What ever happened a sense of common courtesy or a sense or urgency?

It seems like more and more we run into the business practice of "Please allow 48 hours for a response to your email" or "We return all phone calls within 2 business days"

Here is another that I just got today

Please note I will respond to all emails within one business day.

our goal is to ensure you are extremely satisfied with the service you receive

How in the world can we be satisfied with any customer service that wont respond to an email sooner than one business day? If these people are that busy, they need to hire more people to handle the workload!

Is anyone else as sick of this a I am?

What happened to communication? Why cant they at least say that any calls or emails after a certain time will be responded to first thing in the morning? A day to return an email or phone call?

Just to be clear, I am not talking about short sale negotiators, these are loan officers that are doing this! I am keeping a list of the people that respond in a timely manner and also a list of the deadbeats that cant respond in a timely manner and will send my business to the appropriate business.

So the seller contacts me yesterday on a signed-around offer thinking it is the closing attorneys job or my job to somehow figure out the cost of how much it will cost the to have the City crews mow the lawn because he is broke, or the ramifications of not wanting to spend the "time" "even if I provide a weed whip, the energy, lack of lwan equipment or even gas, or a means to get unless I picked up and delivered the equipment he located as offered in May. This was the fourth contact by him over the weekend. I would loan home my lawn mower and gas but he more like needs a hay baler. I cannot see damaging my equipment for his benefit. He ran over the 8-12" deep lawn and attempted to mow it in May but it didn't work then. This is August 1st. He doesn't think a third lein or legal fees being added to the HUD-1 is an issue much less our time or energy. Please tell me - what you do think is the best way to deal with this? Give them the owners phone number? Let him know I am a realistist? Suggesting to mow or weed whip the lawn hasn't been helpful.

Replies

Teresa Simon August 1, 2011 at 5:00am

So the seller contacts me yesterday on a signed-around offer thinking it is the closing attorneys job or my job to somehow figure out the cost of how much it will cost the to have the City crews mow the lawn because he is broke, or the ramifications of not wanting to spend the "time" "even if I provide a weed whip, the energy, lack of lwan equipment or even gas, or a means to get unless I picked up and delivered the equipment he located as offered in May. This was the fourth contact by him over the weekend. I would loan home my lawn mower and gas but he more like needs a hay baler. I cannot see damaging my equipment for his benefit. He ran over the 8-12" deep lawn and attempted to mow it in May but it didn't work then. This is August 1st. He doesn't think a third lein or legal fees being added to the HUD-1 is an issue much less our time or energy. Please tell me - what you do think is the best way to deal with this? Give them the owners phone number? Let him know I am a realistist? Suggesting to mow or weed whip the lawn hasn't been helpful.
Teresa Simon July 31, 2011 at 6:41am

I think it is way beyond that. The sellers don't want to maintain and we get the calls. The neighbors rip the signs down and harass us until late at night to mow the lawns. The buyers don't want to make an appointment because they think we are are their mercy. The negotiators not only want us to give up our commissions but to be free unlenders...

I am tired. How about you?
Stella Lane July 31, 2011 at 5:11am

I began my real estate career in 1985. I also wonder when our profession no longer became a people business. More than one Realtor I've called has a lengthy voice mail message telling me that they are away from their phone, my call is very important to them, etc., etc., and to leave a message after the tone -- but then I hear that for faster service, I should either e-mail them or text them! Many times, I am at one of their listings and need information and many times they are the same ones who take forever to answer my request for a phone call! At this rate, we Realtors will be out of business - not due to the Internet but because we have forgotten to keep it a "belly to belly" business. I also receive a lot of calls from our office web sites as I am the first one who answers my phone. I'll take all those calls.
Woody Edwards July 31, 2011 at 2:53am

As a Broker, I tell my agents to "Just answer Your phone! Isn't that why you bought it? Or do we need to go back to pagers? At least you had an excuse for not calling back quickly.......no phone!!!"
Tni LeBlanc (805) 878-9879 July 31, 2011 at 2:52am
Bryant - That is very true. Often those people that have "communication parameters" never abide by them. The parameters are merely a hint that they won't be communicating with you. Tni

Bryant Tutas said:
Actually Jeff I have no problem with them saying they will contact me within 48 hours. The problem is they never do!!

I'd much rather they just be honest and change their message to:

"Your call is not important to me at all. I may or may not respond. I highly recommend you try reaching me again. The best time to call me is between 9:15 am and 9:20 am on the 3rd Tuesday of every odd month during the 2nd leap year of the current decade. If you require a quicker response please call the Maytag man."

At least I would understand their position from the get go :)
Tni LeBlanc (805) 878-9879 July 31, 2011 at 2:51am

Harry -- thanks for the laugh!

Harry Clay said:
Have your Tweet call my Fax so it can forward to my Facebook...& we'll do lunch!
Tni LeBlanc (805) 878-9879 July 31, 2011 at 2:50am

I think everyone is bogged down right now as the economy is trying to suck every ounce of "productivity" out of us all and people are hanging on for dear life to their jobs. Everything is moving along so slowly now.

But you are right -- I couldn't deal with a loan officer that took a day to call me back.
Smitty July 30, 2011 at 9:13am

I agree. We live in an automated society. The funny part is even customer service is automated. It's too much. Half the reason I get business is I'm DILIGENT about answering my cell. They get a live person and not my voicemail (most of the time) It's very important to me they get a person and NOT a voicemail. I find MANY people hang up if they get an automated message. People are much more wiling to open up if you're a real person...lol
Eric Mieles July 30, 2011 at 7:48am

I agree. Sometimes it seems more and more real estate professionals forget what kind of business there in. As frustrating as it may be I always remind myself it's that much better for the ones who are comitted and strive to stand out amongst AVERAGE!!
Bryant Tutas July 30, 2011 at 4:43am
Actually Jeff I have no problem with them saying they will contact me within 48 hours. The problem is they never do!!

I'd much rather they just be honest and change their message to:
- "Your call is not important to me at all. I may or may not respond. I highly recommend you try reaching me again. The best time to call me is between 9:15 am and 9:20 am on the 3rd Tuesday of every odd month during the 2nd leap year of the current decade. If you require a quicker response please call the Maytag man."
At least I would understand their position from the get go :)

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