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How Long Is "Too Long" For a Return Phone Call and Why is Voice Mail Bad??

A good long-time client of mine suggested today that I was "too busy" for his referral business. This is because the last three times he has called me he has gotten my voice mail.

In each case, I returned the call no later than a few hours later however he was discouraged I didn't answer immediately. I also suggested that email is sometimes answered faster.

There is no doubt in my mind that you should answer your phone immediately when you can.

However, what is an acceptable turnaround time for a return phone call when you are not available?? An hour, 2 hours, half a day, same day?

I have a three-person team and if I am in a loan app or with a client, or dealing with loans in the pipeline, it may take a few hours for me or one of them to return a phone call after you leave a message.

However, for some people today, this is unacceptable. I don't understand the impatience.

When I call my Doctor or Accountant or my Attorney, he rarely answers at that moment. I usually have to leave a message with a member of his staff. In most cases, they return the call that day. In some cases, they take a day or two or three.

I researched them all before choosing them. They all came highly recommended from trusted friends or associates. I trust them. I respect their professionalism. I know they have other clients. Yet, I am loyal to them.

I am certainly not going to change doctors, accountants or attorneys because I got their voice mail the last three times I called them and they called me back the same day.

That kind of impatience could jeopardize my life, health and financial well-being.

The very best real estate agents and lenders I know are the busiest today. This is because, like my doctor, accountant, and lawyer, they are very good at what they do. As a result, they get busy.

These agents and lenders may not be as easily reached right this very minute. However, they all answer their calls and emails the same day...usually within an hour or so.

Is it more important today to talk to someone right now, at this very minute, and risk the quality of the professional or is it more important to get someone talented as soon as they are available in a reasonable time-frame?

I choose the latter.

Posted by Aaron Gordon, Home Loan Consultant, Las Vegas, NV on 04/09/2008 07:46 PM

Comments (22)

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22 Comments on How Long Is "Too Long" For a Return Phone Call and Why is Voice Mail Bad??

APR

2008

A suggestion I was given and have started using is too state on my voicemail that I will be returning calls between 11am and noon, and again between 5pm and 6. Tell them to leave a message and the best number to call at THOSE times. Seems to keep people from waiting by the phone and sets a better expectation. Good post, thanks!

I was once a member of By Referral Only, Chad, and they coached me to have call back times on my voice mail. Its a great suggestion and one which I may be re-instituting here soon.

You state you don't understand the impatience. Perhaps it's not impatience, but expectations. We reap what we sow.

When agents confuse "service" with "servitude," they will continue to have greater demands placed upon their time and commissions. We agents tell the public they'll be available 24/7, work every weekend, do whatever they want them to do, the public has a right to expect just that. As the competition heightens and so many agents lower commissions and put their clients family before their own, we must expect the public to see us for what we show we are.

I've never understood why some agents and people think we should ALWAYS answer the phone. Psychological studies have shown that anti-anxiety medication use is at an all-time high. It's because in almost any profession now, people think that we should be ALWAYS available. So when are we supposed to go to the bathroom, sleep, eat, spend quality time with our families, etc? Where's the balance?

BTW, IMHO, 2 hours is the maximum allowable response time, on average, unless it's late at night or on a major holiday. But if there are extenuating circumstances, I change my voice mail message, to let everyone know. Like today. I had several appointments to show property today. So my message said it would be difficult to answer the phone while I was showing properties, but I would do my best to get back to them as soon as possible, and to please make sure they left a message!

Oh, BTW, I don't think you should have this post marked as "Members Only". I'd let the public weigh in. After all, they're the ones who pay our salaries. Why don't we let them tell us what they expect. If you disagree, you don't have to meet their expectations. But it might at least, influence your business practices a little bit, in a good way.

Really good question, I hate waiting on someone to call me back. I think a couple of hours at the most

We think it's important to BE with who we're with - so, if I'm with a client, I'm not going to interrupt that time to take phone calls. During the week we have a team member at the office so that callers don't just get a voice mail, they get to take to a live person.

Since the trust should already be established, they should know exactly how you operate.

My attorney, CPA, and financial advisor are equally as busy as I am, working as many projects as I am. I've come to realize they are more efficient managing by voice mail, email, and text messaging than by answering the phone.

Today was a perfect example. I managed phone calls (follow up for hours) in my assistant's absence, and while it made clients feel good, it was counter productive. It is ridiculous that anyone should expect to have the phone answered. Rarely, is there ever an emergency in real estate. When there is, you can rest assured that the issue is being dealt with.

Within a couple of hours is great, but same day is perfectly acceptable.

I think you are 100% right, Guy! As an industry we have set this expectation...and I am guilty of it as well. I remember when I first started in this business, I made the same claim. 24/7 servitude. Even today its common for me to answer emails at 11pm and all day Sat and Sun.

I truly believe 2 hours is awesome, Lisa. I, too, change my voice mail when I will be away in meetings or a return call will take a bit longer. I have changed the exposure of this blog to the public as I agree with you on that point too.

Two hours is good, Bart but what happens at 3, 4, and 5? Is there anything really that important in our business lives that will change forever if we had to wait 5 hours for the response?

The challenge we all face, Sharon, is the impatient client who is going to voice mail while you are with your client, and really expects you to answer anyway. Yet, you can be assured this same client would be very upset if you answered the phone during your appt with him.

