Answer your phone!

I'm amazed, amused and thankful when I receive this feedback: "You were the first one to answer your phone." To be fair, before I got a call center, I tried to get to every call... Another occasional feedback, "He (the other guy,) answered is phone with, 'Hello?...'"

I always tried to answer every call, sometimes even on a roof. Much easier now with an assistant.

It is my thought that answering the phone during an inspection to book another inspection is disrespectful to the client you are in front of. A staff or call center is such a valuable tool and will pay for it's self. America's Call Center books over 92% of the people that call. When I am on vacation I don't want to be carrying my phone around and it is such a good feeling checking my e-mail and seeing all the booked inspections on a Monday afternoon!

TriCounty wrote:It is my thought that answering the phone during an inspection to book another inspection is disrespectful to the client you are in front of. A staff or call center is such a valuable tool and will pay for it's self. America's Call Center books over 92% of the people that call. When I am on vacation I don't want to be carrying my phone around and it is such a good feeling checking my e-mail and seeing all the booked inspections on a Monday afternoon!

Aaron, most folks, IMO, understand that you answered their call likely while working, and that's what it takes to provide great service, folks cant wait for returned voicemail/email. I've not had one complaint about it. I try to answer the [hone, but I do understand your feeling. My opinion, is you're not billing by the hour, a 2 minute call does not take away from their inspection in any way, plus when they ned to call you with a question and their real estate deadline is approaching, they'll appreciate your answering the line. my 2 cents

I kind of agree.

Although it would take me longer then 2 min to take the information down, give a quote, and answer questions. 90% of the time I am getting e-mail address wrong and playing phone tag, or calling people and writing information down when I should be driving or eating lunch or dinner. Plus, when the phone rings it might be an agent and not a client and you end up talking to them for 20 min or cutting them off.

For me having people answer the phone is one of the best business moves I have ever made.

It is nice to go on vacation and not have to have my phone on my at all times to book apts so I have work the next week.

I have been where you are and it was way more work then it needed to be.

I think I've trained my regular agents to text me.

Philo wrote:I think I've trained my regular agents to text me.

That's what I do. All my regulars text, or they have my ISN on their phone and book that way.

I get the same answer too, I always answer my calls but that normally necessarily translate to a booking

Jesal wrote:I get the same answer too, I always answer my calls but that normally necessarily translate to a booking

That's one downside to the call center; they don't book the jobs like I can, (I think.) Look forward to when I can afford my own officer mgr, who can (amongst many other tasks,) answer the phone and book jobs.

Drewlevy wrote:

Philo wrote:I think I've trained my regular agents to text me.

That's what I do. All my regulars text, or they have my ISN on their phone and book that way.

I need to get them on that ISN. Maybe I'll be able to after tonite's webinar.

Philo wrote:

Drewlevy wrote:

Philo wrote:I think I've trained my regular agents to text me.

That's what I do. All my regulars text, or they have my ISN on their phone and book that way.

I need to get them on that ISN. Maybe I'll be able to after tonite's webinar.

what webinar?

First of now-monthly webinars, Dan went over the Real Estate Dashboard.

how did you hear about that?

Must've been Facebook; certainly there were FB reminders that week. Like their page, if you haven't already.

Philo wrote:

Jesal wrote:I get the same answer too, I always answer my calls but that normally necessarily translate to a booking

That's one downside to the call center; they don't book the jobs like I can, (I think.) Look forward to when I can afford my own officer mgr, who can (amongst many other tasks,) answer the phone and book jobs.

I thought the same thing. You need to let go and realize people can do just as good of a job, maybe better if you find the right people.