Ah, customer service — a key business area one should never overlook. Let’s start with the facts according to a recent Zendesk Customer Service Trends Report:

• 80 percent of customers leave after one poor customer service experience.
• About 50 percent of people will switch to a competitor after one poor service experience.
• 75 percent of customers are willing to spend more money on a company that provides a great customer service experience. 
  

Needless to say, customer service is an integral part of your business success. Not only does a poor customer service experience risk losing a customer, it could mean losing a customer for decades as the U.S. Census reports that the average American can expect to move 11.7 times in their lifetime. Losing one customer is a huge loss if you look at it like that. So, how can you avoid losing a customer that could refer and reuse your services for a lifetime? It all comes down to the tech experience. 

1. Consumers expect a tech-savvy agent

Courtney Chakarun, ExP Chief Marketing Officer, was recently interviewed where she stated ExP’s interest in finding more about the pandemic’s impact on customers’ thoughts on homeownership. Chakarun noted, “The majority of consumers that we researched said they would be asking a real estate agent about the technology that they had.” Homebuyers and sellers want (and expect) a real estate agent that knows what they’re doing when it comes to tech tools. For brokers, this means that in order to live up to your clients’ expectations, you must equip your agents with the necessary tools and training in order to be successful. Brokerages who are failing to evolve with the industry’s digitalization put themselves at a daily risk of extinction. 

2. Advanced technology used as marketing tools

When marketing to potential clients, today’s advanced technology tools can make the experience more personalized and impactful. From lead generation to an advanced CRM system and cybersecurity tools, the National Association of Realtors found that similar tools are incredibly useful for real estate agents. Tools like drones and virtual tours help showcase the home appropriately to potential buyers online while items like video conferencing and cloud storage help professionals maintain client relationships and close deals on the go. However, only 64 percent of surveyed agents reported that their brokerage provides them with all the tools they need to be successful. While the technology is there (and available!), the majority of agents do not get the necessary support from their brokerage. 

3. Provide insightful statistics and personalized reports

For many clients, the difference between your business and your competitor is simple: what do you offer that your competitor can’t? There’s endless amounts of data and information out there, and with the right tools, you can make it presentable and relatable to clients. Reporting, even though numbers aren’t everyone’s favorite thing, provides great insight into the market and seller reports. Tools like Zipi’s Google Data Studio connector can help provide detailed, insightful information in presentable formats that are easy to understand. With the My Business Agent Portal, your agents have their own unique access to the Zipi system to utilize these tools. 

4. Digital tools should support and streamline the process of buying, selling and owning a home

There’s one thing we know about the buying and selling experience — it’s not a simple one. About 40 percent of Americans report that buying a home is the most stressful event in their life (yikes!). By utilizing and adopting the tech tools available today, you can offer your clients a much more positive customer service experience. Be sure that platforms, like your back office and accounting software, offer digital tools that support clients and streamline the process of buying, selling and owning a home.

Zipi reimagines a fractured system to easily facilitate and transact real estate with our back office, accounting and digital payments products. Request a demo to get in contact with one of our expert team members.