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Am I an alien??

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with Long and Foster Real Estate VA License # 0225089470

Alan May hits one of my hot buttons in his blog about Realtors® and their cell phones and poptart mentalities.  I am proud to say that setting scheduled appointments and time frames for my business has never insulted a client.  I think most Realtors® underestimate the understanding capacity and mutual respect of their clients.

If you want to leave a comment, please leave it on Alan's original blog.

Original content by Alan May

Recently an agent in our office complained to me that someone from our office had left a global-voice-mail at midnight.  And another agent left a global-voice-mail at 4:00 a.m.

She was livid.  I asked why she felt that was a problem, and she responded indignantly, that she has the global- voice-mail-system set p to "ring her cell phone" when there's a message.  So, of course, those two late night (or early morning) calls woke her up.

I suggested that she turn her cell phone OFF when she wanted to sleep, and she looked at me as though I'd just spoken some Alien language.. (nanoo, nanoo).  "Oh, I never turn my cell phone off"...

Well, then.  Who's fault is that?  Those two agents had no idea that their global voice mails would wake her.  They were probably up late, and remembered something important that needed to be done... and just "did it".

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In the same conversation, she began complaining that a client called her at 7:00 in the morning, to make an appointment at 12:00... which wasn't going to give her enough time to meet her family at 1:00, for a family function. "Seven o'clock in the morning!" she said "Can you believe it!?"

Did you tell the client NOT to call you so early??  "no".

I asked why she accepted the appointment for 12:00... and she said, because that's when the client wanted to meet.  "I will have to rush through my presentation... so I can meet my family.  It won't really give me enough time."  When I inquired why she didn't just tell the client that she had to meet her at a different time, she again looked at me like I was a green alien, or maybe an alien-slug wearing sunglasses.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are the professionals.  We set our own schedules... we set our own parameters... tell your clients what hours your work... ie: "please don't call me before 8:00 a.m."... or "I don't work after 10:00 p.m."... or if you don't feel comfortable telling your clients NOT to call you at certain hours... just turn your phone off (or don't answer it) outside of business hours.

They'll leave a message.  In fact some people are HOPING to leave a message. If it's important you can phone them right back... if it's not, they'll keep 'till morning. The world will not come to an end, and your clients will not leave you for another agent.

Clients are like children. They push the limits 'till they learn the boundaries... but they actually LIKE boundaries set.  Set the boundaries early, and you'll have a wonderful relationship with your clients...your office... and your cell phone.

If you allow your clients, and your office to set the boundaries... your life can become a living HECK! (that's right... I said "heck")

ALAN MAY, Realtor®
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate
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Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 2929 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
847.425.3779      Cell: 847.924.3313      Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate, Evanston Realtor, Evanston Buyers, Evanston Sellers
North Shore Real Estate, North Shore Realtor, North Shore Buyers, North Shore Sellers

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