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You just lost my business!

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Properties, Inc., ABR, GRI, SRES

 

 

I made a few calls to obtain estimates for a seller’s property that required work on a portion of the exterior siding.  Fortunately, most of the folks I called were very responsive and were able to go out to the property to assess what work was required except for one handyman.  This handyman called me and said he needed additional info about the siding.  I didn’t have a problem with it until he said that I would need to call him back with the following info:

-          What type of wood siding was on the home

-          Size of the siding and other specifications

-          How many linear feet needed to be replaced (I wasn't even sure if it required replacement)

The primary reason for calling him was to find out if he could go look at the siding and give me an estimate since I am not an expert in that area.   Even if I did phone him back with the information he asked for, how could he really know what needs to be done without seeing it first?  He said something along the lines of “If we went out to look at every job first, we wouldn’t have time to get any work done.”

Sure, I could have grabbed a tall ladder and gone out there to measure and survey the siding myself but I was in need of a professional’s opinion of what needed to be done to address the issue.  After hanging up with the handyman, it got me thinking… 

When it comes to my business as a real estate agent in Colorado Springs, I am not 100% sure sellers will choose to work with me when I go meet them for a listing appointment but if I don’t show up at all, well, now my chances of listing their home are pretty close to zero.  If I’m not going to take time to look at their home and meet with them in person, I can’t blame them for not wanting to hire me.

So that being said, that handyman will not receive any future business from me, and I’m glad I found another professional to assist my sellers. 

Patricia Beck – Selling Colorado Springs Homes

Comments(5)

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Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

Contractor is used to dealing with homeowners directly.  As an agent, you need to have a resource list of people who are responsive to YOU and YOUR clients needs....

Nov 18, 2011 07:57 AM
Rob D. Shepherd
RETIRED - Florence, OR
RETIRED

Next call back he will walk you thru it on how to attach it and where to send his check when you get done.

Nov 18, 2011 08:00 AM
Patricia Beck
RE/MAX Properties, Inc., ABR, GRI, SRES - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Realty

Wallace - I agree.  I had a handyman I worked with quite a bit who unexpectedly passed away.  The other folks I had on my resource list, didn't work with siding.

Nov 18, 2011 08:02 AM
Patricia Beck
RE/MAX Properties, Inc., ABR, GRI, SRES - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Realty

Rob - LOL!  Probably so.

Nov 18, 2011 08:02 AM
Susanna Haynie
CO-RE Group, LLC -Real estate sales and services - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Realtor GRI CNE MCNE ePro MRP

If the job you have for a handyman doesn't seem big enough for him, then it's not worth coming out. I have encountered a lot of handyman who do not view a small job as an investment towards a bigger one. Their loss, your pain in the neck unfortunately.

:-)

 

Nov 22, 2011 12:29 PM