Centralisation of Agents and the dumbing down of service levels

Centralisation of Agents and the dumbing down of service levels.

I am coming across an increasing amount of large Estate Agent firms producing the following model: less staff in offices, one centralised divert call in point for clients and customers, and even estate agents employing sub contracting firms to carry out tasks such as property viewings. I believe the result is less quality care/service due to cost cutting.

As owner of an independent Letting agency, we want to give the best possible care and attention in service levels. If you call into Jeremy Jacob Letting Specialists, we want you to deal with a dedicated professional quickly. 

This week, I called one large corporate Estate Agent at their particular office branch location (lets say in Notting Hill) and I am greeted by the same Zoe who took my phone call when I called into their South Kensington branch. Zoe is not an Estate Agent or even a front of house receptionist within a particular office. Zoe is a mighty machine message taker for all offices across its company.

To me this feels impersonal and causes a time delay in the message being relayed to the correct expert before you are called back. Estate Agents seem to be using less staff and stretching all employees. 

Finally, I see agents now using sub-contractor firms in an Uber style arrangement to cut costs. This means as a searching Tenant, you maybe doing a viewing with someone who is extremely limited in property knowledge. Okay, to be fair to them: these Uber style workers have passed trustworthy checks - they won't steal from a property and have been entrusted in opening the property for a viewing. However, any more complicated questions will resort in a polite decline and you will be re-directed to follow up with your expert agent. You then may have to track down your expert agent because they are worn out being busily pulled and stretched.

Jeremy Jacob Letting Specialists are a hybrid agent. We might not have a shop front, but with the examples of the above taking place, I genuinely think our type of model is the new leading quality in customer care. Large agents with huge shop front costs are struggling and are not adapting. Okay they are adapting, but its in my view with the sacrifice of customer care. Our agency is lean and fit and we are able to offer a personable and flexible quality provision of customer care/service. 

Please give us a call today on: 020 3727 2628 to discuss how we can help.