Good service is no longer enough. In the current market, the new goal is perfection – and one Perth broker has nailed it.
Good service is no longer enough. In the current market, the new goal is perfection – and one Perth broker has nailed it.
Smartline broker Matt Brennan has been awarded the franchises Client Care Award for 2013 after scoring 10 out of 10 in every client survey this year.
The survey is distributed by the franchise's head office to every Smartline client six weeks after settlement and gives clients the opportunity to rate their broker and give feedback.
Brennan says his dedication to service starts from when the client walks in the door.
“From the moment you first meet the client, you’ve got to become their trusted adviser,” he says.
“In Western Australia there are a lot of first home buyers and I think they really need that reliability, to have someone they can trust through the experience and that’s what I try to provide to my clients.”
This means being strong enough in your product knowledge to be able to answer questions confidently and put your client’s fears at ease. If something does come up you don’t know, tell your client you’ll get back to them and then deliver on that promise as quickly as possible.
Consistency is key, says Brennan.
“It’s always being there at the end of the telephone line or in person or via email to answer any question they may have.”
A crucial aspect of client care that brokers often forget is that it doesn’t stop at settlement, says Brennan.
“We’ve put that at the forefront of our business model, and I think it can be challenging for some brokers that sometimes they write the loan application and get the approval through and move on to the next transaction.”
Brennan calls all client’s post-settlement to make them aware that he is available should they have any queries going forward, and is then in touch regularly via a monthly newsletter which always includes an invitation to contact him with any queries.
Going forward, Brennan is aware of changes in the habits and preferences of the consumer, and the benefits new technology can bring.
“The current generation are more technically savvy so you’ve really got to make sure you have the options available if someone wants to be contacted through different media. Some clients I’m in touch with a lot verbally, whereas others may be time-poor in all aspects and will just want to do it via email.
“I’m always on the lookout for different ways we can be in contact with clients. It’s about communicating with them in the way they want to communicate, not the way I do."
