As I sit pondering this question and the answer to it, I find myself thinking about the good experiences I have had. I also flip my thinking to the other side of the equation and the not-so-great ones. Either way experiences could be real estate orientated, going to a restaurant for dinner, taking a trip or holiday somewhere, going to the shops or attending a sporting event. It’s interesting that in general terms your experience is shaped by something much more than price and money. Yes, that plays some part, however there is something bigger and it’s the people and how they engage and treat you. Behavioural experts will tell you there are different personality types. Some are more outgoing and vocal, some are quiet and reserved, some are driven differently but personality traits aside, I question as a society are we getting better with delivering the customer experience, are we settling for less, are people expecting a lot more or is it that people’s values have changed and that is the reason not everyone has a great customer experience?
In the last 12 months we as a business have focused hard on values, where the staff have had a great amount of input into defining what Merrifield Real Estate is all about. I’m not in the habit of making big statements and putting them on office buildings or billboards. Those that really know us, know what matters the most. What I am really proud of is the time we have put in and the investment in our staff which empowers us to provide a positive customer experience. Yes, everyone is busy, and most businesses don’t have time to take a lot of time out of their day but a great mentor of mine reminds me all the time, that if you don’t have time to train then how can people learn and get better. I’ve been lucky to have blessed to have a brilliant facilitator to help formulate these values and an external consultant that’s added huge value in helping deliver what we’re aiming to achieve.
While training to get better is the best way to improve, the truth is we don’t always get it right. No one is prefect and sometimes there are things outside of our control. In real estate all kind of things happen that can be last minute. For example, you could have a removalist booked on the day of settlement and have a delayed settlement (some advice don’t wait til settlement day to book a removalist) , it could be a bank losing a title, a delay in obtaining finance by the due date, not being able to inspect a property when you want because of a tenant. The list goes on and generally we are the middle person involved. Some things are in our control, others aren’t.
While I don’t pretend to understand some people’s thinking and logic, I will say that by showing understanding, patience & respect for our fellow human being might actually go a long way to getting what you require and having a good customer experience along the way. And isn’t that all we want! To have a great experience and be treated kindly.
By Jeremy Stewart – Director
