5 Things Clients Notice – and Hate – but Don’t Tell You
dotloop
August 29, 2012 | comments
We all do it. We avoid uncomfortable conversations by keeping our mouths shut, even when we’re seething just under the surface.
A server gets your lunch order wrong, but you smile and stomach it rather than sending it back. An oil change takes longer than expected, but you smile and wait. A movie theater is dirty, but you stay and watch the film.
But after we leave, there’s one other thing we all have in common: we tell our friends and families about our bad experiences.
Your clients are no different – the way they experience your relationship is how they’ll explain it to others. The key here is to understand it’s about how they see it – not how you see it. When that experience is good, you may get a new referral client; but when it’s bad, you’re guaranteed not to.
In a business that lives and dies by referrals, it’s important to learn to read between the lines.
5 things they hate about you
- You don’t take your time. Real estate agents are busy people and in your quest to stay connected, you fire off emails without much care to the information. When you forget to answer a question or don’t include your attachments, your clients notice. Do this too many times and they’ll start to think of you as careless.
- You don’t spell check. Related to item number one, when you’re sending out quick communications, you’re likely to misspell or mistype a few words. Do this too often and your clients will start to think you don’t pay attention to the details.
- You don’t use technology effectively. Everyone does business online, whether it’s shopping or searching for a home. Your clients want to do business online and if you won’t, someone else will. Stay disconnected too long and your clients will think you’re outdated.
- You don’t answer your calls. Clients want your undivided attention when they’re with you – and when they aren’t. Miss too many phone calls when they have important questions and your clients will think you’re avoiding them.
- You put them on hold. Yes, this is a double-edged sword. Clients want to be your number one priority at all times. They want you to answer when they call but don’t want you to answer your calls when they’re with you. Finding a balance can be difficult but not impossible – making your clients wait too long and they’ll think you don’t have time for them.
What can you do about it?
Real estate is a relationship business, and it’s important to be as sincere as possible with your clients. Some of the things they hate are avoidable by being more careful with your communications, but others are a symptom of the industry. Set expectations about how you’ll respond, how you’ll balance your other clients and how you’ll use technology from the outset to avoid a negative client experience.
Technology like dotloop can alleviate all these troublesome topics. Visit www.dotloop.com today to see how you can streamline the way you work, the way you communicate and the way you handle business.
