I wrote the following post for LinkedIn and, although it's not Long Beach centric as this blog typically is, it does apply to real estate and other interactions in life. Let me know what you think.
As the fodder of comedian's jokes, airlines have struggled with their customer service perception - or lack of - since airline deregulation in the late 1970's. Once airline travel moved from the elite to the masses, the issues began and only heightened in the age of such online agencies as Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia, pushed into warp speed by websites such as Yelp, Kayak, CheapFlights, CheapTickets, GetMeThereFree, etc. Okay, the last one doesn't exist, but I think you follow me.
The current environment, where weather delays, misplaced bags, a surly gate agent or a sideways glance from a flight attendant sends passengers raging on Yelp, Facebook, Twitter or a letter to the Department of Transportation, makes consistent customer service a challenge. It's so difficult that a major carrier has set 28% as its goal for customer satisfaction. They are either discounting the other 72% as not particularly valid complaints or they only think they can only make 28% of their travelers happy. And that's the goal, not necessarily what is actually happening. Either way, it's not a good story.
Most businesses - dare I say any - struggle with customer service issues when the number of employees in contact with customers increases. Look at the recent press on the Comcast phone call. I know someone who supervises customer service agents at Comcast and that's not the type of service you would get on her watch - if she knows about it. However, she can't control what happens with every individual, on every call. Airlines have tens of thousands of employees. A great plan for phenomenal customer service in Dallas might not translate to that overworked gate agent in Scranton when one flight is delayed for weather, there is a creeping mechanical delay on another, a flight crew went illegal on their hours to cancel yet another and all she has is a mass of screaming, unhappy passengers in front of her.
All she can do is communicate facts, stay calm, keep them updated and be empathetic. Will that please 50% of them? 28% of them?
When we can get to the one on one interaction, where most of what is happening is under our control, we can get pretty close to 100% satisfaction with our customers if we do the basics: communicate facts, stay calm, stay in touch, be empathetic. In the real estate business there is much that is out of our control when it comes to the loan funding, the behaviors of the party on the other side of the transaction, the unexpected news at a home inspection. We can still keep our customers satisfied and feeling valued when we communicate facts, stay calm, stay in touch and are empathetic.
We don't have dozens of angry passengers screaming at us, when making 28% of them happy would seem impossible, but we do have one or two clients in front of us who might be making a lifetime investment and are scared to death when they hear their loan approval is delayed. My goal is 100% customer satisfaction by not only going beyond expectations, by delighting my clients, but by doing the basics: communicating facts, staying calm, staying in touch and being empathetic.
Come to think of it, that could work in our personal relationships as well as our professional ones. Think about applying that to your partner, spouse, sibling, parent, child, friend, insert-relationship-here.
Communicate facts, stay calm, stay in touch, be empathetic.
Guaranteed to keep more than 28% satisfied and engaged.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Nothing says summer like a pool
Probably of no surprise that California, Florida, Arizona and Texas have 60% of the more than 8.5 million pools in the United States. A Google search on just how many pools are in California, Los Angeles County or Long Beach got me... nowhere reliable. Closest I could get was an article on laist.com that said there were 43,123 pools in the LA Basin, with Beverly Hills having 2,481 and Long Beach with 2,859. I counted close to 60 in our little neighborhood alone, using Google maps one day.
The exact number doesn't matter - there are a lot! You likely either have one or live within a soccer ball's kick of one. Interesting factoid in the article is that the typical LA area pool has an oval shape and measures around 16 feet by 33 feet. Public pools tend to have square edges.
Having a pool means making a commitment. Making a commitment to the maintenance and safety of it. Some of that can be handled by employing a pool service for weekly checks, cleanings and regular maintenance. That cost varies with the neighborhood and services. You can expect to spend an average of $80 a month.
You can also be your own pool boy, cabana service optional, by educating yourself on pool maintenance and doing your own chemicals and cleaning. There are some excellent local pool suppliers, like East Long Beach Pool & Spa Supplies on Woodruff or ABC Pools & Supplies in Los Alamitos. These guys know what they're doing, can analyze your water and can get you on track.
Safety issues span from having a required fence around the pool, to a lock on the gate, a drain that won't trap hair or loose suits, to making sure that children in the pool are watched at all times. Also recommended is a pool safety kit: a first aid kit, a flotation device, a pair of scissors to cut caught hair, clothing or a pool cover, a charged phone by the pool to call 911. If you have a pool, everyone in the home should know how to swim. The Internet is full of great tips and resources to help you and your family enjoy your pool. One of the best sites I found was www.poolsafely.gov.
Aside from going IN the pool, there is also a lot to be said for being AROUND the pool. Dining al fresco with a refreshing drink in your hand, looking at the cool water is a treat. Turning on the pool light at night lights up the backyard with a tropical glow.
Owning a home with a pool is a commitment in itself. You have to do the maintenance (or hire that pool boy), keep it safe, and maybe have your backyard become the neighborhood kids' favorite place to play. It's not for everyone, but it's for at least 2,859 people in Long Beach.
Would you like to own a home with a pool? Let me help and maybe you'll be swimming in your own pool for that Labor Day barbecue.
The exact number doesn't matter - there are a lot! You likely either have one or live within a soccer ball's kick of one. Interesting factoid in the article is that the typical LA area pool has an oval shape and measures around 16 feet by 33 feet. Public pools tend to have square edges.
Having a pool means making a commitment. Making a commitment to the maintenance and safety of it. Some of that can be handled by employing a pool service for weekly checks, cleanings and regular maintenance. That cost varies with the neighborhood and services. You can expect to spend an average of $80 a month.
You can also be your own pool boy, cabana service optional, by educating yourself on pool maintenance and doing your own chemicals and cleaning. There are some excellent local pool suppliers, like East Long Beach Pool & Spa Supplies on Woodruff or ABC Pools & Supplies in Los Alamitos. These guys know what they're doing, can analyze your water and can get you on track.
Safety issues span from having a required fence around the pool, to a lock on the gate, a drain that won't trap hair or loose suits, to making sure that children in the pool are watched at all times. Also recommended is a pool safety kit: a first aid kit, a flotation device, a pair of scissors to cut caught hair, clothing or a pool cover, a charged phone by the pool to call 911. If you have a pool, everyone in the home should know how to swim. The Internet is full of great tips and resources to help you and your family enjoy your pool. One of the best sites I found was www.poolsafely.gov.
Aside from going IN the pool, there is also a lot to be said for being AROUND the pool. Dining al fresco with a refreshing drink in your hand, looking at the cool water is a treat. Turning on the pool light at night lights up the backyard with a tropical glow.
Owning a home with a pool is a commitment in itself. You have to do the maintenance (or hire that pool boy), keep it safe, and maybe have your backyard become the neighborhood kids' favorite place to play. It's not for everyone, but it's for at least 2,859 people in Long Beach.
Would you like to own a home with a pool? Let me help and maybe you'll be swimming in your own pool for that Labor Day barbecue.
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