centric."
Customer Service-more important than anything
How much does a new customer cost. More than 42 cents I bet.
True story: I took my skis to get waxed. When I picked them up, I was told it was only $5.00. I only had $3.00 cash... The response, "Oh, that's fine. We'll just charge you $3.00." A week later, I brought my wife's skis in. Her tune-up was $20.00. Oh, and guess where I'll buy my next set of skis and boots.
It's Time We Step Up
Our main theme at Fillmore for this year is customer satisfaction. In fact, we are launching an extensive Customer Satisfaction Initiative (CSI) that will strive to provide excellent customer service consistently for our brand. We will rate the agents on timeliness, knowledge and in their efforts to exceed customers expectations. We then will reward high scoring agents with more leads, which should result in higher conversion rates for the firm.
Thanks for your story. It's really that simple...
Couldn't agree more!