Recently we posted about how useful your real estate agent can be when you need a plumber, electrician, or other home-related service. We’re big fans of customer service and helping our clients find the best services and products when they need them most, but when something goes wrong, we really see just how important those connections and relationships that your real estate agent has built over time can be. Many of those relationships are built through hard work and amazing experiences, whether it’s in the quality of the services the vendor provides, their level of customer service, or the prices they charge (or a combination of all three). This week, we had a great example of that with one of our home warranty providers.
A client of ours sent us an email about having some issues getting the home warranty company out to change the locks. The person at the other end of the toll free number told the client that she had to wait for 30 days before the coverage started (which is true in some instances, but not this one). The client was worried that they now had to wait and would have to pay a locksmith out of pocket to get the locks rekeyed. The information about the wait time sounded incorrect and we were sure about it, so we called our local rep for the home warranty company to clarify what we were hearing from the client. Because the client was an investor (there are different rules for them when it comes to home warranties), there was some confusion as to when the coverage began. The rep quickly answered that yes, we were correct in our thinking that the client was covered and that they would not have to wait. She asked us to connect her and the client so she could personally take care of it.
Within an hour from start to finish, we had a happy client and a next day appointment to have the locks rekeyed. Our local contact at the home warranty company got to work right away and solved the problem with one of the best examples of customer service we’ve seen in awhile. The client was thrilled, we were happy, and the new tenants about to move in would have their new keys in less than 24 hours.
Thanks to our great relationship with the home warranty company, we were able to quickly get the issue resolved and help our client get the work that they needed taken care of. Sometimes all it takes it as simple phone call to one of our vendors and things get sorted. It’s a great situation for everyone – our clients get the work they need done, we strengthen our bonds with the client so that they know they can count on us, and the vendor knows that they helped resolve the issue and will get more referrals and recommendations from both us and their new clients, the homeowners.
So next time you find yourself facing an emergency, pick up the phone and call your real estate agent. Let them help you resolve the issues and utilize their connections with the companies and vendors they work with, so that everyone walks away a winner.
image courtesy of eidantoei
