I RECENTLY had dealing with an insurance company on behalf of one of my Landlords who had a large claim on his buildings insurance and the experience was somewhat eye opening.

Firstly, you’re typically in conversation with the insurance underwriter and not the insurance broker or local insurance company with whom you placed the business.

This is not necessarily a problem unless like me you found their claims department offered poor service and a lack of continuity.

I typically found that each time I called I was put through to somebody different which meant having to repeat myself again and no one individual seemed to deal with the case with staff only able to comment on what files notes they could find.

My conclusions were that any insurance policy which you have is only as good as the aftersales/claims department where your only experience occurs if you’re unfortunate enough to have to make a claim.

The same applies to many services we receive whether that is from our telecommunication provider, conveyancers, holiday supplier, and bank through to Estate Agent and Letting agent.

In other words when progress is required, or where things go wrong it is how well these issues are resolved and how well one is kept up-dated on the progress of your query/claim/fault or complaint that is of importance.

Focusing on estate agency once they have sourced a Buyer, then the sales transaction will typically be dealt with by a conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor.

And again, you typically will not know how well or not the service is until after the event.

I have often had buyers and vendors call into the office saying that their conveyancer is saying they have not heard from the other party’s conveyancer in response to some query.

Yet what I am always surprised by and respond by saying is why can’t their conveyance just pick up the phone and talk to the other parties’ conveyancer!

Sales progression is part of good estate agency practise, after all many sales fall through after offer due to a lack of communication and delays resulting in a change of circumstances within the chain.

This costs all parties dearly and I often wonder what is really holding things up?

The hybrid agents today are more likely to use their own or a favoured conveyancing company, typically also online.

Yet typically their call centre service is only as good as what’s on their PC screen with little conveyancing experience which some term sell it cheap, hope it completes mentality.

The solutions that typically work best are where you are able to converse with one local person who is dealing with your case.

Perhaps a bit old fashions in this cost cutting society.

Yet if it comes with good customer service it works.

Applying to myself, I know that I can be called by any of my clients at any time and they typically require answers to queries and reassurances if things are starting to become complex or dragging.

I believe that good Customer Service should be essential at all levels of one’s business portfolio and business transactions.

Customers should all be seen as equals whether that is vendors with differing house valves or Landlords and tenants irrespective of who is paying.

Instil these policies into ones staff and one should have a compelling offering to cover both service offering and after sales.