What Does Your Customer Service Say About You?

No matter what kind of business you're in, you need a customer service plan to set you apart from everyone else.  Since I am in real estate, I will use this fabulous industry as my example for the lessons in this blog post. Let's face it, pretty much every Realtor does the same thing.  By that, I mean its not rocket science when it comes to selling houses and so far over the last ten years I've not seen any one Realtor who does something completely different from others.  Yes, there are different ways to market and sell a home but primarily in any sales job, especially a commissioned sales job, customer service has to be the focus on what differentiates one sales person from another.  Most industries usually focus on two things, price and service. You may be willing to give up one for the other. For example, Walmart; you may give up having a pleasant shopping experience at one store to save more money by going to Walmart, but in sales, service, like size, does matter. So for all you commissioned sales people out there, especially my fellow Realtors, let's look briefly at what your customer service says about you.

Do you answer your phone? Such an easy thing but so hard for some people to do.  I once worked with a couple of people who had management responsibilities yet neither of them could ever be bothered to answer their phone.  If a customer needs you, they need a returned phone call.  Yes, sometimes they call for silly things but whether or not you answer their calls, or even return them, says a lot about you and customer service.  Maybe you're not in sales but you're a manager; your employees are your customers.  They can't do their job until they hear from you so if they have a question, give them good service by answering your phone.  So easy, so simple yet many people blow this one simply because they are too lazy and self absorbed to take care of their people or their clients.  Don't be this way.

Do you communicate frequently and honestly with your clients?  This big, especially for Realtors because I cant tell you how many times I've heard prospective clients say "The last Realtor only put a sign in the yard and after that we never heard from them".  From a real estate perspective that is certainly not customer service.  You may not have anything to tell them but you need to talk to them nonetheless. Check in, let them know what you're doing.  Did the house show?  Did you advertise in a different site? Can you pull numbers from the web advertising and tell them how many hits they had?  You can always call and give them an encouraging word.  Let them know you're there, you're not worried and the right buyer is just around the corner.  And if it is over priced or in bad shape, tell them!  Honesty is always the best policy...along with tactfulness.  Having an ugly, overpriced listing doesn't work for you and certainly won't work for the seller in terms of getting it sold. Have a heart to heart with them, give them the chance to adjust and correct and go from there.  If they choose not to take your advice, you've at least done in part in being open with them and having the tough conversations.

Do you do your job or do you do more than expected? Do you under promise and over deliver?  If you're just doing your job, read this post and change your view point!  I recently went and showed a home listed by another Realtor who had put the lockbox on the side door, not the front.  Of course the day I showed it, it was pouring rain and I was drenched going to the side door, getting the key, running to front, unlocking home for clients then having to put the key back in the lockbox on the side of the house. When the agent called for feedback I expressed my displeasure about the location of the lockbox and asked why in the world it was like that.  Their response? "The seller said they didn't have a key to front door so I used the side key door."  Really? Guess what? I used that key and it fit.  Apparently the agent never even tried the key to see if it worked and even if they had and it didn't, as their agent it would have been a fabulous opportunity to go over and above, have a key made and not have showing agents schlepp around or enter the home through the garage.  They did their job but certainly did not do anything to go above and beyond.

Lastly, your customer service should be designed to wow them, from how your greet them, talk to them, respond to their needs, wrap up the sale and stay in touch afterwards.  Customer service actually starts before you ever meet your client by the way your marketing looks, how your phone message sounds, the promptness of your response, your conduct through the transaction and the follow up and connection afterward.  Make sure your service, from beginning to end, makes them feel special, valued and makes them want to refer others to you.  Then you will know exactly what your customer service says about you!

Is Customer Service in Your 2015 Business Plan?

It's that time of year again, the "wrap up the old year, get ready for a new one" time. You, like most other professionals, have probably figured out your successes for 2014, areas of improvement for 2015 and have made a list of goals that you want to strategically tackle to take your business to the next level.  Good for you! And for you slackers reading this who haven't done it, get on it after you read this fascinating blog post.

Whether you're tweaking your business plan over the next several days or actually finally getting it in writing, be sure and map out your customer service plan for the new year.  What are your doing for your clients, the ones who are getting you to where you want to be? The ones who either buy or sell with you, refer you business or help your business run more efficiently by providing great service to you?  What are doing to attract and reward new customers?  What are you doing to ensure repeat business from past clients?  What are you doing daily to give, maintain and demonstrate customer service?  

