5-Star Mortgage Service and the $0.99 Hamburger
Something has been on my mind lately and I think it could help you out there in the mortgage wilderness. But first let me start with a story from my childhood, if you don't mind?
When I was 13, I worked at a busy local McDonald's. The pay? A whopping $3.65 an hour. Granted, it was the 80s but still, it wasn't like I could buy an Atari system with a month's wages.
I worked really hard at that job. It was fast food yet we were expected to keep that restaurant running like a well oiled machine, providing service with a smile to every single customer. No matter what. (And wow, some people get cranky about onions on their $0.99 hamburger. But I digress.)
Do you know what the most popular saying by Management was?
"Time to lean is time to clean."
Translation: Go the extra mile. Don't wait to be asked. Look for problems and solve them. Provide extra value at every opportunity.
Ah the good old days!
Okay Karri, thanks for the Gen-X Inspo Moment. What's this got to do with mortgages??
A lot. Because home ownership is the biggest transaction of your life, and a lot of service providers will treat it like you're buying a $0.99 hamburger rather than a home for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
You see, a lot of service providers boast about being 'the best' and loving on their customers. Rah rah rah. But once they get your money--or a signed contract--you suddenly don't feel so special anymore...
Phone calls aren't returned.
Questions remain unanswered.
Solutions are not forthcoming.
Promises are broken.
You start to wonder: Why do I feel more like a PROBLEM for these people than a CUSTOMER?
Poor customer service is now the norm. It's literally what good people like you have come to expect in return for your hard earned money. How sad!
I can't say for sure why the world is like this now. But just because something is 'normal' doesn't make it right or reasonable.
Bottom Line: When you apply for a mortgage to buy a home -- or refinance -- you have a right to expect 100% competency and true 5-star service. You're not being demanding. You're being human. I'm a capitalist, but my goodness, where is the humanity in 2024? I say we can have both.
Professionalism. Competency. Care. Simple.
Expect it. Demand it. Move on if you don't get it.
You know where to find me if you want all of the above! 😉
