Hi Kris,
Thanks to Jay (TheHi Kris,
Thanks to Jay (The Phoenix Real Estate Guy), I found your post through his Tweet of it on Twitter:
PhoenixREGuy Reading yet another @KrisBerg gem on Inman: http://is.gd/9JsC
He was right, and so are you. What has happened to customer service? Is technology partly to blame or is it simply a lost art?
In transitioning from my Electrical contracting business to Real Estate (investments, etc.), I've always maintained that my business was a customer service business that happens to provide electrical services and my real estate business is no different.
Many people are generally familiar with both Electrical and Real Estate but intimately have little knowledge of how either intrinsically work. This is where we're supposed to step in, as professionals, to provide the necessary service.
Unfortunately, making money often trumps doing the right thing. When someone has one bad breaker in their electrical panel, should I scare them into believing that they need, in my professional opinion, to replace the entire panel? As Real Estate professionals, should we urge someone to buy a home to get them out of our hair or because we know the deal really only works well for us?
In short, these businesses are centered around our clients. We're merely agents to provide professional services to smoothly facilitate the process.
In remembering this, as you've stated, we can work towards changing the culture and renewing people's faith in our services.
Every panel doesn't need to be replaced because one breaker has gone bad and that 4% commission may work well for you but isn't necessarily the best fit for your clients.
Who comes first? Even though it doesn't seem to be for many, the answer should be pretty obvious.
Thank you again for your great thoughts!