- Clients are looking for a dedicated and professional partner during this life-changing, decision-making process.
- Customer service does not end when the ink dries; think of creating long-term partnerships with clients to increase word-of-mouth referrals.
- Consistent great customer service doesn’t happen by accident. Put in place a process in which all team members, at every client touch point, can follow.
Calls, texts, emails and drop-ins — with so many distractions in your day-to-day, it feels almost impossible to keep focused. The idea of delivering amazing customer service is in the back of your mind, but at the end of the day, where do you start?
Your attention is getting pulled in a million directions.
Enter the Ruby Service Pyramid. We use this at my company Ruby Receptionists; it’s a roadmap to delivering superior service and — this part’s important — doing it consistently.
You probably already know how critical customer service is to a successful real estate business, and Ruby’s Service Pyramid can help you get there. Let’s find out how, shall we?
1. Start by building trust
The base of the Ruby Service Pyramid — “be prepared with the right infrastructure, and do what we say we’ll do” — is all about building trust. This is important for real estate businesses, and making it the starting point of your client interactions sets you up for long-term success.
Building trust with your clients means setting clear expectations (when can they expect a return call?), answering their questions fully and making sure their needs are being taken care of.
2. Create enthusiasm
Now that you’re building a strong foundation of trust with your clients, you can move on to the next level and start creating some enthusiasm.
This is where “foster happiness, and create experiences” comes into play. Let’s dive into how that might look in a real life real estate setting — like an email exchange:
Hi Sue,
Thanks for contacting me about 123 Alphabet Street. I have availability to show the property on Wednesday afternoon. What time is good for you?
- Sally
(555) 555-5555
This is fine, I suppose, but this email is a big opportunity to create an impression, and Sally isn’t doing much in that regard. Let’s rewrite it while focusing on creating some enthusiasm:
Hi Sue,
I hope you’re well and enjoying this beautiful sunny day! I’m so glad you reached out about 123 Alphabet Street — what a beautiful property.
I’d love to give you a showing of the home in person and answer any questions you might have. Are you available Wednesday afternoon? I’d be delighted to meet with you anytime between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
You’re welcome to reply to this email, or give me a call or text at (555) 555-5555 when you’re ready. I’m looking forward to meeting with you!
Talk to you soon,
Sally
You can easily spot the difference: the first email gets the information to the client, but the second creates a lasting impression of caring and dedication. Which do you think will have the biggest impact?
3. Bring in the wow factor
Once you’ve started building trust and enthusiasm with your clients, it’s time to start the fireworks. On our service pyramid, this level is made up of “give them what they don’t know they want, and make meaningful connections.”
This is where we’re really aiming to wow our customers.
And, of course, this is where your current clients become your biggest source of new clients: referrals. Giving clients superior customer service ensures that they will absolutely tell their friends about you.
It means positive reviews, and you-absolutely-have-to-call-my-real-estate-agent conversations. Your name will be the first one that comes to mind when they’re thinking about their real estate needs.
What does that look like? In short, it’s going the extra mile including little touches — such as sending a handwritten notecard to clients congratulating them on their new home — and bigger gestures, like following up a month after their move-in to say hello and see how they’re loving their new home.
It’s keeping an umbrella in your car in case you need to walk a client to a home in the rain, taking your clients out to coffee to get to know them, asking them about their home life. You want to build a relationship with your clients, and this is where you do it.
You can see how using a service pyramid of your own can help you improve the quality of care you provide your clients (and, as a result, increase referrals).
Building your own pyramid helps you define your vision of success and focus on what matters. And if you’re using that guide to build trust, create enthusiasm and bring in the wow factor, you’re on the right track.
Christina Burns is the director of customer happiness at Ruby Receptionists in Portland, Oregon. Follow Christina on Twitter or her blog.
