Communication! Here at Southdown we love the word communication and understand that it is a very important aspect for running a successful business.
Customer service is another C word that we love and something that I really value…
My first ever job was on the returns desk of a big corporate retail company. Two years of rude customers and bad management it could sometimes be a nightmare, but it taught me at such a young age how to deal with different kinds of people. From dealing with angry customers who couldn’t return their items to communicating with blind and deaf people who required extra assistance. One lady I dealt with actually growled and hissed at me when I told her she couldn’t return her item without a receipt, so I did come away with a few funny stories, a great deal of customer service experience and a handful of friends, some of which I still see to this day!
I actually fell into the Estate Agency sector after starting an administration apprenticeship within a small family run Estate Agents. After six months of working there and only being allowed to answer phone calls, the owner sold the company to a bigger establishment who wanted to open their own sales and lettings department. This is where the fun began, and I discovered my passion for working with people. From the outset I was literally thrown into the deep end and started accompanying viewings with all kinds of different people. As soon as I started doing this I began to grow in confidence and experience. Regularly meeting new people at viewings, valuations, networking etc. has really benefited me both personally and professionally. I highly encourage people to venture outside of their comfort zones on a regular basis and just watch the changes happen and your confidence develop.
It can sometimes be easy for us professionals to forget that our clients may not be experienced in our field and start speaking surveying and conveyancing gibberish. We deal with these things everyday and they are a like a second language to us. I have experienced this with car sales people, electricians, plumbers and IT technicians that explain things to me in technical terms and it really IS like listening to another language. I always bear this in mind when dealing with an inexperienced client who may not understand the difference between freehold and leasehold, what searches are or the purpose of indemnity insurance policies.
Another service that Southdown provides is work relating to the Party Wall etc Act which is also highly technical, and I have recently spoken with my colleague Kelly about the process since starting my role. The way in which she explained it to me really helped my understanding and there were no big technical words to confuse or scare me. I just cannot emphasise the importance of good communication between team members and with your clients.
There are so many different things that we offer here at Southdown and I am slowly but surely learning about them and becoming aware of the different processes. If there is anything that has been mentioned within this post that you would like more information on, please do not hesitate in getting in touch with us, we would be delighted to help and explain further for you.
