Stupid Tourists
Watch the video above before reading the rest of this post, I’ll wait… Done? Okay, now quit laughing- you might be the guy on the bicycle. When someone comes to your site by searching Google for “Chicago real estate” because they want to learn about the market but land on your site and read about how REALTORS should blog, about some drama on another site, and about an award you won but nothing about real estate, you are the guy on the bicycle withholding what you know from the tourist.
When someone calls you and doesn’t know the proper terminology for your field and accidentally asks “can you tell me about the sport sail on Venice Street?” instead of “about the short sale on Venice Street” and you hang up because they’re so stupid you just can’t bear it, you are the guy on the bike. You also may be the guys in the street when someone uses the IDX search on your site, calls and says “I’m calling about your house on Oak Lane” and you don’t have a listing on Oak Lane and instead of taking pause and realizing that you have a MLS search on your site and they’ve called you instead of the direct agent, you tell them “I have no listing on Oak Lane” despite they’re objections that they’re on your site. Of course you hang up (essentially telling them “I don’t speak English”).
Although the video is funny and I realize it’s a stretch (and is a little fluffier and loftier than my normal writing), it just made me think of all of the lazy business practices. Please, I beg of you- don’t be the jerk on the bicycle that actually speaks English but feigns ignorance either out of laziness or just simple rudeness.
Paula Henry
January 8, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Lani – The video was a great laugh – thanks!
Great points – get off the bike and don’t be a jerk! We often make the mistake of assuming people understand our lingo and processes. More and more, I am finding they don’t and truly appreciate someone who will take the time to help them gain an understanding of what we consider simple……..like speaking English 🙂
Jayson
January 8, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Great video…hilarious
You’ve made a great point too – I see a lot of real estate agent blogs that do an incredible job at providing consumers with information they want, but, every once in a while, I’ll stumble across a blog talking to the wrong audience; I’m sure our blog is guilty of the same.
Steve Krzysiak
January 8, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I presume ‘chicago real estate’ was arbitrary here, but we do have a staff site similar to the one you described that I just started using for some SEO ideas :p No gossip on ours though!
Missy Caulk
January 8, 2009 at 9:31 pm
It happens to me quite often, a person will call and say I am looking at your listing on 1234 Main, and I have to pause.
Then I explain we data share with all the companies and if they will hold a sec I will get them the information they are looking for.
I just got the MLS and type in the address and find out what they need to know.
I’m use to it now but at first it did throw me for a loop.
Loren Nason
January 8, 2009 at 10:29 pm
You think that’s bad.
Try doing what I do. Translating non-tech speak into tech speak and then back again.
I will say I am very good at it, but there are times I need to have people show me what they are talking about because they don’t speak tech. Then I figure out the problem and relay the fix back translating from tech back to english.
Beep, orp, beep, beep, screeech
EOL