RISMEDIA, May 30, 2009-Having become familiar with Centralized Showing Service (CSS) when she worked as an agent, Donna Kreps, vice president of sales for Indianapolis, Indiana-based FC Tucker, was well aware of the numerous advantages that working with CSS-a company that specializes in scheduling home showings-would provide. Allowing a specialist to take on part of the business model that FC Tucker is founded upon has given Kreps and her agents the ability to offer their clients a more efficient and better service.
FC Tucker has always taken pride in the service it provides its clients, so making the switch from an in-house showing service to CSS was a big transition for the company.
“We initially had a concern about switching to a specialized company that would take care of scheduling our showing appointments,” says Kreps. “We have always had a full-time staff in the office whose sole responsibility was to answer the phone and set showings, so to take this component of our business away was a huge judgment call.” But since the decision has been made, there has been no looking back.
The decision to move the scheduling of showing appointments to an out-of-house company has proven beneficial to Kreps and the entire company time and again over the past year. The convenience of being able to call one number and set as many showing appointments as necessary has been a huge advantage.
“It is important that our agents have the right systems in place so they can focus on what is truly important in today’s real estate market-selling homes,” says Kreps. In addition, CSS has provided the company with a systemized reporting feature that allows agents to print information about their properties, including feedback from potential buyers, the number of showings and how similar properties are being priced.
Not only does CSS allow Kreps’ agents to schedule their showings with ease, but the company’s longer office hours give her agents even more flexibility. “With the office being open seven days a week, my agents can schedule showings at their convenience,” says Kreps. In addition to extended office hours, CSS records each call that comes into the center, giving Kreps and her agents a unique advantage in their marketplace.
“Having each call recorded allows us to pinpoint any problem that may occur throughout the process, which enables us to deal with any glitch that comes up in a timely manner,” says Kreps.
Not only has Centralized Showing Service provided FC Tucker with a system, but also a customer service team that allows Kreps and her agents to get things accomplished in a timely manner.
“We haven’t skipped a beat,” says Kreps. “Any time there has been a hiccup, someone at CSS has fixed it for us quickly.”
Going above and beyond their expectations, the customer service and support staff at the call center in Kansas have worked closely with Kreps and her team since the beginning.
“They are always willing to listen to our suggestions and implement and streamline processes so that they fit with how we run our business,” Kreps says.
For more information, visit www.showings.com.
