I was approached recently by a prospective client who asked why they should choose Barbers over one of the new online agents. I was caught a bit cold but did my utmost to deliver a decent set of reasons why they should choose us; in fairness, it was ten past six on Friday night and I may not have given it my best shot. Which made me think…
I may have to break this down into a couple of episodes but the answer is as simple as ABC… plus the rest of the alphabet! Here is my first instalment.
A is for advertising, in the local newspapers and on the Internet through Rightmove, Zoopla, PrimeLocation and many more! This form of advertising is enhanced by having featured property for all new instructions. A is also for arranging viewings, not online but by personal conversation, allowing us to get to know the prospective purchaser and to build rapport and a good knowledge base.
This is valuable both to buyers – as we are now more able to marry up the purchasers with the right kind of property (we know our properties) – and to our seller clients who will have an informed indication of what the prospective buyer is looking for. Later when viewers make offers, we should have built up some trust and mutual respect which will help greatly to get the right result for both parties.
B is for best practice. At Barbers we believe that as a company we owe it to the customer to adhere to a strict code of practice and that is why we are members of the UK regulatory bodies and have been awarded ISO 9001: 2008 Quality Assurance Accreditation, so you can be sure that you will receive the highest level of customer service.
C is of course for customer service. There are many forms of customer service and we like to think that at Barbers we do the traditional customer service role exceptionally well: keeping in constant contact with our clients; giving constructive comments on any feedback we have received; offering advice on how best to present your property for sale; advising on local trades people, should you require their services, etc. We always phone you back if the member of staff you need isn’t available – and with 6 members of staff you don’t get left in a queue! We, of course, offer accompanied viewings as part of our customer service charter at no extra charge. This is not always necessary I know, but do you want to miss the right opportunity?
Customer service is such a large area of discussion it really needs its own article and I have the feeling that if I carry on too long you will stop reading… if you haven’t already.
I would like to congratulate Mike Arthan, Barbers’ Managing Director, Jacqui Edwards, based in Barbers’ Market Drayton Property Management Department, and Sean O’Brien, also based in the Market Drayton Sales Office, for their successes at this year’s National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) Awards.
Mark Bielby
Residential Sales Manager
Barbers Newport
July 2016
In-house conveyancing with Barbers
You often hear people talking about the stress of moving home. With so much to organise, it's hardly surprising. You'll need a reliable, local solicitor for your conveyancing – and we know just the team!
Get an online quote today