Whatever your plan is, put it in writing, communicate it with your staff and make sure they know what's expected.  Hold them accountable to giving the type of service you want associated with your name and brand.  And then track your results by the number of referrals you're given, the answer to "How'd you hear about us", or amount of repeat business you receive.  And new business, hopefully, will be derived as well.

Start your new year and your new business plan off right with an action plan for customer service and watch 2015 become your best year.

What do you plan to do to make customer service a priority for your business?  Comments are welcomed!

Do You Park In Customer Parking...At Your Own Company?!

This should be a no brainer post, really.  I mean, common sense would tell you that people who work at a company don't park in customer parking.  Right?  Especially when customer parking is right up front and is clearly marked.

Would you agree?

You would be correct but you would also be sorely disappointed to find out that a lot of people are not as smart, nor as considerate as you and I are. I don't know what that is a statement of; selfishness, stupidity, out and out rudeness?

But it is not customer service. Wait, it is; it's bad customer service.

I've actually had experience with this one. At another firm I worked we had an agent who consistently everyday obtrusively parked their big old Mercedes front and center in the closest spot to the front door directly under the sign that plainly stated customer parking only. As if that wasn't rude enough, they also had vanity tags with both their name and the Realtor emblem emblazoned on said flashy Mercedes so that when customers did have to park on the other side and walk into the building, they could be sure and know that they reason they were walking past the spot reserved for them was because one of the Realtors wanted to park there.

Absolutely unbelievable and to add insult to injury, this Realtor was offended when I told them to stop parking there.

I scratched my head on this one, not able to fathom why no one there seemed to get this was just plain wrong.

Fast forward.....I had the privilege this week to attend a seminar on "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership". We were talking about characteristics of good leaders and qualities that weren't.  Not just the big things but the little things as well. And guess what circumstance came up that we said leaders, whether individual employees or the company itself, could really step and epitomize to the clients how much customer service means to them without ever saying a word?

Seeing who was parked in the customer parking spots, or more importantly, who was not.

I've witnessed various employees at many companies park in the customer spots and it tells me I am not important to them, their needs are more important than mine.  No customer needs that spot for five or ten minutes to run inside and give them business. The employee needs it for a few hours, all day, whatever.  It's a huge slap in the face and if they don't get it enough to figure out the parking space, where else could the customer service be lacking?

Speaking as a Realtor, if someone at my office parked in the space reserved for clients, one of which may be mine, I would be angry.  I would ask that they not to take those spots and mention that I don't like the message it sends.  Sadly, at the other place, agents were angry that I had said something. They didn't get what the real message was.

What does your parking lot say to your clients or the companies clients?  Customer service begins before you ever walk in the door.

Are people at your office killing customer service before you ever get the chance to show them yours?

I Guess We'll Start Here

Hello Reader;

This blog is evolving because, sadly, I've discovered something; there is no customer service anymore.  Seriously. I remember growing up and going with my mother to a local dry cleaner and reading a big sign behind the counter that proclaimed, in big bold letters,  "The Customer  Is Always Right".  But alas, that no longer rings true.  The customer is not viewed as important anymore and is oftentimes treated as an interruption. It's mind blowing but customer service today sometimes seems non existent.  I rarely experience good, strong, "wow me" customer service, even in establishments that are high end and are assumed to care about that sort of thing. As a Realtor, broker and trainer, one thing I'm passionate about is service to the client.  I truly believe the way to a better deal with a client, a co-worker or anyone is strictly through providing better service to their needs.  I know from teaching about customer service that consumers today almost expect bad service from corporate America; and when they get even mediocre service they are elated What?! Is it just me or is that wrong? The purpose of this blog is to highlight great service, blast incompetence (oh, and blast I will) and get everyone to think more about customer service in their line of business; how you receive it and hopefully, how you give it. These posts are designed to educate about great service and who provides it, why it was great, and how you can implement it to your line of work. And in the process of of that,  I hope to make you laugh, because I'm nothing if I'm not funny.  So check back often and share your comments.  I promise you'll laugh, shake your head in disbelief, smile at the triumphs, think and hopefully want to up your game in your own endeavors.