In my book, extraordinary service is doing what needs to be
done to help resolve a situation, even when it is a long shot or falls into the
“not-my-job” category. As a REALTOR® in the Minneapolis/St Paul metro area, I always try to provide extraordinary service to
my home buyer and sellers but last week a New York garbage man has me beat in the exceptional
service department hands down. Gary Gaddist, a parks department worker in Manhattan, dug
through trash to find the wedding ring of a park patron when he found her handwritten plea left on his truck. I would guess that trying to find a
ring in a truck full of New York City
trash is like the smelly version of looking for a needle in a haystack. Gary didn’t have to do
anything. No one would have known if he tossed the note…but he didn’t. He was
able to be a hero to someone he didn’t even know by providing a bit of kindness
and exceptional service.
Working in real estate, I don’t have to dig through trash to
provide good service. I try to do what is right to get the job done. Last week,
at a closing for my first time buyer’s new home, the sellers never arrived at
the Maplewood
title company office. While my buyer was wrapping up his final signatures, my
closer received a call from the seller’s closing agent asking why we weren’t at
the Fridley
office. Our closer works in Fridley but since
the house, buyer and sellers were closer to Maplewood,
the closing had been arranged for the most central office, Maplewood from the get go. Unfortunately, this mistake meant the seller’s
proceeds check was in one place and my buyer’s new house keys were in another.
Even though the sellers were directed to go to the wrong place by their closer,
their agent demanded we immediately
drive to the other office or there would be no sale because her clients
weren’t moving. It was a ridiculous
stand-off but I didn’t want either my buyer or the sellers to be further
inconvenienced so we completed the final HUD signatures via email. I drove the
sellers’ check across town and picked up the keys and dropped them at my buyer’s
house. I don’t know if it is exceptional service, but it needed to be done.
This was the second time last week I had to run around with
checks to keep everything working smoothly. Earlier this month a closing date
was moved up a week to a time when my selling clients were scheduled to be on
vacation. They pre-signed their documents and I delivered their proceeds check
to them as soon as they arrived home. Easy-peasey!
Many situations come up in buying a home. Some can be
planned for and others just happen. When you purchase or sell your next home,
find a REALTOR® that will work hard to find the solution to even the most
unexpected problem. Extraordinary service
isn’t difficult it just takes a little “extra”!
Copyright 2012 www.terieckholm.com
