A tenant was stunned to see herself described as a “bitch” in an email from a letting agent.
She was apparently copied in – by accident – on a message which said: “I’m not dealing with this bitch.”
Sarah Darlington, a 29-year-old para-legal, had asked S & S Estates in Prestwich to fix an alarm.
She said: “It is unbelievable. I would be fired on the spot if I acted that way in my job. Not only is it completely unprofessional but it also shows how they work in the office.
“The only thing I did was to send them a polite email asking them to fix the alarm. I did not deserve that treatment.
“After getting the message on Thursday night I found the company’s directors and emailed them as well as the manager – but all I got was a reply on Friday afternoon saying the complaint had been passed on.
“There was no apology, it’s disgusting.”
After seeing the comment and receiving no apology, Sarah posted the email on her Facebook page.
The story is in the Manchester Evening News, which said that S & S Estates declined to comment.
EYE also tried to speak to a director of the firm yesterday, but we were told no one was available.
However, it is now understood that the firm has publicly apologised.
I am struggling to think of an industry, largely made up of small businesses, which has quite as much regular communication with customers as estate and letting agents. How many have a formal IT/comms/email policy I wonder.
As a general rule, if you would not send it externally, do not sent it internally!
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A PR Policy is their immediate concern I think!
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Oh dear!
Did make me laugh though. I can only imagine the back story why they wrote it.
Still there is thinking something and then there is writing something. lesson learned i hope.
No excusing it but maybe the tenant may ask themselves the question why another individual thinks of her as such.
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Whatever you think of your customers this should never happen, it’s the exact reason that the publics perception of us is so poor.
this would have been a good opportunity for the agent to come out and make a stand but they’ve decided to sit back an do nothing.
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I would imagine at least one person from pretty much every industry on our planet has done this or something similar at some point or another…..just this one got caught.
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In a wonderful Mitchell and Webb sketch, called ‘Evil Vicar’, a young couple played by Robert Webb and Olivier Coleman visit their local church and are confronted by a very old time vicar played by David Mitchell. He actually says to Olivier Coleman ‘We saw you chatting and eating other people’s biscuits…and we all thought you were a bitch!’. Very funny – check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRujuE-GIY4
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Can someone please tell me why estate agents are so often described as “unprofessional”? We are not professionals and are (perhaps) one step above barrow boys. Anyone can be a barrow boy or an estate agent . . . of course we’re unprofessional.
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The obligations of an agent to their client dictate an Agent is a professional by definition.
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You may consider yourself a step up from a barrow boy, i consider myself a professional on par if not above a solicitor.
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Some people have delusions of grandeur . . .
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One of my middle managers accidentally told an until then ‘challenging’ senior director of a large franchise group why she considered him challenging. She apologised and sorted it out, then we (the client and I) discussed how his attitude towards my staff led to her succinct thoughts being expressed so openly. He concluded he can be a **** and would try harder in future.
I have no doubt at all there is a back story to this and whilst it isn’t correct to say, write or type such things, Mx Darlington might do well to wonder about her contribution to events. I think if it’s true everyone is allocated 15 minutes of fame it is a shame to waste it on something a trivial as this.
It would be wholly wrong to say ‘get over yourself love’ so I’ll content myself with thinking it.
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She’s done well – nice little article in The Daily Mail with quite a few pics of her coiffing vino of every possible colour permutation and one of her with a rather large and inappropriate pet for a first floor flat!
Could have been that four-legged friend which the Letting Agent was referring to and not the apparent owner?
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I wish that when you press ‘reply all’ a pop up would appear with ‘are you SURE?’ – I have made myself red faced a few times with ‘reply all’ responses and have received a few clearly not intended for my eyes.
That said, I would never refer to anyone in such a derogatory manner… well not in writing. 😉
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My colleague is now having a panic and checking all the emails she has forwarded on this morning!
Thankfully my colleague is highly professional and would never use this language whilst referring to a customer/ client, even the more ‘challenging’ ones 😉
It’s a quick reminder to make to all the team are professional at all times and that they understand what is expected by ‘professional’.
A client/ customer could request to see their ‘internal’ records for data protection purposes. Therefor the sales/ lettings files and data viewing/ offer logs (etc,…) should also be kept professional at all times.
Did make me giggle though 😀
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Must admit, I’ve been the same….checking the top of each e mail before it goes.
Things like this do put the wind up you, and whilst I don’t think many would use this sort of language in the workplace there is still that outside chance that a mail could be sent to the wrong person.
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My email address box is simply crammed with contacts and so many with the same name, the most popular and no idea why is Angela.
I have a staff member called Angela who I emailed not long ago, fortunately it was a nice, “can you call Mr X” type email, to which the local hairdresser who is an ex customer and an Angela replied “wrong Angela Ric, but if he needs his hair doing, send him my way” I thought it was a funny response, but it reminded me how ****** dangerous emails can be.
Another odd one is the amount of companies who email a group and do not hide the other recipients details. I had a local “update” from someone who copied in perhaps 30 to 40 other people, and thus I could see their entire client database relating to that matter.
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And if they did request this information, then quite clearly that which you didn’t want them to see you wouldnt provide…. or are you really that bend over compliant?
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Come on everyone, a 29 year old para legal.
the description alone gives it away……
she sounds like someone who would never put anyone’s back up.
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Eamonn you made me smile! Thank you!
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Ah Yes…. the email that we have never sent or the comment made when we didn’t check that the phone handset was firmly in the cradle?
I had someone complaining unreasonably one day (they had it turned out been banned from several local shops!)…. anyway, after the shouting stopped from their side I politely said that they were of course entitled to voice their opinion and complaint…. and I was entitled not to agree with it…. and I duly smiled, walked over, opened the door and guided them out…. thank goodness for the Old Fashioned Estate Agent…. where the Customer is Not always Right?
I’m sure the person mentally scarred in this unfortunate slip is of course an outstanding Human Being and we should of course be grateful of their contribution in our wonderful world. Bravo to the Para Legal…. all the ones I have ever dealt with are outstanding and I never ever get a sense of them adopting a lofty position or appearing to be a fully qualified solicitor…. I just wish we had Para Surgeons and I’m sure we would all queue up to be operated on by them.
A heartwarming story if ever there was one…. shame on you Letting Agent 😉
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As a paralegal the complainant must recognise that she is working in a professional environment. How does her employer feel about this gossip being featured all over the press? I hope she isn’t looking for a training contract. I wouldn’t offer her the chance to qualify as a solicitor.
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