This is one area
that sadly needs a lot of improvement. With the property market flooded by
Agents who have little or no training in Real Estate or even Customer Service,
it is inevitable that service given to prospective clients is usually below
acceptable standards. I guess the question that springs to mind next is “what
acceptable standards?” The Lagos State Government has done a lot to bring some
regulation into the property market, but without proper enforcement and provision
of information, neither the Agent nor client is equipped to deal with poor
service.
Ask any CEO of a company, Managing Director of a bank, manager of an office, telecoms company or even a tailor, and they will tell you how important the customer is to their operations and success. How you define service shapes every interaction you have with your customers/clients. Limited definitions of service based on an exchange of monies for goods or service misses the overall point of customer service. “Service” should provide the customer/client with more than a product or action taken on his/her behalf. It should provide satisfaction. In essence, the customer/client should walk away pleased at the result of the transaction – not just content but actually happy. A happy customer will continue to be a buying customer and a returning customer. Agents seem to think that once just one sale or lease transaction is completed, they are successful. They don’t realise that if the client is happy, he will refer other people to them and maybe even use the same Agent again.
Customers, buyers and clients who want to put their hard earned money into property investment will want to pay a fair price for quality service and outcome, and feel satisfied they have paid for a service/product and received what they have paid for in return. They also want someone to take care of them by guiding them in the right direction. They need someone to understand their needs and help answer them. They need someone to hold their hands and walk them through a process. Customer service starts with the ability to listen to the customer and find out through polite questioning what he/she needs or wants. From my experience some clients are unsure of what type of property they want and may give the Agent one specification, which the Agent runs around trying to meet, only to hear that the client as closed a deal on another property that did not match the original specification at all. The Agent therefore needs to have a wide choice of properties around the client’s specification and guide them or suggest other properties that may meet their needs. This requires a skill and thinking “outside the box” which is sadly lacking.
Customer service and contact with a client mean that the client must be heard and his/her problems will not go unanswered or ignored. It also means getting to know your client, his/her likes-dislikes, ideas, background, etc.
The other most important aspect to do is to listen to what the customer is saying. If people do not understand what is motivating the customer, they will not be successful in handling them or finding the right property. Do research on customers, their habits, and what they want and expect.
One common denominator among all companies or organizations that provide good service is the development of a system and attitude promoting customer friendly service. By “customer friendly” this means viewing the customer as the most important part of your job. The cliché, “The customer is always right” is derived from this customer friendly environment.
The two main tasks of successful customer relations are for the Agent to communicate and develop relationships with the client. This does not take a huge effort, but does not happen instantaneously either. Positive dialogue/communication with your customers and developing ongoing relationships with customers/clients are perhaps the two most important qualities to strive for in customer service, even if it is just ringing up from time to time to see how they are or letting them know what’s new on the market. Agents should remember that good customer service results in consumer satisfaction and return customers and growth in business. Poor customer service, except for monopolistic businesses like PHCN, generally results in consumer dissatisfaction, poor reference, lack of returning customers and diminishing business. What is needed for property professionals is to invest in training for Agents and their staff if they are to maximise their business potential and earn a respected name in the market
Ask any CEO of a company, Managing Director of a bank, manager of an office, telecoms company or even a tailor, and they will tell you how important the customer is to their operations and success. How you define service shapes every interaction you have with your customers/clients. Limited definitions of service based on an exchange of monies for goods or service misses the overall point of customer service. “Service” should provide the customer/client with more than a product or action taken on his/her behalf. It should provide satisfaction. In essence, the customer/client should walk away pleased at the result of the transaction – not just content but actually happy. A happy customer will continue to be a buying customer and a returning customer. Agents seem to think that once just one sale or lease transaction is completed, they are successful. They don’t realise that if the client is happy, he will refer other people to them and maybe even use the same Agent again.
Customers, buyers and clients who want to put their hard earned money into property investment will want to pay a fair price for quality service and outcome, and feel satisfied they have paid for a service/product and received what they have paid for in return. They also want someone to take care of them by guiding them in the right direction. They need someone to understand their needs and help answer them. They need someone to hold their hands and walk them through a process. Customer service starts with the ability to listen to the customer and find out through polite questioning what he/she needs or wants. From my experience some clients are unsure of what type of property they want and may give the Agent one specification, which the Agent runs around trying to meet, only to hear that the client as closed a deal on another property that did not match the original specification at all. The Agent therefore needs to have a wide choice of properties around the client’s specification and guide them or suggest other properties that may meet their needs. This requires a skill and thinking “outside the box” which is sadly lacking.
Customer service and contact with a client mean that the client must be heard and his/her problems will not go unanswered or ignored. It also means getting to know your client, his/her likes-dislikes, ideas, background, etc.
The other most important aspect to do is to listen to what the customer is saying. If people do not understand what is motivating the customer, they will not be successful in handling them or finding the right property. Do research on customers, their habits, and what they want and expect.
One common denominator among all companies or organizations that provide good service is the development of a system and attitude promoting customer friendly service. By “customer friendly” this means viewing the customer as the most important part of your job. The cliché, “The customer is always right” is derived from this customer friendly environment.
The two main tasks of successful customer relations are for the Agent to communicate and develop relationships with the client. This does not take a huge effort, but does not happen instantaneously either. Positive dialogue/communication with your customers and developing ongoing relationships with customers/clients are perhaps the two most important qualities to strive for in customer service, even if it is just ringing up from time to time to see how they are or letting them know what’s new on the market. Agents should remember that good customer service results in consumer satisfaction and return customers and growth in business. Poor customer service, except for monopolistic businesses like PHCN, generally results in consumer dissatisfaction, poor reference, lack of returning customers and diminishing business. What is needed for property professionals is to invest in training for Agents and their staff if they are to maximise their business potential and earn a respected name in the market
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