Customer Service?

During a conversation here in the office a number of us picked up on a theme. I am sure it comes as no surprise but customer service seems to be sorely lacking, in our industry as well.
The conversation started innocently enough with one agent asking another about a restaurant. Other agents started to chime in about the place and what they liked and didn’t like about it. In the end, a number of people felt that the food was good but the service was lacking. Someone then likened it to real estate agents who don’t feel it necessary to keep their clients or other agents informed. Imagine buying the house of your dreams but once you are under contract and excited to move through the process you never get any calls about what to expect or which step to take next. I thought about it and remembered a client telling me the other day that their friend was going through a short sale at the same time that I was guiding them. My client said that her friends agent never called and she wanted me to know that she was appreciative of the constant calls.
As buyers or sellers you are entitled to consistent updates and to feeling like you are the most important client that your agent has. When I started in this business I remember my broker saying that each agent needs to speak to their sellers at least once a week. I also recall a real estate coach telling me that if my client called me asking for an update then I was late in calling them. I aspire to achieving both goals.
For the most part though a good agent will keep their clients in the loop throughout the buying or selling process. It is a stressful time and the constant communication is the one thing that can help alleviate some of that stress, especially when times are tough. With all the means of communication at our finger tips such as texting, email, chat, IM, twitter, or facebook, we have no excuse for not keeping our clients up to date. Better than all of those is a phone call or face to face meeting. Nothing can replace hearing the calmness in someone’s voice or seeing their expression to give you the confidence that you are being properly guided.
No matter what industry you are in, pick up the phone and call your clients. They deserve it.