On April 20th 2012 the Sewell & Gardner sales & lettings teams headed to the London Hilton in Park Lane for the annual ESTA awards, the estate agency equivalent of the People’s Choice Awards… because this is an award service with a difference, it is voted for by OUR CUSTOMERS.
Jane Gardner & Phil Spencer from Location, Location, Location fame
After every transaction, sales or lettings, our customers are asked to rate our service in the following categories:
1. First impression on contacting the agent (SALES & LETTINGS)
2. The quality of the property details (SALES & LETTINGS)
3. How well the agent informed about new government legislation (SALES) or Rate the details provided on the range of services and options available to the Landlord (LETTINGS)
4. Level of extra information provided to the customer (SALES) or Rate the explanation of the fee structure (LETTINGS)
5. Quality of the agent’s website (SALES) or Rate how well your agent kept you informated about new government legislation (LETTINGS)
6. Happiness with the viewing process (SALES) or Rate the explanation given at the outset of safety and compliance laws of letting (LETTING)
7.Advice given at offer stage (SALES) or Rate the detail of the inventory provided (LETTINGS)
8. How helpful with issues during the deal process (SALES) or Rate the marketing services (LETTINGS)
9. Co-operation with outside parties, such as solicitor (SALES) or Rate how well you were kept informed through marketin until a tenant was found (LETTINGS)
10. Advice given regarding other services, such as home movers, inventory clerk, etc (SALES) or Rate how well you consider the agent negotiated a letting on your behalf (LETTINGS)
11. Promptness and appropriateness of the valuation process (SELLER) or Rate the level of commuication between agreeing to let and the tenant moving in (LETTINGS)
12. Happiness with the fee structure and final costs (SELLER) or Rate how well your tenant managed tenant changeover (MANAGEMENT)
13. Standard of advertising using various media (SELLER) or Rate the level of communication while the property was let (MANAGEMENT)
14. Trustworthiness of your agent during the home move process (SELLER) or Rate the speed and efficiency with which any problems were solved (MANAGEMENT)
15. Rate the trustworthiness of your agent during the property lettin process (LETTINGS)
As I am sure you can see, this really does cover all aspects of our business and the aim is for us to be rated ‘excellent’ in all of these areas. For every score below average we individually discuss the outcome of the feedback with the customer concerned, in order to understand what we could do better in order to improve this aspect of our service.
There is no question that for us, making sure our customers are happy, is the key to our business and what makes us stand out from the crowd. This was only too apparent, firstly when we had the shortlist for the awards sent through and both of our teams were nominated in our area: South East England (North).
SALES SHORTLIST: SOUTH EAST (NORTH)
Andrew Pearce Property Consultants
Ashtons Harpenden
Ashtons Redbourn
Ashtons Welwyn Garden City
Churchills Independent Estate Agents
Claytons
Hatched.co.uk
Marshall Vizard
Sewell & Gardner
Taylors Hitchin
LETTINGS SHORTLIST: SOUTH EAST (NORTH)
Ashtons Harpenden
Ashtons Welwyn Garden City
Churchills Independent Estate Agents
Martin & Co Staines
Rumball Sedgwick St Albans
Sewell & Gardner
This year there were 33,000 votes received by the organisers and each of the regions were heavily contested with over 285 UK agencies taking part so the nerves were really kicking in as we got closer to our South East category being announced….
Sewell & Gardner Sales office were awarded SILVER
Sewell & Gardner Lettings office were awarded GOLD
Outstanding results but that wasn’t all. At the end of the ceremony all of the agents who received bronze, silver or gold awards go into the Grand Prix finale, and low and behold…
Sewell & Gardner Lettings office were awarded BRONZE
for Best Lettings Office in the UK 2012.
3 ESTA AWARDS FOR SEWELL & GARDNER
Sewell & Gardner with Phil Spencer from Location Location Location