Customer service still key element to successful real estate business

Although frantic holiday shopping can bring out the worst in anyone, first-rate customer service should remain a top priority for any American business if they want those customers to return after the New Year, according to a recent Coldwell Banker® Customer Service Study.

In fact, nine out of 10 consumers surveyed declared that great customer service is "very or extremely" important in deciding whether to give a service provider repeat business. Further, most consumers indicated they change providers because of bad service (32 percent) nearly as often as they change businesses for lower prices (38 percent).

The survey examined several industries where customer satisfaction is most important. While banking (73 percent), retail (59 percent), utility companies (57 percent) and insurance companies (57 percent) were ranked the highest, 38 percent said real estate was also an industry where customer service was considered a vital component to the business.

The survey found that the top five most important customer service skills associated with buying or selling a home are: listening (58 percent); helping to select a home based on their requirements (48 percent); helping consumers understand the buying/selling process (34 percent); listing of the property/advertising (28 percent) and market analysis (26 percent).

"Service is king, and it can make or break a company," said Jim Gillespie, President and CEO for Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. "Nothing beats knowledge, experience, problem-solving and responsiveness. Combining that with good manners usually wins a customer for life. It is one thing to talk about excellent customer service, but it is another to demand it and maintain it as a key element of an organization's culture."

We agree with Gillespie's philosophy on customer service here at a la mode, which is why we provide you with free 24 x 7 live tech support for any of our products. Whether you just have a quick question or you need someone walk you through one of our software products, we're happy to help any time, day or night. We've made serving all our customers the hub of our business because we know we wouldn't have thrived for 19 years without you.