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The "Back Charge" Philosophy

I guess this is my day to vent. Except for one, most of my posts today seem to be about annoying things, so while I'm on the subject, I figured I'd throw this one in for free!

Time to pay the Dr.!!!

We all know that if we miss our doctor appointment and fail to cancel on time, we will be charged for the visit. There is a big sign in the registration window that says so. We also know that if we go over on our cell phone minutes, we will pay a hefty penalty for those overages, right? How many of us would not have to pay a lawyer for his/her time in researching or investigating a problem of ours?

What's my point? I think we, as a society, should start BACK CHARGING. Next time you go to the Dr. and HE MAKES YOU WAIT, why shouldn't it be legal for YOU to charge him what HE charges YOU per hour. Is his time more valuable than yours? Maybe you should charge MORE since you are required to wait while you are sick.

If you are UNDER on your cell phone minutes, shouldn't you receive a credit on your bill for the amount of minutes you didn't use, but paid for?

And if you are stuck on the phone with the bank, the phone company, the utility company, the satellite t.v. company, or the Internet provider...and THEY are asking you to unplug this and re-boot that or to fax over a copy of your previous bill or follow a "trouble shooting" procedure that they dictate to you over the phone...shouldn't you get paid for your time and trouble?

Where's our money?

After all, in this SERVICE PROVIDER driven society, shouldn't the one providing the service be expected to do the work since we are paying for the service? What if we sent the phone company a bill for the minutes they kept us on the phone or if we charged the Internet service provider what a service technician would be charging to come to our building and fix the equipment?

"Handyman? No, I'm a real estate professional, why?"

It would be like us calling our clients and saying, "Listen, I know you are low on flyers, so can you just pull up a Word Document on your computer and print out some new ones and stick them in the box?" Or how about telling your Buyer that before you provide them service, you'd like to "walk them" through a trouble shooting process whereby they drive by all of the prospective listings to check curb appeal so they won't waste our time and gas taking them to unsavory candidates. I don't think it would fly...

Posted by Lania DeMers, Broker Rocky Mountain Realty Co. on 11/14/2007 04:22 PM

Comments (9)

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9 Comments on The "Back Charge" Philosophy

LOL! One of the top producers in our market area honestly gives her listing clients their flyer on a disk, and has them keep the box full. That has driven me crazy since the day I started here. She tells them that she is busy trying to find them a buyer!

SHE HAS 3 ASSISTANTS!!!

11/14/2007 04:53 PM

by Jayne Dodgson (Prudential Preferred Realty)

I hear your pain. It reminds me of a story about a doctor who had a waiting room full of patients waiting for him, and he walked through the front door with his golf bag slung over his shoulder. Needless to say the rumor hung around his practice and patients for a few days till most of them left.

11/14/2007 04:53 PM

by Daniel Sundberg Foreclosure Specialist (Crystal Springs Real Estate)

I know Jayne...there's one here that leaves them on the counter of her vacant rural listing and asks showing agents to take a few and leave them in the box on the way out!!!

Daniel...One time we were waiting in the Dr. ofice for about 1/2 hour and then we got taken in to the mini-jail in the back and waited ANOTHER 1/2 hour when I heard the nurse in the hall talking to the DR. ON THE PHONE. I confronted her and she explained that he "WAS TRYING TO GET HERE, but wasn't going to make it..." We never went back.

11/14/2007 05:05 PM

by Lania DeMers, Broker Rocky Mountain Realty Co. (Rocky Mountain Realty Co.)

That's awesome! I liked when my furniture company gave us a window between 8 and 2 to deliver furniture. At 2:30 my husband text messaged me to tell me NO furniture. I called the furniture company only to get a snottly little girl on the phone who said, "your husband canceled the delivery". I said, let me speak with your manager, she said, "he's going to tell you the same thing...I'm sure he is get him on the phone. Manager gets on the phone and says...he canceled...I said...if he canceled the delivery why would he have sat over there all day waiting for you to show up? He said............................we'll be right there. jeeeeeez!

11/14/2007 05:15 PM

by Shannon Lefevre Naples, Florida CRS (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.)

Right Shannon...maybe we should vote to lend out our keys to Buyers, (with a deposit, of course), so we can let them show THEMSELVES the houses and then we can just write em' up!

11/14/2007 05:46 PM

by Lania DeMers, Broker Rocky Mountain Realty Co. (Rocky Mountain Realty Co.)

I would LOVE to charge my doctor for making me wait. As for the flyers, I give my sellers a stack and make them refill the box so I don't have to keep driving over there. They don't seem to mind. And if I start rolling over too many cell phone minutes, I change my plan until I've used them all. BTW, in your frame of mind, you might like my last post. And probably my next one too. I'm ranting today as well.

11/14/2007 09:35 PM

by Lisa Hill (Daytona Beach Real Estate) (Adams Cameron and Company)

Thanks Lisa...I guess sometimes moods are in the way of the perfect day!

11/15/2007 12:18 PM

by Lania DeMers, Broker Rocky Mountain Realty Co. (Rocky Mountain Realty Co.)

Lania

Seriously now, I believe that we as professionals should start standing up for ourselves. One of the agents in my office had a doctor for a client, and he was asking for a reduced commission to list his home. After explaining our marketing plan she ask him point blank if he would give her a discount the next time she made a visit to him. You can guess his reply. He stated that this would set a poor example and everyone would want one...........NO KIDDING.

She got the proper commission.

11/20/2007 10:12 AM

by Dave Shockley Charlottesville Virginia Real Estate (Real Estate III)

Hi Dave! GREAT example! I am definately going to use that! You've got a good agent there.

11/20/2007 11:19 AM

by Lania DeMers, Broker Rocky Mountain Realty Co. (Rocky Mountain Realty Co.)