The Buc-ee’s Lesson: Why Great Service Still Wins

Last month, the beloved travel center chain—also known as a “gas station on steroids”—Buc-ee’s caught its cult following by surprise when it received the lowest possible rating from the Better Business Bureau. The BBB gave the company an F, citing Buc-ee’s customer service not being up to par with 88 unanswered complaints filed against the chain through the bureau. 

Specifically, the complaints against the super-sized convenience store reference not having a phone number available for customers to get in touch with support, product issues, and rude or poor customer service. While its Beaver Nuggets and catchy billboards lining the highway draw in customers from near and far, Buc-ee’s poor rating is a classic example of how important it is to provide value to customers in order to maintain a solid business. It’s what keeps clients coming back again and again and referring you out to their friends and family. 

As a real estate agent, you can have all the bells and whistles when helping someone buy or sell a property, but if your customer service is lacking, your value proposition immediately takes a hit. People remember how they were treated during the easiest and hardest times of a real estate transaction. 

Why Customer Service is Key to a Successful Business

As Gary Keller says, there are three ways real estate agents present and deliver their value to clients: 

1. Establish trust. 

2. Provide fiduciary representation. 

3. Deliver core services with a positive and memorable client experience that will also surprise and delight. 

He says that value is at the heart of all businesses because all businesses are an exchange of value. You determine the value that you provide and your clients determine how valuable it is to them. 

If you fail to deliver on any of these value points, your clients will recognize that your customer service is lacking, and may not want to continue working with you. A client’s experience is the impression formed through every interaction. For buyers and sellers, this means in consultation, in the home search, marketing the property, negotiations, and closing the deal. You have to set expectations, communicate thoroughly, and always put your client’s needs first. 

How to Give Great Customer Service and Ensure Client Satisfaction

Good customer service will have your clients feeling heard, appreciated, and cared for throughout the entire transaction. Here are a few things to keep in mind when building trust and following through on your promises to ensure client satisfaction: 

1. Empathy — This means you are showing up authentically and putting yourself in your clients shoes at every step of the journey. You are understanding of their needs and do your best to accommodate them. 

2. Dependability — Being dependable is all about keeping your promises and meeting expectations. This is why it’s so important to establish a plan for both the transaction and communication with your clients at the beginning of your relationship, and throughout it. 

3. Competency — Knowledge is at the forefront of any agent’s value proposition. Your client hired you because you are a specialist in your profession. This means having the skills and experience needed to get your client the best deal possible. 

4. Transparency — Having open and honest communication makes any relationship stronger. When you are clear and communicative, you are actively establishing trust. And, if your client has a question that you don’t know the answer to, don’t fake it. Tell them you’ll find out as soon as possible and get back to them.

When the value a real estate agent gives matches the great service that is offered, clients will have a reason to keep giving you business. So while a beautiful website and fun closing gifts (or brisket sandwiches and clean bathrooms) are nice touches, the heart of a successful business lies in the customer service you provide and follow through on. 

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