The Lost Art of Customer Service
It is fair to assume that most people are skeptical of service providers today. They say all of the right things to get the sale and then they ghost you. Customer service is becoming a lost art. This is where the opportunity lies.
We have all experienced bad customer service from an employee who doesn’t care, doesn’t like their job, their company, their boss, or their station in life. They make sure everyone they meet feels their pain. We’ve all tried to reach out for assistance and got voicemail, the wrong department, hung up on, or if we are lucky enough to speak with someone, they rarely follow-up or follow through as promised. We all get frustrated with these experiences.
Is this a problem or is it an opportunity? I see the opportunity. While most businesses are in a race to the bottom to save costs and offer a better price to compete, they are foregoing quality customer support. They end up with customers who describe their experience in a vocabulary made up of four-letter words.
To develop into a master salesperson, to have customers seek you out because of your exceptional reputation of quality not price, you must deliver an experience that exceeds their expectations. You may notice that I said EXCEED their expectations, not meet them.
What do you do that sets you apart? It starts with caring about your clients more than your commission. Do it FOR them, not TO them. Every time you meet someone who may become a client, I want you to imagine they have four letters written on their forehead in black marker.
- M – Make
- M – Me
- F – Feel
- I – Important
When you are working with buyers, here are 14 little gems that will set you apart from the average agent:
Create a financing checklist
Make sure your buyer has a great mortgage experience. Be involved. Help them expedite the application process by giving them a checklist of everything they will need to supply to the mortgage professional along with deadlines to ensure there are no bumps on the road to closing.
Label all pre-existing keys
Before you hand the buyer the keys to their new house, take a minute to label the keys (front door, back door, garage, mailbox) and put them on a branded keychain, so your contact details are always in reach. Every time they grab their keys, they will think of you.
Have the house professionally cleaned
Assuming there are a few days between when the seller moves out and your buyers move in, hire a professional cleaning service to give the house a good once over.
Pop by moving day with pizza and soda
We all know how hectic moving day can be. Popping by with refreshments will be a welcome break. But don’t stay too long otherwise they will have you moving furniture.
Hire a handyman for small fixes
A few days after closing, hire a handyman to stop by their house to fix any minor repairs and dispose of any moving boxes and garbage. Service after the sale is what turns happy buyers into raving fans that sing your praises to everyone they know.
Label the electrical panel
I think you would agree that most electrical panels are a mess. If you want to impress your buyers, get the handyman to label the breakers when he is there. Your buyers will think you leave no stone unturned.
Order an extra garage door opener
Get the make and model of the current garage door opener and purchase an extra one online. Get your handyman to program it when he is there to do odd jobs around the house.
Put together your Angie’s list
Give the buyers a laminated list of contact details for the gas and electrical companies, internet providers, municipal offices, fire, hospital, and police, as well as a list of your recommended local service providers (landscapers, window cleaners, pool cleaners, irrigation providers, etc.).
Leave detailed instructions
Ask the listing agent to provide you with instructions on how to turn off the outside water main, how to service the pool or hot tub if there is one, how to turn on the sprinkler system, how to program the thermostat, lights, or alarm, how to service the furnace and air conditioner along with maintenance schedules, etc. Type out the instructions and email them to the buyers.
Compile appliance instruction manuals
Ask the sellers to put together a file of instruction manuals for all appliances (fridge, stove, water softener, furnace, air conditioner, pool equipment, etc.). If there are any warranty documents, they would be included.
Leave extra touch-up paint
Ask the sellers to leave touch-up paint for each room and label them with the color, so the new buyers can pick up additional paint if needed. This may seem like a small thing, but it will help the buyers with touching up nail holes etc. once they move in without having to guess at paint colors.
Send We’ve Moved cards
Ask your buyers for a list of their 25-50 closest friends with their addresses. Send a “We’ve Moved” postcard to their friends showing a picture of them standing in front of their new house with the new address. This is a great way to add new contacts to your CRM system.
Host a house-warming party
A month after they move in, offer to host a house-warming party. If they provide you with the guest list and email addresses, you will invite everyone and have it catered. It is a great way to introduce you to the buyer’s circle of friends and if you work it properly, there is another deal or two in there for you.
Avoid the loyalty gap
In NAR’s 2020 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, it showed that 89% of sellers said they would rehire their previous agent for future services. Only 26% actually did because their agent failed to stay in touch with them. Don’t let this happen to you. Once you close the sale, ensure you consistently stay in touch with past clients using automated market reports, birthday cards, anniversary cards, quarterly phone calls, etc. This can all be managed within your CRM system.
Buying a home shouldn’t be scary or frustrating. It should be exciting and fun. Taking care of these little details can be the defining difference in the experience.
Go through our list of items and choose the ones that fit comfortably within your business model. Assemble your list of recommended local service providers. As you help them build their business, remember the law of reciprocity. When you help others, they will want to help you in return.
If you want to learn more about taking your business to the next level, check out https://leadersedgetraining.com/virtual-training.
Chris Leader
President
Leader’s Edge Training