This month is the conclusion of the “Dentist Diaries,” my journey through pain for better customer service. In last month's article, I left off just as I was dismissing the infamous dentist. Today I want to roll back a few days prior to that dismissal to give you some of the back-story.
No. 11—Working things out. It had been over three weeks of constant agony and pain. During this time, the dentist preformed several procedures saying each time “that should take care of the pain...” But it didn't—the pain remained and it was excruciating. I needed someone to help me.
Calls to the dentist now were all in vain. Their response was “well, it shouldn't be hurting, so take a Tylenol and we'll see you next week.” Really?
Then, miraculously, on the 22nd day after the original extraction, something small and sharp broke through the surface around the area of pain. A small piece of splintered bone had finally worked its way out. I was able to extract this piece of bone myself and I felt instant relief.
Instant relief. You know what I'm talking about. The client obtains that final bit of small, seemingly insignificant piece of documentation without which the loan cannot close. That small “splinter of bone” that has been a source of pain throughout the loan process. It is removed and finally, finally, finally—instant relief and the loan is “clear to close.”
There are times when it might be information only the client can obtain. But there are other times—let's call them “opportunities” for us step in, do whatever is necessary to help obtain the information, and be the hero.
Once a loan assistant (who is no longer with me) on my team was repeatedly calling the client for a copy of a child support order. The client had been unable to obtain a copy due to their work schedule. When I was told of the delay and I discovered that it was a local court order, I suggested to the loan assistant that we get a certified copy directly from the Clerk of Court's office, which was only two blocks from our office. She did and within 20 minutes we had what we needed.
Was it the client's responsibility to get to us? Yes. But could we have gone the extra mile and asked “How can we help you with that...?” Absolutely yes! That “splinter of bone” which had become so painful for our client was for us just a little extra effort, a few dollars and a short walk to the county clerk.
Yes, we can leave it to the client and they can “work it out” themselves, sometimes with much pain. Or we can go the extra mile, do whatever is humanly possible for us to do, and be the hero.
How many times do we miss opportunities to be the hero for our clients? Had the dentist just taken a few minutes to perform an exam, he would have known about this splinter of bone. As it turned out, it just “worked itself out” and trust me, this dentist was no hero.
The mortgage process can be painful. Many times, we not only fail to offer empathy or sympathy for our clients' struggles, but we fail to offer real assistance. We might ignore their pain, not believe there really is pain or realize there is pain and just think, “They can just get over it.”
But our client needs someone, a hero, to step up, take charge and whenever it is possible, to say, “Let me handle that for you.”
So now on the 22nd day of this dental process, the pain is gone. I should be happy, right? And yes, I am relieved from pain, for the moment. But now I'm concerned. I am scheduled to have the braces put on the next week.
But I no longer trust this dentist. I think of all the things that might go wrong during the next few months. How will he handle my anxieties and fears and pain? I think I know. Will I be left to “work things out” on my own?
No. 12—The marketing trap. According to the dentist's advertisements, he was the only dentist within 120 miles who could have my braces on and off within six months. Should I change my dentist at this point? And what if he really was the only one who could do this?
I placed a call to a dentist client of mine, told him my tale of woe, and I discover the truth. The “six-month smile” is (for the most part) a marketing ploy. My friend tells me “you need an orthodontist—a specialist—and I can refer one to you.”
What? An orthodontist? I didn't need a recommendation for an orthodontist. I have used the same orthodontist for 27 years with my four daughters and now several grandchildren. My question to myself was “Why didn't I think of this?”
I sheepishly place a call to my orthodontist and tell them my story. “Can you be here in 45 minutes?” was their response. As I sat in the familiar office, surrounded by familiar faces, I could have cried with relief. Here were professionals I had known and worked with for almost three decades. Could they help me? Of course they could.
No. 13—Always the hero. I have received such calls myself from even faithful clients who were unaware that there are “marketing ploys” that have hidden costs.
“I went with an online mortgage company because I didn't know you handled 'no cost' refinances...but now I have discovered their interest rate is so much higher, can you help me?” Of course we can.
“I called an 800 number I saw on TV because they said they could give me an incredibly low interest rate. Now I find out the closing costs are thousands of dollars more than they should be. Can you help me?” Of course we can.
Maybe you have received those calls as well. A former client needs a hero. They are bit shy about admitting that they have called another mortgage company because they fell for an advertising trick. But because you exhibited the traits of a true mortgage planner throughout the prior years of service to them, they know something is not right in the current process. They are in pain and there is no one to help them. They remember you and they come “home.”
As mortgage planners, we play a key role in the American dream of homeownership. Your clients, your team, the mortgage business, and even the nation, all need some heroes. We need mortgage planners who will step up and do the right thing in the right way with the right attitude.
And so, I fired the dentist and hired my orthodontist. Just like that. The “six-month smile?” Well, it was a marketing ploy. My orthodontist said what I should have already known, when it comes to braces whatever a dentist can do, an orthodontist can do better.
He was also truthful with me. It might take eight months, not six, to accomplish what needed to be done. But he assured me he would do the right thing in the right way for me, not the fast thing. You know, I believe him and I trust him. Lee Romine is my hero.
