customer service: Over Promise, Under Deliver, and Ask For More Business? - 06/20/12 05:57 AM
There are days I wonder how some people stay in business. It seems the new way to do business is to "over promise, under deliver and then ask for more business." I don't know about you, but this tactic seems all wrong. Do people really fall for this?
Lenders seem to be the worst lately. I understand that underwriting guidelines change daily and that lenders are at the mercy of many other providers. However, a smart lender would factor that into any estimated closing date they set.
These are not just mortgages, these are people lives. Sellers and buyers are trying … (3 comments)

customer service: The Extra Mile - 02/10/11 12:33 PM
The personal quality necessary to achieve outstanding success in business is that you must be willing to go the extra mile.

It’s the “Under Promise, Over Deliver” concept and “If you are always willing to do more than what you get paid for, the day will come when you will be paid for more than what you actually do.”
Robert Cialdini, in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, discusses what he calls the Law of Reciprocity. Basically it says that when you do something for someone else, there’s an unstated obligation for them to want to do something for you … (12 comments)

customer service: Are You Working for Yourself or Your Client? - 01/17/11 01:20 PM
I met with a seller this morning. He had been referred to me by a mutual friend. His house was currently listed with another broker and the listing was to expire in a couple of weeks.
As part of my research for our meeting I had reviewed the current MLS listing, ran a CMA, and pulled showing statistics from the showing service.
The marketing of the property looked good with professional photography, a virtual tour, and decent marketing text.  The current list price is right where it needs to be. There had been a number of showings on homes in that price … (8 comments)

customer service: The Client Signs Your Paycheck - 01/13/11 11:41 PM

It really is the client that signs your paycheck. And although you must see that your company's interests are always considered, you must not lose sight that the client is the boss.
They are the whole reason your job exists in the first place. They hire you to help them make good personal and business decisions. They trust you to help them see that their problems or needs are solved or satisfied in an efficient and cost effective manner, and they pay you well to do your job. It is the wants, needs and desires of your clients that should determine all … (6 comments)

customer service: Obtaining Superior Rewards - 01/12/11 01:23 AM

It's been said that you can tell how professional a person is by the size of their income at the end of the year.
And you can tell exactly how valuable the service you perform is by how much people are willing to pay you for it. If you do the same job that everybody else does, and do it no better than the way they do it, you can't expect to earn more money or be considered any more valuable than those other people.
You see, the market, by nature, will pay superior rewards only for superior goods and services. … (2 comments)

customer service: What Failures Don’t Like to Do - 10/16/10 12:03 PM

The more you serve your customers and help them satisfy their needs, the more you will prosper. And as a business owner, business manager, professional person or entrepreneur, serving your customers' needs effectively means that you must do the things that unsuccessful business owners, managers, professionals, and entrepreneurs don't do. The things that those unsuccessful people don't do are the things that most of us don't like to do either.
There is no doubt that it is difficult to work long hours or on weekends when your family is waiting for you at home, to have only a couple of "shoppers" … (4 comments)