How do you rate with your customers?

Few people enjoy negative feedback, but sometimes it's necessary to know what your strengths and weaknesses are in order to sharpen your skills as an agent. One way to do that is to ask your customers to fill out a customer satisfaction survey after their transaction with you. A survey not only helps your craft, it also shows your customers you care about improving your business.

When creating your survey, think about what you'd like to ask that will give you an effective idea of how your customers perceive you. Have them rate certain aspects of their transaction (e.g. enthusiasm, availability, listening, communication skills) on a scale of one to 10 of how satisfied they were with your service; ask them open-ended questions such as "What did you like about working with me?" or "What could we do to improve our service?" and invite them to write a testimonial so you can include it on your Agent XSite and in your marketing pieces.

Here are some more sample questions to ask:

• Were there any problems with your transaction that could have been handled better?
• Did I answer all of your questions?
• Was I available when you needed me?
• Would you utilize my services in another transaction?
• Would you refer your family and friends to me?
• Did the time span for buying/selling your home meet your expectations?
• Please rate my office staff in terms of resourcefulness and conduct.

You may also want to consider offering an incentive for completing the survey such as a gift certificate or even submit their name for a drawing to win something bigger – like a trip. However you word your survey, encourage your customers to be honest in their feedback so you can make improvements. After all, a satisfied customer is more likely to send you referrals!