The entire branch network across the Connells Group has signed up to technology whereby incoming customer emails trigger office phones to ring.
Staff picking up the phones hear a message that gives the name of the enquirer, and the nature of their query is displayed on screen.
They can then use a simple button to call back the customers immediately – usually so quickly that the enquirer is still in front of their screen.
Connells Group is the biggest contract so far for technology firm Callwell, which last year also signed up Leaders Romans Group.
Callwell managing director Bob Scarff said that communications between agents and customers have changed dramatically.
He said: “Everyone in the industry knows that customers no longer walk in as they used to; that’s why there are so many different approaches to ‘physical footprint’ these days, but attitudes towards email traffic are moving much more slowly.
“The move from phone call to email as the customers’ first preference may be slower but the implications are similarly profound.
“In 2010 it was still just about possible to believe that only customers who were ‘not that serious’ would email rather than phone.
“But customer behaviour has moved and a lot of agents have been slow to recognise it.
“A customer in 2020 is far more likely to send a viewing request by email than would have been the case in 2010, yet according to Rightmove stats an email is twice as likely to go unanswered as a phone call.”
Scarff said: “The origins of Callwell lay in precisely that dynamic. We recognised that if someone walks in then they get dealt with; if they ring up they get dealt with; but if they email in then somehow it’s ok to ignore them. So, Callwell makes the phone ring every time that an email comes in.”
Scarff rebuffed suggestions that someone who sends an email to an estate agency would prefer to be answered by email rather than by phone.
He said: “All our experience is that customers are so impressed by being telephoned within a few seconds of pressing the Send button, that this simply isn’t an issue.
“However, if they really do not want to be called, that shows up in the display seen by the agent.”
David Plumtree, Connells Group estate agency chief executive, said: “Today’s consumer expects an immediate response.
“By making the phone ring in the branch when an email comes in, Callwell enables us to deliver precisely that, every time.
“Each one of those emails represents an opportunity, whether it is a valuation, viewing, mortgage appointment – whatever it is, the simple factor of being so quick to respond puts our branch teams ahead of the competition from the beginning.”
We’ve been using Callwell for a while now and if it is properly managed,it really is an excellent system that can genuinely “wow” customers.
I suspect that so called #Proptech will have an increasing impact on our lives in estate agency over the next few years to the mutual benefit of ourselves and customers.
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Agreed Simon. Systems like Homesearch, mio and Spectre are fabulous proptech systems that all agents should be seriously considering. They help our business and our clients, dramatically. #GameChangers
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Note to my team: Please now email Connells for chain info & sales progress reports…. they might call you back apparently LOL….
HNY everyone 😉
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Anything that creates immediate action is a positive thing for the industry IMO.
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