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Role reversal: Learning from the younger generation

By Kris Wales

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center

February 18, 2008 10:05 AM

I have a confession to make. A really big confession. Ready?

I hate text messaging.

Using the keypad of my phone leaves me frustrated. I have
to dig out my glasses, only to be reminded that the prescription
isn't powerful enough to read the little A, B, C's.

Then I have to get my fingers to press the buttons correctly, in
the correct order, and not hit the wrong button before I hit "send".

To add insult to injury I don't know how to use the punctuation
on my keypad so I hate reading what I've sent. It all looks
so sloppy.

Recently my DN (Darling Niece) has been text messaging me. No
amount of cajoling "Leighann, I don't like to text message" will
stop her (or me from reciprocating).

I probably sounded like a whiny 4 year old to her. (It will be good
practice for her, she's an early childhood education student at
Western Michigan University.)

As the weeks have gone on I realized however that I really need to
"get with it" as the young people her age are the consumers of the
future. I would love to be able to ask a client "What method of
contact do you prefer? Email? Phone? Text message?" and not
have to pray that they don't choose the third choice.

This weekend I will be going to school. The class? Text Messaging 101.

It will be taught by the lovely young lady you see on the right
when I visit her at WMU on Friday and Saturday.

I hope I get an "A"!

© Kris Wales RE/MAX Advantage 1, Inc. Chesterfield Township MI

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Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Lane: Your comment was chock full of information that I didn't have and I am grateful for it. (Plan a wedding using texting? I still cannot stop laughing :-) I did Google for Qwerty yesterday and am thankful I did. What a difference!

Cidalia: This post has really opened up some nice conversation on the benefits of texting. Thank you for your comment. I did look at my plan right away and thankfully had a chance to add texting before being hit with a huge bill! Great advice for those who haven't peeked at what their cell phone plans include yet.

Dawn: You are only the 2nd person to add texting lingo to their comments :-) LOVE it! I would imagine having a 15 year old would mean that you would enter the texting world sooner than some of us!

Feb 19, 2008 09:08 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Joe: Don't every worry about giving duplicate advice on my posts. I welcome ALL advice. One bit of advice that keeps sticking with me is that it can be done at times when a conversation isn't convenient. I like that. Now it begs to wonder, how many times is my DN texting me while she's in class? (I'm going to ask her about that this weekend :-) My first PDA didn't have a Qwerty keyboard, so perhaps that is why it was difficult for me to comprehend texting (still is). Glad to hear yours did and that you were able to jump on the train earlier.

Renee: Good to see you again. A couple of the phones that have come up in this thread consistently are the Treo's and the Blackberrys. Thanks for adding your testimonial. It will make it easier to shop for a new one. I also won't answer the phone during showings. I think it's rude to the client I am with. Texting though? Hmm...there are times when they are looking leisurely, that is a possibility :-)

Kathy Clulow: Nice to meet you! Have you been texting? (Curious, as we are of the same generation :-)

Feb 19, 2008 09:13 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Allison: You're not alone. A couple of other GenX'ers have remarked in much the same way. I will always prefer talking, but seem to be leaning towards at least learning how to text properly for those clients that prefer it!

Christy: Oh my, we're so much alike. It is bugging me to have to get a new phone simply for more text messaging ease, but I could also use some of the other features that would make communication with clients faster and easier.

TLW: There is something to be said for old fashioned phone calls and to further keep in touch, hand written notes :-) Glad you got yours and the very very very lucky nickel! I'm a bit leery about initial communication via texting, for the same reasons you stated. One more reason I am glad that my cell phone number is not on my business cards or website.

Gary White: You may want to rethink attending this class. The "teacher" mentioned something about racquetball. "No ands ifs or buts". I hope that's not the price of tuition. Lunch? Someplace called Cheeseburger Paradise. (I probably have the name wrong..)

Feb 19, 2008 09:19 PM

Allison Stewart

St.Cloud Homes - Saint Cloud, FL

St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904

Kris

I finally figured out how to retrieve one of those messages 4 months after my gen X lovely daughter invited to me lunch! I didn't even know I had that feature on my new phone! ARG! Good luck and don;t forget to pack a snack!

