Do you have any idea what your RT is? Not just what RT means, but also what it really is?
Think back to high school – yep, for some of us we are reeaaallly stretching here – and your highway safety classes. You likely had discussions about RT and how far you would travel from the time you first realized you needed to brake, then put your foot on your car’s brake until you stopped. I remember the machine we used to actually test our RT. And how many times were you told how drowsiness, or alcohol, would impair your RT?
Undoubtedly you have figured out we are talking about reaction time. Certainly reaction time in OUR business does not have the same implications as it does when driving a car down the freeway, or if you are an EMT, or firefighter, or a cop.
We know from surveys, however, that responsiveness to consumers, especially in this age of technology, is critical.
- An Internet buyer seeking answers to a question via email often expects an immediate response
- Sellers calling several agents to ask questions about the possibility of listing their homes move on if they don’t get a quick return call.
While the expectations of reaction time or responsiveness likely vary quite a bit depending on the emailer or caller and their particular needs and urgency, there is no doubt technology has resulted in a level of impatience from us all. Consider how annoyed you get when a webpage takes 15 seconds to load, or an email someone sends you does not arrive within seconds. And do you “listen carefully since our menu options have changed,” or do you immediately Press 0 to hopefully get to a live person in less than 45 minutes of wait time? Truly, I got that time the other day on a customer service call…I don’t think so.
With the age of impatience we are living in:
- When you get a call do you answer it or let it go to your voice mail? Does it matter if you are with clients or do all calls get routed to voice mail, perhaps never to emerge?
- How long does it take you to return a call (are you one of the agents that says you will return phone call between certain hours and then doesn't?) Or do you not return calls at all as sellers and buyers, and agents, say happens often? I poke fun at voice mail, among other things, in a post from past year about real estate irritants...wonder if buyers and sellers have the same reaction I do?
- When an email comes in how soon do you respond? Within minutes? A couple of hours? Within 24 hours? Not at all? Or does it depend on who and what the email is about?
We hear that buyers and sellers expect quick responses, many of them within minutes. While this may or may not be reasonable, the expectation seems to be that we should get back in touch promptly. Just as an example, a C.A.R. (California Association of REALTORS) study way back in 2005 found that 45% of Internet buyers expected a response from an agent within 1 hour or less. Hmmm.
Those who do respond promptly are generally rewarded with “thank you for responding so quickly…I never heard back from the other agents I emailed.” And that can set you apart from the crowd.
Those that don’t may miss out on a business opportunity, or at least further contribute to the impression the public often has that we are not responsive. Indeed studies have found that one of the major complaints sellers have about their agents is that they never communicated with them.
So what is YOUR RT? Are you a quick responder?
Is it a priority for you or not?
And could you improve YOUR RT? Think of it as part of your customer service!
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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360
or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
All content copyright © 2007 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits
Jeff Dowler ~ Carlsbad Real Estate ~ 760-840-1360
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You are right. The response time is vital. The problem is that we are often out showing, or sleeping, or eating dinner when these leads come in. I get leads at 1 am and I would say that in about 50% of the cases I do get an email out to them in less than an hour, but there are times....