Maybe this never happens to you… But I’m pretty sure most agency owners can relate. Some days it seems you’re only dealing with complaints. With clients whose expectations are unrealistic. Or are genuinely being let down by your staff who have tapped out, disengaged but still collecting their pay cheque.
And I’d done the various landord satisfaction surveys over the years. I’d asked “how likely they would recommend us to a friend” and measured net promoter scores. Somehow the 12 people who answered were always “satisfied”. But how come the only time I spoke with a landlord they were cranky and I was pleading for more time as their agent? Where was the disconnect?
Of course the answer is I was like many of you: I didn’t call our landlords. Unless I was filling in for a PM I never dialed their number. And no, they never called to say hi and thank us for our work! So of course my only contact points with them were all negative. I was the boss and the buck (and lost managements) stopped with me.
In the busy life of an agency I didn’t ever make time to call them. I wrote newsletters and other client comms to go out from my team. But pick up the phone and ask landlords how they were? Connect and ask how we were doing as their agents? Nup. Never. I was too busy…
Then I sold my rent roll.
I called a whole bunch of landlords to tell them I was retiring from agency and wanted to thank them for their business. It had to be done to aid the sale but I was nervous and steeled myself for an onslaught of pent-up complaints. And guess what? They said things like: “Thank you so much – you guys have been great!” “I wish you all the best and I really appreciate the work your team have done for me.”
I was completely overwhelmed with positive feedback. The praise and appreciation came through thick and fast and I was shell-shocked. Where have these people been all this time??! If I’d know they’d be like this I would have made those calls all the time! Maybe 5 every work day so I could call every landlord every 6 months? There would have been no better way to grow closer to my clients, hold their managements and grow their referrals.
I like the writings of Queensland marketing expert Amanda Stevens and she says this: “Satisfaction doesn’t create talkability and it certainly doesn’t inspire brand advocacy. I’m unlikely to spend time with my friends at a dinner party raving about a customer experience that left me ‘satisfied’ from head to toe.” Amanda argues we should stop the quantitative survey measurement and have deeper touch points with our clients to find out what they’re saying about our service.
I’ve sold out but it’s not too late for you: Make a plan and call all your landlords. Find out what they’re really telling their friends about you. Ask how you could improve your service – there’ll be gold in that qualitative feedback. And I promise, you’ll also enjoy some pleasant chats with some happier than you expect clients. They really don’t all hate you!!
I’d love to have a confidential chat with you about your agency and rent roll plans. Please call me on 0423 332 022.