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Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
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Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus | |  | | ||
|  Setting Marketing Strategies Analyzing the Business Climate Creating Your Market Identity Planning Your Advertising Coordinating Company and Salesperson Marketing Developing Public Relations Strategies Enhancing Customer Service | Enhancing Customer Service 3 Questions for Assessing Customers’ Service Needs “You can be doing the best job in the world for your client but if there’s something missing, if the client is unhappy, then all your opinions about performance are worthless," Mark H. McCormack writes in his book On Selling. "Great service is a matter of perception. Great service is what the client thinks it is.” In other words, the only way to provide great customer service is to ask each client what customer service means to him or her. The first time you meet with a client, ask three related questions. 1. Because I’d like to provide you with the best customer service possible, can you tell me what specific expectations you have of me? 2. What are your expectations for communication—how often would you like to hear from me, and what kinds of information would you like to have? 3. What other services can I provide for you? As you and your client discuss these questions, you will develop a clear picture of your client’s definition of customer service. Then you can create a plan, including communication procedures, that will enable you to provide exactly the kind of service your client expects. Adapted from Dirk Zeller, “What Is the Definition of Customer Service?” Realty Times, July 18, 2001 Using E-mail to Improve Customer Service Stephen J. Canale, a licensed broker, speaker, and expert in technology, says it’s easy for the company to create templates for e-mail customer follow-ups. Templates are basic form letters that salespeople can personalize by adding a few specific details. For example, sales associates can use e-mail templates to:
Adapted from Stephen J. Canale, “Customer Service at the Speed of Light,” www.canale.com. Solving 3 Common Customer Complaints Improve your customer service by eliminating the three most common seller complaints. 1. Salespeople don’t return phone calls. Make it a priority at your company to return all calls within four hours and never to let a phone call go unanswered for more than 24 hours. Ask salespeople to return all calls before they leave the office each day. If a sales associate is out and won’t be back until after hours, make sure the receptionist gets the caller’s evening number. 2. Salespeople never call us until we call them. Ask salespeople to tell sellers they’ll set aside time each week—say, Thursdays between 6 and 9 p.m.—to call customers. That way, the salespeople will know they have to make the calls and the sellers will know they need to be available to receive the calls. Such a system should eliminate much frustrating telephone tag. 3. We don’t know what salespeople are doing to sell our property. Ask salespeople to tell sellers during the listing presentation what they’ll do to market their property and when they’ll do those things. Salespeople should then review their marketing plan every week and check off what they’ve done, list the additional activities they’ve completed to market the property, and send the sellers a copy. Sending sellers feedback every week keeps them up-to-date and demonstrates how hard the salesperson is working on their behalf. Adapted from Michael H. Bedsworth, “11 Ways to Improve Service Now,” in Real Estate Today®,February 1995 Customer Feedback Surveys: The Key to Customer Satisfaction > | |