In a business like real estate, it’s evident that how agents’ customers feel during and after transactions dictate how successful agents will be. A job well done is always essential for a business to be successful, but when a large part of your business depends on referrals, it’s imperative. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “any publicity is good publicity.” In this day and age, when user experiences spread like wildfire on Yelp, Facebook and Twitter, any negative comments might get you more publicity, sure, but for the wrong reasons. Clients will stay away from you solely based on what others are saying about their experience with you.

I’m sure you’ve also heard the phrase,  “the customer is always right.” I know a thing or two about customer service, and I know it is worth investing time and effort to make customers happy. Before joining Chicago Agent, I helped promote Zappos.com and its products, and worked in the company’s creative services/marketing department. Zappos is an online retailer, but the website is just as equally if not more known for its customer service – its whole business model is based only on catering to customers and doing whatever it takes to make them happy. This type of business model guarantees referrals. Even if you screw up – because everyone makes mistakes – if you put in an effort and do whatever you can to rectify your mistake and make it up to your client, that’s the difference between a scathing review on Zillow and a nicer one that notes your efforts to make clients happy.

Agents who work hard at making sure their clients are happy know what I mean – happy customers mean more referrals, more leads and more business. The agents we interviewed for our cover story have done everything, from making sure the former owners of a foreclosure vacate the home on closing day to cleaning up dog feces. You read that right. Would you do that for your clients?

You also might think you deliver the highest level of customer service possible to your clients, but some agents are actually providing their clients a disservice by not doing things that are miniscule, like returning other agents’ calls or scheduling showings in a timely manner. Read more about how you may be hindering results for your client, and take our quiz on page 18 to rate your own customer service skills.