| Happy New Year! | | | | licensed", or my favorite from agents, "he |
| | | | has never killed a deal in my office". As all |
| Here I sit on the first workday of the year. | | | | should know, there is no license requirement |
| The office is not yet open and the phone has | | | | in Florida for home inspectors (a subject for |
| not yet rung. I love this time of year. | | | | another column), and the deal killing |
| Nothing yet accomplished, and no mistakes yet | | | | statement is hardly customer-focused. A more |
| made. It is a wonderful time to reflect on | | | | compelling case might be something such as a |
| the year that was, and look ahead toward the | | | | description of our own Chris Brown, "Chris |
| year that is yet to be. | | | | has been a state licensed contractor for over |
| | | | twenty years, an ASHI certified home |
| The idea that comes to mind is that it will | | | | inspector since 1997 and has performed more |
| be a fantastic year if we can inspect another | | | | than 3,000 home inspections. I would |
| 3000 homes and do it without a single | | | | recommend Chris to my mother". Now THAT is |
| complaint! A lofty goal indeed, but one worth | | | | compelling! |
| working towards! | | | | |
| | | | Lastly, it is critical to keep the customer |
| Imagine a year without a single complaint! I | | | | engaged in the process. When the customer is |
| reason that goal is good for real estate | | | | deeply involved with every turn in the home |
| professionals, good for me, and great for our | | | | buying journey they feel more in control. For |
| mutual customers. Just how would we work | | | | the home inspection, this means the buyer |
| toward a year without an unhappy customer? | | | | must attend the inspection. It is interesting |
| | | | to study home inspection complaints. We |
| First and foremost, we must always remain | | | | receive about one complaint for every 500 |
| customer-focused. There is a very easy test | | | | homes inspected. That is really very few, but |
| of every decision we make with or on behalf | | | | remember we are working toward zero! By our |
| of our customer. Simply ask "if I were doing | | | | definition a complaint is a call from a past |
| this for my mother, how would I do it"? Works | | | | customer that could not be solved over the |
| like a charm every time! It seems that when | | | | phone, but required me to revisit the home. |
| we have a deep personal interest in putting | | | | In 9 out of 10 complaints, the customer did |
| the best interest of another individual | | | | not attend the inspection! |
| first, things always work out better. | | | | |
| | | | By not attending the home inspection, buyers |
| Long ago I worked for a fellow who often said | | | | have a greatly reduced understanding of not |
| "want it bad, get it bad". He was a | | | | only the inspection process, but also a |
| commanding officer of a Navy squadron, not a | | | | reduced understanding of their home. And more |
| realtor, but his point was this - sometimes | | | | bad news, if the buyer did not attend the |
| we want a particular outcome so bad that we | | | | inspection, their real estate professional |
| do bad things to get there. Some deals just | | | | probably did. Now not only are they unhappy |
| don't need to be done, or done in the manner | | | | with me, they are also unhappy with their |
| that they are preceding, when not in the best | | | | agent! |
| interest of the customer. If we stay centered | | | | |
| on their best interest it is likely they will | | | | After more than ten years and 20,000 |
| end up happy with their home, happy with | | | | inspections I can tell you this, the surest |
| their real estate professional, and have a | | | | way to a happy customer over the long term |
| low probability of complaint. Maybe even | | | | is: |
| become a referral source! | | | | |
| | | | Always put the best interest of the customer |
| Second, we must educate our customers on how | | | | first |
| good choices are made. Using home inspection | | | | |
| as the example, it is not enough to simply | | | | Educate your customers for clear and |
| refer a particular inspector or inspection | | | | comfortable decision making |
| company, or, worst of all, put our head in | | | | |
| the sand by sending them to the yellow pages. | | | | Participate along with the customer in every |
| We need to be able to articulate how and why | | | | event |
| sound choices are make. Have them compare | | | | |
| companies on the web. Even if we make | | | | So far so good, the phones are ringing, the |
| specific recommendations, we owe it to | | | | schedule is filling and to this point, a |
| ourselves and to our customers to explain the | | | | complaint free year! Let's all work hard to |
| process by which we made the recommendation. | | | | keep the streak going! |
| | | | |
| When people lack a well-articulated case for | | | | Copyright © Florida HomePro, Inc. and |
| recommendations it has numerous risks. | | | | Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media |
| Customer confidence is reduced with an | | | | reserved. |
| answers such as "be sure the inspector is | | | | |