Most of us are busy setting appropriate expectations for our customers. We have found that consistently great service, honesty, and integrity are very important priorities, and it’s always better to be consistently good rather than great just once in a while. Loyal customers are those who have stayed with organizations because of the high quality of their products or services over a continuous period of time.
In the service industry, expectations change, and of course with the addition of the Internet, customers and clients have many more tools at their fingertips. So how does this effect customer expectations?
In real estate sales, we don’t really sell a person a home; we help someone figure out what they need or what pleases them. Once we gain their trust, we offer customers and clients choices, and with our recommendations they decide which home they want to purchase. As part of our service, we often become the total solution provider. Working with our affiliates, we can help people determine how much they can afford, give them quotes for insurance, provide accurate information on schools, traffic, parks, beaches, shopping and even the proximity to airports. We can recommend a roofer, handyman, and landscapers – all part of the extra service a prospective homeowner can expect.
Of course, you don’t have to be in the real estate business to exceed customer expectations, so here are some solid suggestions to help any business or service to excel:
- We treat each and every customer as number one.
- We always leave our bad mood at home, and we provide prompt attention, reliability, knowledge of our product or service, and empathy.
- We explain any difficult situation and try to figure out a compromise that leaves our customer feeling satisfied with the decision.
- We listen carefully.
- We offer suggestions and additional services to complement our services.
- We strive for continuous excellence in our service.
- We provide affiliates or recommendations to others who can provide expert services and professional advice.
- We are not afraid to be creative and go well beyond what is expected of us.
- We welcome customer feedback on our products and services so we can improve immediately, instead of waiting until our competition comes out with a better solution.
photo credit: Dana Moos, Realtor
