Customer Service - how important is it?

What do you look for in customer service?  Is it a smiling face, going the extra mile, bringing a cup of coffee?  I'll tell you what I like. 

I'm sitting at the Power Kia Customer Lounge in Salem, OR.  As the proud owner of a pre-used Kia Optima, let me tell you, these people know customer service.  When I first brought the car here, I was a new owner & had a problem with the driver's door - it wouldn't open.  They went above & beyond, looking it over for me and asked if my timing belt had been replaced.  Turns out that it hadn't, and if I had gone much further, I could have had major damage done to my car.  They didn't push me to have something done, they educated me.  They showed me what needed to be done for my safety and why it needed to be done.

I like to look at my real estate business the same way.  If I give my clients great customer service, they're going to tell others about it.  Who knows - they might even blog about me! :)  If my client wants to buy a house, I want to help them understand the process, not just drive them around to different houses and say, "Do you like this one?".  With sellers, I work at exploring all options, not just the everyday "list your house on the MLS and see what happens".  I love to think outside the box.  In fact, just today, I wrote up a reverse offer on one of my listings, hoping that we can get it sold.  Is that the norm?  Not really.  Do all brokers do this?  Definitely not.  But there are those of us out there that do!

So whether you're looking to buy a home or sell a home, pay attention to the customer service.  Ask your friends if they know someone - even interview the agent.  Tell them the top 3 things you're looking for in an agent & be honest.  You will be working with this person for a while & they're going to know a lot about you.  It's important that you have a good and comfortable relationship with your agent.

Kristin Smith
Keller Williams Realty Mid-Willamette
www.callkdsmith.com ~ kdsmith@kw.com ~ 541-497-6510