Quality,Training and Premier Service Equals 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating

Remember the saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything?" Well last year, customers of Rich GMAC Real Estate-which serves the Orland Park and Oak Lawn markets near Chicago-had plenty to say about the firm…all of it very nice.

So nice, in fact, that Broker/partner Susan Sipich and her team at Rich GMAC Real Estate scored 100% customer-service satisfaction ratings for all of 2005, which in turn resulted in GMAC Real Estate presenting Sipich and team with the top award offered under its Premier Service® program.

According to GMAC Real Estate, Premier Service is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and effective customer service program in the real estate brokerage industry. Through the program, GMAC Real Estate sales associates put in writing, up front, the services they will perform. Following each transaction, GMAC Real Estate agents ask their customers to honestly rate their performance through a survey conducted and tabulated by an independent, third party.

Through Premier Service, GMAC Real Estate has received an unprecedented national customer satisfaction rating of 94%.

"It pretty much goes without saying that customer service just doesn't get any better than what Rich GMAC Real Estate has achieved," says Lane Barnett, president and chief executive officer of GMAC Real Estate's Franchise Operations. "To receive a 100-percent rating over the course of a full year from customers in independent surveys is simply remarkable. Our deep respect, admiration and appreciation go out to Susan and her entire team."

To hear Sipich tell it, there's no secret to her firm's success, just an unwavering commitment to quality over quantity and a day-to-day adherence to Premier Service, GMAC Real Estate's unique customer-service program.

"In 2005, our company's dollar volume increased 68 percent in just one year," Sipich says. "This was due to three things: recruiting new, quality-minded agents; one-on-one individualized training; and Premier Service."

In 2005, Sipich added 10 new agents to her tight-knit team, bringing the total to 50, and says she expects to add at least 10 more this year. But she stressed that she doesn't play the numbers game when it comes to building her team. Instead, she looks long and hard for agents who mesh well with the rest of her team, and who demonstrate a solid commitment to customer service.

"We look for quality agents who will provide quality service," says Sipich, who has been a real estate professional for 13 years. "And every agent is trained one on one, from their first-floor phone call to their first listing presentation, all the way through the transaction."

That focus, personalized training, combined with GMAC Real Estate's unique programs and tools, are a powerful combination for new agents, she explains. "Brand-new agents want and need systems that will help them become successful. Premier Service offers this and so much more. Our agents are excited about Premier Service."

Rich GMAC Real Estate introduced Premier Service in 2004, and Sipich says it has contributed immensely to the firm's efforts to differentiate itself in its highly competitive markets. It has also become a powerful recruiting tool.

"I originally viewed Premier Service as simply a consumer-oriented program, but it's turned out to be a great recruiting tool," according to Sipich. "I show the Premier Service system and the commitment sheet to recruits and explain to them how it can help differentiate their services."

Sipich says her firm's commitment to Premier Service combined with extensive use of technology has established it as a clear market leader.

"Our company is on the cutting-edge of technology," she says. "We have a virtual office Web site where our agents can log in, find out floor schedules, new company listings, office information and internal news, which is a great way for our team to stay up to date.

"Additionally, our consumer site, www.richrealtors.com, includes all the listings from the Chicagoland area and everything consumers need to know to help with a transaction," she adds.

Although the company has been in existence nearly 40 years, Sipich says that joining GMAC Real Estate in 1999 was one of the best decisions it has made.

"I've had experience with other franchises, and GMAC Real Estate provides some of the best all-around tools," she explains. "With them, we have much greater growth potential.

At a Glance: Rich GMAC Real Estate

• Susan Sipich, broker/partner; in real estate for 13 years
• Two offices: Orland Park and Oak Lawn
• 50 sales associates
• GMAC franchise since 1999; formerly an ERA franchise
• Company has been in business for 37 years
• Average sales price of homes sold by her company: $250,000

^ Return to Top