Why Customer Care and Support Should Be at the Top of Your Transaction Management Checklist

The Golden Rule – that one should treat others as one would like to be treated – is a maxim that appears in some form in nearly almost every religion or ethical tradition. But if you have ever been stuck on a technical support call gone bad, you might be convinced that this concept is completely absent in many technical support circles. What's even worse is when you discover the software that has failed you doesn't even offer a phone number for tech support and relegates you to send an email or fill out an online form for help!

Our quality support is one topic our competitors probably wish we didn't talk about when it comes to Form Simplicity, one of the real estate industry's most popular and advanced paperless transaction management solutions. We don't just have an edge when it comes to the customer care and support for Form Simplicity, we have created a chasm between our transaction management competitors and us.

If you are a real estate brokerage firm, MLS or association weighing your options when it comes to selecting the right transaction management solution, be certain that at the top of your checklist is "Customer Care and Support." Here's why.

People make the difference

The best technology in the world is never perfect. From the initial rollout of a software service or program to its ongoing support, nothing is more important than having people available to help you and your team. As software goes through iterations, upgrades and enhancement, things can sometimes go wrong, and if they do, you need to be sure that you can get the immediate assistance you need. Even if nothing does go wrong, you deserve the peace of mind knowing that if it does, someone has your back.

That's really why we have a huge competitive advantage in the world of real estate transaction management, because Tech Helpline, another "created by Realtors for Realtors" product from Florida Realtors, supports Form Simplicity.

Tech Helpline is awesome. There is nothing else like it in the real estate industry. Think of it as the "Genius Bar for real estate agents and brokers." Today, Tech Helpline is the real estate industry's #1 tech support service, available to nearly half of all Realtors in North America – more than 500,000 in the U.S. and Canada. Tech Helpline's team of professional tech analysts has nearly 300 years of combined IT experience. They are also U.S.-based, located in Orlando, Florida, and are available to provide technology support in English or Spanish by phone, email or chat. How great is that?!

But it's really the people that make Tech Helpline so successful. They get real estate agents. They understand their business. They know they are on a deadline and if a report doesn't print out it could delay – or even kill – a deal. They understand that because they work with real estate agents, and the hardware and software they use, every day. They are also our resident experts at Form Simplicity, and they have been the sole provider of tech support and service for it since day one.

We have awesome people

And it's not just on the backend that we excel when it comes to customer care and support. Our clients tell us we blow the doors off the competition when it comes to our sales team. Because unlike most firms that sell you a product and the person that sold it to you disappears until about a month before renewal (sound familiar?), our sales team is there from before the purchase, throughout the contract machinations, to working with our installation and launch teams throughout each rollout to ensure the smoothest transition possible.

Most importantly, our sales team stays in touch on a continual basis, long after the rollout, for one reason: They genuinely care about their customers. And if you talk to our sales folks, they will tell you that they are not just customers because many of them have become friends. They often make a call or shoot a quick email to their clients just to check in and say 'hi' as any friend would do.

Our sales people do an enormous amount of guiding throughout the boarding process. For many smaller associations, brokerages or MLSs, the value of this service really is priceless because it makes the process a whole lot less stressful. Our sales team has done so many installations, they have it down to a science, and underneath it all is the art of human nature: simply treating others the way they want to be treated.

Service should always come first

If you think about the best of anything – the best car dealer, the best restaurant, the best computer company, the best coffee company or the best airlines  -- they all have one thing in common: the best customer service.

Exceptional customer service has been the hallmark of Form Simplicity since it was first created by Realtors for Realtors and continues to be our greatest differentiator. We believe that the people part should be at the top of any checklist when it comes to deciding which transaction management solution any firm or association should choose. Because if you don't get the best service you deserve, then you won't be benefiting from the Golden Rule, and we think you should.