Patience is a virtue. The problem is, not many people seem to buy into that proverb anymore. It seems inevitable I guess, given our insatiable thirst for faster and more efficient ways of getting things done. People nowadays want what they want, WHEN they want it.
Being accessible and ‘consumer-friendly’ is more important than ever. If you don’t make it easy for someone to conduct business with you, chances are they won’t. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
If you don’t believe accessibility is important, ask Obama. Poor guy, all he wanted to do was introduce universal healthcare to the American people…and it seemed like he was finally poised to do just that.
Then came the launch of the healthcare website, which people needed to access in order to register. Cue the technical difficulties. It seemed whoever was responsible for testing to ensure all “bugs” were eliminated didn’t do such a stellar job. Consequently, millions of Americans were unable to access the site and register.
The backlash may be, as some would argue, insurmountable. Republicans were quick to pounce on the errors, and managed to link these accessibility issues with the merits of universal healthcare in and of itself. Obama’s approval rating has dropped, the general public is growing more sceptical of healthcare, and even some of his own party members are quietly keeping their distance from him, especially on this issue. And remember, this was heavily precipitated by the lack of access to a website!
I know you’re probably thinking that the above scenario isn’t fair, and that to judge healthcare by website glitches is silly. Sadly though, that’s reality.
In terms of real estate, there is no exception. If you’re trying to find the perfect home, being available to view new prospects is extremely important. It’s not uncommon to see a home sold within days of it being listed. If you’re constantly unavailable or difficult to contact, whether you’re a realtor or a client, there’s a good chance you may miss out.
If you’re selling your property, you need to be as accommodating as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to keep the property open 24/7 to let every Tom, Dick and Harriet in to see the place. But you need to allow potential buyers and realtors the chance to view the property free of hassle, and allow your property to get maximum exposure. If I have to jump through hoops and do a song and dance to view the property, chances are I won’t….or if I do, I’m not going to be happy about it.
Recently I was showing condo units downtown to a client, where we experienced multiple accessibility issues with one particular unit. On the first two attempts, the instructions stated the owner would be home to let us inside. They were not. The third attempt, a lockbox and key were on site. The problem was, the lockbox looked like it belonged in the Smithsonian. You couldn’t even move the dials.
I, personally, would have stopped looking after the first or second attempt, but my client really wanted to see this place. Finally, on the 4th attempt, we penetrated Fort Knox. However, right before we entered my client turned to me and said something to the effect of, “I can’t wait to see this Jackass’s unit”. As soon as we entered, she unleashed her inner Chef Gordon Ramsay, as if she had just been served a plate of absolute rubbish. The unit was actually very nice and well-kept, but you wouldn’t know it based on her comments. She tore that place up!
The lesson here is that is that hell hath no fury…I’m just kidding. That’s a separate blog post, or two.
The lesson is that when you are unaccommodating, you tend to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths. And once it’s there, it’s very difficult to get rid of. Don’t expect people to sympathize with your reasons for not being accessible, even if they are valid. It just doesn’t work that way anymore.
I believe the Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon said it best, “I certainly am interested in accessibility, clarity and immediacy.”