Feb 19, 2008 09:33 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Allison: Oh my, I had that happen also! It was a text message from another niece that I didn't know how to retrieve or reply to. I just called her back and apologized! Thanks Allison, and for the heads up on snack packing :-)

Feb 19, 2008 11:05 PM

Larry Brewer - Benchmark Realty llc

Benchmark Realty LLc - Nashville, TN

Kris - I have some of the same problems. But when I bought a treo last year, it make it a little better. Now , i send text messages to my builder all the time. Some of my younger customers would rather text than talk.

Feb 20, 2008 12:48 AM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Larry: It sure sounds like a new phone with the Qwerty keyboard is the way to go. I can see how texting your builder would be easier than a phone conversation, plus you have the luxury of saving the messages for future reference. Thanks Larry.

Feb 20, 2008 06:38 AM

Katharine Carey

eXp Realty - Bellingham, WA

Congratulations on moving toward the new generation. My teenager is a confessed text o'holic. I have so much more to learn... perhaps they will have CE classes soon and maybe a special TXT designation!

Feb 20, 2008 10:20 AM

Dan Dillashaw

Virgil Adams Real Estate Inc. - Olympia, WA

Someone else may have already told you this, but get a smartphone with a "qwerty" full keypad. I used to hate texting and just recently got a new phone (T-Mobile Dash) and it is awesome. Now I love to text.

44 year old non-techie

Dan Dillashaw, REALTOR

Virgil Adams Real Estate Inc. Olympia, WA

www.SouthSoundLiving.com

Feb 20, 2008 03:30 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Katharine: They have a designation for most anything, why not in "texting" :-) I envy teens, they have so much technology literally at their fingertips. It's a wonderful world!

Dan: You're the first one to bring up the T-Mobile Dash, I'll have to look into it, thank you :-)

Feb 20, 2008 08:00 PM

Virginia (Ginger) Schott

Cabins & Canoes - Port Jervis, NY

Assoc. Broker, CBR, CHMS

OHG, where do I sign up! My kids tease me, that I can type 80wpm but text 1wpm. It's true, I'm usually all thumbs but not when texting, I take forever and figure I could have called faster. I need a class like that. Good luck!

Feb 21, 2008 04:29 AM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Virginia: I'm the same way :-) I fumble and it takes me 5 minutes to text 5 words. I tried again today and almost hung it up, but stuck with it until I hit "send". I'll let you know how the class goes!

Feb 21, 2008 08:48 AM

Josh Holt

RE/MAX Coast To Coast~ Dedicated to You! - Berwick, ME

Southern Maine and NH Real Estate - Your Source of Info on the Berwicks

u nd 2 lrn hw 2 mk it wrk 4 u.

Here's to hoping that you learn the advantages as well!

Feb 21, 2008 01:03 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Josh: Very cute first sentence :-) Thanks Josh!

Feb 21, 2008 10:31 PM

Kathy Clulow

Uxbridge, ON

Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Kris - Not sure I would call it texting because I dislike the little acronyms but yes I do some typing of messages on my little keyboard and send them. (I had to do something my kids text me all the time)

Feb 23, 2008 02:23 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Kathy: I call it texting because that is what everyone calls it :-) I'm actually finding the acronyms amusing! I like that keyboard that appears to slide in and tuck inside of your phone. What kind of phone is it?

Feb 23, 2008 10:11 PM

Kathy Clulow

Uxbridge, ON

Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Kris - It is a windows based HTC 4000 (pictured) or the HTC S720 from Telus - A great little phone that is just like carrying my computer in my pocket. I call it my "sidekick" It's about 2 1/4" by 4 1/2" and the back slides out with a full keyboard. (It provides web browsing) more info at http://www.america.htc.com/products/products-carrier.html?telus

Feb 23, 2008 11:15 PM

Dorene Shirley

The Mortgage & Property Connection - Campbell, CA

Silicon Valley Real Estate

Kris - my daughter is in to this as well. At 30 this may work, but no talky on the phone, no response from mommy!

Feb 29, 2008 08:53 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Dorene: Loved your response!! For anything that can't be typed in 30 seconds or less I do pick up the phone:-) Even if she doesn't answer, I can leave a lengthier voice message.

Mar 01, 2008 10:27 PM

Sasha Miletic - Windsor Real Estate

RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd. - Windsor, ON

Hi Kris,

Good post. Practice make man perfect. Keep posting.

Best -Sash

Jan 06, 2010 02:01 AM