Are Your Customers Having An ‘Out-Of-Body’ Experience?

Several years ago, I walked into Denny’s restaurant in Orlando, Florida for breakfast and it was packed! During my 25-30 minute wait to be seated, I stood ‘in-line’ with 20-30 other standing- customers. Little to no attention was paid to any of us while we stood standing waiting for a table.

All of the Denny’s employees were legitimately really, really busy… clearing and cleaning tables, shuttling dirty plates and silverware to the kitchen, filling the ketchup bottles, delivering food to those seated already etc.

But, NOT ONE of those Denny Employees paid any attention to those of us standing in line! No nod of the head, no smile, no apology for the ‘long wait’, no eye-contact etc. They were ALL, however, what I call ‘FUNCTION-FOCUSED’! They had jobs to do and they were doing them, and doing them well! Their trainer would have been very proud!

It was then that I realized I was having an ‘Out-Of-Body’ experience! It was as if I (and the others standing in-line) weren’t really there…like we didn’t exist. I pinched myself and, in my mind, asked ‘what’s wrong with this picture’?

What’s wrong with this picture is that Denny’s Training (assuming they ‘train’ their employees) obviously focused on ‘FUNCTION’... to the exclusion of ‘CUSTOMER SERVICE’!

This exclusion of ‘CUSTOMER SERVICE’ emphasis is NOT limited to Denny’s. I had the exact same experience shortly thereafter at Best Buy! In this instance, I was the ONLY PERSON standing in line at the Customer Service Counter awaiting service while 9 Best Buy Employees behind the counter were legitimately ‘FUNCTION-FOCUSED’ doing odds and ends!  Despite a marketing slogan plastered on the wall behind the counter which emphasized the importance of ‘The Customer’, NOT ONE of those 9 employees acknowledged my presence for more than 11 minutes (I timed it)! Deja Vu …another ‘Out-Of-Body’ Experience!

You might be asking yourself… ‘What do these two ‘Out-Of-Body’ experiences have to do with  real estate? Answer: EVERYTHING!

While Real Estate is first and foremost a business of marketing, and secondarily a business of selling and IT IS  thirdly a business of customer service. In real estate, ‘The Customer’ (seller or buyer) Is King’! Stop paying attention to ‘The Customer’ allowing them to have an ‘Out-Of-Body’ experience and see what happens to your business! In short order…you will be ‘Out-Of-Business’! At very least, you will be unable to transition into a 'Referral-Based' Business!

As a real estate agent-entrepreneur, do you and your staff get too busy with the marketing-side and sales-side of YOUR business? Do you get so ‘FUNCTION-FOCUSED' in those areas (writing ads, planning Open Houses, submitting new listings to the MLS etc.) that you unintentionally forget  (look through) ‘The Customer’? If you answered ‘YES’ you’re giving YOUR customers an ‘Out-Of-Body’ experience! Continue to do so at your own risk! I’d recommend some ‘Formal’ or ‘Self’ Education/Training in ‘Customer Service’! There are a lot of great ‘Customer Service’ books and training program out there!  And, I’d also recommend investing in a really good ‘user-friendly’ CRM program (that you actually use!) that keep you constantly 'IN-TOUCH WITH' and 'FOCUSED-ON' your customers! Protect your business by eliminating your customers 'OUT-OF-BODY'! 

 Recommended Reading: Raving Fans…Ken Blanchard