At 5:30 AM I am standing in Richmond International Airport and the check-in lady was asking everyone in front of me that one simple question as the beginning of their conversation. The line of customers is getting longer, people are starting to act agitated. I arrived at 5:30 AM for a 7 AM flight to Orlando. As the people start to talk we are frustrated by the lack of workers for AirTran to care for the very long line of people, the self check-in was broken, and no one was there for the very important business class travelers. People also were standing in line for a 6:15 flight at 5:30. I was asking myself why did you get here so late?
What's your final destination sir she asked the gentlemen in front of me. A very heated and animated conversation begins. I start to pay attention. Turns out the destination on the gentleman's pre-printed itinerary and the airlines were different. The gentleman had a very thick accent and a passport and it was obvious that he was not understanding the circumstances of the problem. The Air Tran lady went to work. She begins typing furiously in the computer and determining options for the gentleman. He continued to ask questions. The transaction took very valuable wait time. I waited patiently--I did get to the airport in plenty of time. Eventually the gentleman walked away with a ticket in his hand.
So a trip to the airport has reminded me of some very valuable life rules.
Arrive early, you never know what circumstances may get in your way.
Be patient, there are people who deserve my patience~~it is not always about me.
Double-check everything that is important~~if its important make sure its correct.
Ask the obvious question--at the airlines the question "What's your final destination?" has probably prevented many problems along the way~~in real estate it could be "Are you in good standing with your mortgage company?" The list of obvious questions is long--get your list out and dust it off. It's time to use it again.
Follow a checklist~~I am positive that the airlines all have What's your final destination as the beginning of their checklist. I will remember to use the checklists I have created for all of my activities in real estate. I am helping people with their home--often their largest investment. They deserve an agent who will follow a checklist.
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