Customer Service isn’t Dead – Just Hiding

Starbucks Customer Service Pledge

With all of these strides to become better and better with customer interaction and “expectation delivery” why is it that so many people out there question that customer service is dead? I want good, consistent customer focused service. Too often in my industry of real estate we hear vendors, speakers and products touting the exemplary is necessary. Where I agree to an extent that the exemplary makes you memorable and is a pleasant surprise in certain elements – my issue is that we should probably focus on providing “really good” experiences first. These don’t HAVE to be amazing every time, they should simply focus on providing what the consumer expects and maybe a little more. There’s little value in providing OUTSTANDING service 1:5 times if the other 4 times it’s less than par.

Dancing Hamsters and What Your Brand is All About…

Yo dude... I knows Real Estate

What are you really focusing your brand on? Are you using killer beats and dancing hamsters to gain the trust and approval of someone that is looking to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars with you? Are you “gimmicking” your way through business right now? Take a minute to think about this. I mean I love dancing hamsters and all – but that doesn’t mean I want to drive their car. Do you?

Mobile Apps, Brokerage and “The Homer” of Real Estate

The Homer of Real Estate

I was recently interviewed by Mary Ellen Podmolik of the Chicago Tribune for her article, “Mobile apps link home buyers to brokers“.  The full article can be found by clicking on the previous link, but here’s my condensed contribution: “With the market being the way it is and homebuyers understanding this is a home they’re [...]

Zoho Sheets = Live Embedded Spreadsheets

Internet Explorer 5.0.1???

That led me to create the below spreadsheet that based on a simple mortgage formula and summing up the monthly costs of ownership for a home-owner (mortgage, taxes, assessments, etc.)

Culture – The New Measure of Innovation

Culture IS Innovation

Long story short… It says to me that a company culture can be revolutionary, radical, and yes… innovative.

The Philanthropic Value of The You Factor – The @properties Rebuilding Together Project

On a chilly April day in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, I was lucky enough to be part of an epiphany.  Our company, @properties, was sponsoring a home through Rebuilding Together, and April 26th was our work day.  Englewood, a troubled community on the South Side of Chicago had recently had it’s fair share of [...]

More Great Press for the 2007 Chicago Neighborhood @Report

In the latest issue of Chicago Magazine (www.chicagomag.com), Dennis Rodkin has written an article about our recent release of The @Report – A Local Look at the Performance of 21 Chicago Neighborhoods. This report, in comparison to others in our area, was born with the idea in mind that real estate is local… very local. [...]

When does the map of Web 2.0 become “Clouded”? (Part 1)

confusion-1

I shiver almost every time someone mentions the phrase Web 2.0.  The catch phrase of the millenia, 2.0 refers to “the next step”, NEW, better than the original.  The “official” Wikipedia definition refers to Web 2.0 as, “a term describing a trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims [...]

Announcing the @properties Chicago Market Report 2.0

Four score and 7 months ago, I met with our company’s co-owner Thad Wong and discussed doing a Chicago market report. We talked energetically and at length about the different reports offered out by our local papers, some brokerages, and other’s nationwide. The common shortcoming we found while discussing these publications as a whole was [...]

“The You Factor” – Differentiation in the age of Choice, Experience and Authenticity

So I have been approached often with the question, “Why The You Factor?  What is it?  What does it mean?”  I’ve been working on a mission statement, (Thanks Jerry McGuire), to address this question, and where it’s not done yet, I’m always excited, “when a plan comes together – Hannibal Smith”.  Below is an email [...]