Who doesn't need a fresh start? We all think about it here and there:
- I will start working out next Monday
- in January I will start a new life completely, eating healthy and all!
- When I move to Hawaii all will be different
- I throw out this note book, and start putting all the info in my iPhone
Well, you get the idea. We all love it - thinking about it, talking with friends, and eventually even contemplating the changes.
YET, what too many people in service industry forget is a simple thing: START FRESH WITH EVERY NEW CUSTOMER OR CLIENT.
Well, what do you mean, you may ask?
I mean, that a new client has presumption of innocence that we should honor. Especially as Real Estate Agents.
- Innocence of NOT knowing how things "are usually done".
- (What is usually, anyway? Is it how YOU do it? Is it how it has been done for the last 10 years? Is it a way of doing things in this town/office/grocery store? In this country?)
- Innocence of NOT knowing what is involved in the standard process
- (be it purchasing a home or buying a token to get on a T - a story will follow up in a minute) Besides, isn't it your job, to explain things, and BE THERE for that client who hired you?
- Innocence of daring to ask same question 100 other people (or 10 000 - it doesn't matter) asked you before.
- (Maybe you should come up with a plan to PREFACE these questions, and address the issues upfront, so that nobody has to ask?)
- Innocence of repeating same arguments 10 000 people have
- (Please NEVER say "do you know how many people told me this? Do you know how many times I heard that - and it doesn't make any sense..." - well, apparently it does - because you keep hearing it)
- Innocence of daring to call you RIGHT AFTER you hung up on a very difficult (and heated!) conversation
- (Please, never start with "Yeah, WHAT NOW?" - it might be someone else calling you! And even if not, do you think this greeting is going to smooth things down?)
Now, please understand that I don't have a particular person in mind (or - GOD FORBID! - agent). It's a summary of unpleasant experiences that I have had when dealing with many different companies one time or another. Or conclusions I had after friends and colleagues shared their frustrations with me.
But what ticked me to write this post were few blogs I read here on AR. You probably read those, too. I DO UNDERSTAND the need for venting (and that's what I'm doing right now), but I don't understand the underlying belief in many of these posts, that the customer SHOULD KNOW EVERYTHING before even contacting you. And when becoming your client he should be pretty much licensing ready - he has to understand all the tricks of the trade as much as you do.
I see these phrases all too often: "Why can't they [buyers / sellers] understand", "why do they think that" etc. Because it's our job to explain! Because if they knew, they won't need you! You've been in the business for very long time, you live and breathe real estate. You can recite in your sleep all types of contingencies, zoning and building codes, fair housing laws and settlement problems... Well, THEY cannot. And it's ok. THEY are not supposed to.
And here's the story I promised to share with you. 
Here in Boston we could use a token or swipe card to get on the T. Public Transportation system is quite good, and some trains will take you waaaay out of Boston, for the price of one token (whatever it is at the time). The tricky part was, that few years ago to get BACK to Boston you had to pay 2 tokens on SOME trains, yet only 1 on others. Of course if you lived in the city long enough and used PT a lot - you knew. Otherwise - you didn't.
One day I went to Quincy, using the Red Line. When it was time to get back, I put my token in the slot, but nothing happened. The gates did not open for me. I pressed a button, nothing happened. Helpless I looked at the man in the booth (you know, the booth with Metro Staff Person?) He started shouting something (that I could not hear, since he was IN the booth, and protected by bullet proof glass), as well as banging on the booth window with rolled up magazine. I still did not understand what was going on. Maybe he was trying to kill a fly, and was upset he couldn't get it?
I tried to pass through the gate again, but could not. So I mourned the loss of my token, and since I needed a new one I went up to the booth. Oh, you should have seen the guy! He was beyond himself from rage! I DARED to enter the station with only ONE token! I DARED to NOT know I needed two! There was actually a sign explaining this - but the sign was placed next to the booth, and TURNED TOWARDS THE BOOTH. Nobody could see it, except the guy IN the booth. His banging on the glass window with the magazine was his way of pointing out that sign to me. I could see how he was annoyed. He was staring at the damn sign for several hours every day, yet these stupid passengers still had no clue! Horrible. How could they.
So, let's get out of the booth, turn the sign towards people, and happily EXPLAIN them what they need to know to buy a house. I have no problem repeating it over and over again to anyone who doesn't have a clue. In fact, I find it challenging in a good way - to find the best words, to come up with better ways to compare things, so that buyers or sellers from all walks of life can easily understand.
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