As always, Bill, you are right on. I have tried it both ways. I have tried to answer my phone all day and return all calls within minutes and handing off the loan business to my assistants. I dont even need to tell you how that went.

Then I have tried to have assistants answer the phone all day and just work loans. Equally disasterous because the clients trust and want you, not your team.

I have come to believe that the only way to effectively manage this is a balance where your referral partners understand and respect that you are managing your time the best you can.

These partners accept that a return call will come that same day, and usually within hours, unless its an immediate emergency....which as you point out is rare in our business and usually only occurs at the close of escrow if you haven't done your job correctly in the weeks prior.

The Internet and instant satisfaction has made some people a little unreasonable. I'll agree with the placing hours on your voicemail when calls get returned.

When I start working with a client I sit down and discuss the best methods for us to communicate. I love email, but phone calls work better for some situations.

How often have you stayed in contact with the client? Are you reaching out to them enough?

APR

2008

Aaron,

I appreciate your post and what you are saying, but I have a different take on the problem...if someone calling me is capable of generating income for me in the thousands of dollars, they deserve to get immediate response, either from me, my staff, through call forwarding, cell phone or whatever...We don't have voice mail in our office...we do have a recorded message that says we'll get back to the caller soon...and most of our 'regulars' know our cell phones, home phones, etc. for immediate contact!!! That's just my personal opinion!!! Thanks, Fran

all great tips and points. I agree though I always explain I will call you back by the end of the day and explain that since I work in a bank branch I often times get customers that walk in. I let them know that email is usually best. They usually understand and do not get upset.

APR

2008

Some of my regular clients know that I often get busy or I may be out on a property inspection, so they leave a voicemail and I return their call as soon as I get back to the office, usually within a few hours. But I would say more often that not, some clients will not even leave a message and if they do, when I call back, I am usually informed that they have already selected another appraiser. This sometimes can even occur within a 1/2 hour or so.

APR

2008

we work hard, we service them and then when we cannot be at the beck and call we get put on the shelf

I have found from experience that immediate call backs work sometime, but people want to hear a live voice and they want to hear your voice, not an assistants voice. Your client wants the real deal and if they feel they are being short changed they will look elsewhere for someone who will give them the full attention they feel they deserve.

I myself do not answer my phone when I am with a clietn as I want to makes sure they understand they have my full attention. I let clients know this up front and then let them know I will call them back as soon as I can.

APR

2008

I agree that the 24/7 mindset has created a different, almost unreasonable expectation, Geoff. I can tell you that I return all calls the same business day, usually within 2 hours, and I return all emails within minutes, even at all hours of the night. I just think for some, thats entirely too long.

I think its a great strategy, Fran....and one I wish I could implement myself. I have forwarded my phones to the receptionist for a live person and had them threaten to quit because they couldnt do the rest of their job. I hate to sound like a victim of my own success because I am very grateful for this challenge. I just dont think its unreasonable to wait a few hours, on the rare occasion, for a return phone call. Yet I know some dont agree.

I do the same Naoma, but I believe you and I are losing business because of this. I hope I am wrong.

My wife is a 15 year appraiser turned real estate agent, Benjamin, and you are 100% right. She has lost countless deals because she didnt answer her phone because she was inspecting another property. That is incredible to me!!! The appraiser is likely the single most important person in our transactions, especially today. To forgo one you know is excellent for someone else because you didnt get them on the first ring is foolishly playing with the success of the transaction.

I have always said, Dave, you are only as good as your LAST transaction.

You are so right, Ryan. And thats another reason why I dont use a receptionist nor forward my phone to my team, althought I am tempted. The lender - client relationship is one of trust. Its great to have teams and help but when they want you, they deserve you.

We both have cellular phones with voice mail, and both of our numbers are on our advertising - that helps. If they can't get one of us they can usually get the other. Getting anyone else is not going to work - their relationship is with us. We don't interrupt time with a client to answer the telephone. Our voicemail messages say the call is important to us, and we will return the call as soon as possible - and we do - usually within 2 hours. Reasonable people understand that busy agents (and they want to do business with a successful agent, not one who is waiting by the phone!) can't answer the phone immediately with every call, and won't answer 24 hours a day, but will return the call as soon as time allows. Our clients also understand that we won't answer the phone or return calls on Sundays until after 1pm - that is church time. Set up a system that works for you with known and reasonable boundaries, educate your clients, and stick to it - it works!

All great tips, John and Susan!! I really appreciate the "reasonable boundaries" part. I really dont understand 9p phone calls from clients unless they are simply trying to get your voice mail. However, I see them come across my phone weekly. Maybe because I live in Vegas and everyone assumes everything is open all of the time.

APR

2008

I think it is the need for immediate gratification! I want to be able to get a hold of the person so I can get my answer so I can cross my item off the list. But on the other hand... I can provide better service to my customers if I organize my time and not react to every call that comes into my phone. I agree with the first post.. If I get a voice-mail message and I know what time my call will be returned then my anxiety of getting a hold of the person goes down.

APR

2008

I have read to do the same as Chad suggests. Set a time on your voice mail when you will be returning phone calls. Two times throughout the day. I have yet to implement this, but it sounds like a great idea. I tend to be a slave to the phone, but would like to do otherwise.

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