Who Has Better Service – Real Estate or the DMV?

So here’s a good one for you…isn’t the DMV one of those organizations that everyone just loves to hate?   These bureaucratic organizations have been the brunt of many jokes over the years. They’re known for their rude and inefficient people and processes, right?

I say, not so fast, though. We love to criticize them, but guess what?   The DMV in California now sends customer satisfaction surveys out to their recent “guests”.  In the California DMV they have implemented a ticketing system that makes it easy to get in and out of the office quickly. Why?  Because they listened to their customers and responded to their needs?

They added a bunch more chairs too! Most importantly, the service levels of their representatives have improved a LOT!  They are pleasant, helpful, courteous and don’t treat you like criminals when you’re getting your license renewed like they used to!  Hats off to the California DMV for getting their act together!

Now, if even the DMV can ask for input from their customers, what’s wrong with us in the real estate industry?  We sell something a LOT more valuable than a driver’s license or a boat trailer registration!  Why is it so impossible for us to understand the importance of performance transparency in every other part of our lives except our own backyard!

I feel like a broken record about this, sometimes, but I just don’t understand why we find it so hard to understand why consumers want feedback on the sales professional selling them the most important asset in their lives!

Come on, team! It’s time to wake up and respond. KUDO’s again to the California Association of REALTORS® for launching REALTOR® Ratings and providing members the opportunity to display results on ratedagent.com .  It’s really helping to bring the “oh so overdue” transparency the home buying consumer has been clamoring for!   This program is proving that better service quality translates into more business!.  The C.A.R. stats say that 83% of customers that have been participated in the REALTOR® Ratings program are satisfied with their agent while the national average is only 52%.  Happy customers equals more commission checks for REALTORS®.  That’s a good thing for everyone!

Will you join me in helping our industry to get over its insecurity and ignorance in addressing this very important consumer need?   It’s critical to the long-term survival of our craft!  If we don’t do it, consumers will continue to look to Yelp!, Zillow and others and we will have, again, weakened the consumer’s confidence the industry’s ability to give them what they need and want.