Is this normal for brokers?

ashleyk

I agree with silercar, its about creating goodwill and that often translates to new business plus recommendations to others. For the record I had actually spoken to the owner of this broker's company about 3 months ago and he had agreed to call me nearer the time but he didn't and that's partly why I went to the Halifax directly.

feisty1

As I said if they are at the point they no longer need my services and they can go it alone I dont think I would be looking towards them for future business.

I apply this principle to my business and i have a successful business, a good client bank, high customer retention etc You always get the few who want something for nothing and I'm sure some advisers may acommodate that however I am not so desperate for business. Imagine if every client expected this!.....if do it for one you have to do it for all the others.........i would be across on that debt board!

feisty1

So they didn't roll out the service you expected ie coming back to service you, so you went alone, however after poor service you still phoned them!!!!

ashleyk

feisty1 you seem to have a lot of spare time during the day to post on forums for somebody running such a successful business. Do estate agents turn people away if they walk in and ask a quick question? Does a corner shop tell you it won't help you if you ask for directions because they saw you leaving another shop 2 minutes before? Generally they try to be helpful and hope to do some business at some point in the future and possibly immediately. This at least is the sort of helpful attitude we are accustomed to here in the country where all companies sink or float on the basis of their customer's goodwill. People even say hello when they see each other in the street!

We are in the middle of a brutal recession and most companies are bending over backwards to be helpful and try to maintain goodwill. I have a dedicated server and my web host called me today offering a 50% discount because they want to keep me as a customer. They are a great company and I really appreciate that gesture. Needless to say I'll stay with them and I would recommend them to others.

koexelek

This is true AshleyK.

As a broker, you have to speculate some of your time ( free of charge) in the hope that you will earn something.
On some occassions, I have carried out a lot of research for clients without any initial financial gain, but I have often gained in the long run, from the same client when they were in a position to do business, or from a referral they gave me.
Once people realise you are trying to give the best advice, and not look at things with pound signs in your eyes, they trust you much more, and are more likely to use your services or refer you to others.

I look at the initial appointment a bit like a builder pricing up a job. You might not end up getting the business, but you definitely won't if you don't produce a quote.

ashleyk

Its funny you should mention builders. We recently needed some work done at the house and called four separate builders for quotes but only one actually bothered to give us a price. Guess who got the job.

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

koexelek wrote: »

I look at the initial appointment a bit like a builder pricing up a job. You might not end up getting the business, but you definitely won't if you don't produce a quote.

You wouldn't get my mortgage business if you come 3 weeks late, knock off for lunch after 1 hour, show the crack of your 4rse all day, drink all my tea which you want making every 15 minutes and then eat all my biscuits.

feisty1

ashleyk wrote: »

feisty1 you seem to have a lot of spare time during the day

ashleyk Yes..I can have time in the day and i can have time in the evening, depends when i am seeing clients and i also do a lot of work on my laptop so i can dip in and out of this site when i want........for example i have just been out seeing a client now and come back and read this..........I am not in front of clients 24/7 and have no desire to be............but believe me i have a sucessful business and have no need to post on here I am an adviser & sit on here all day because I have nothing else to do.......I see the same names whenever i dip in and out, they are either not advisers and just add the signature or not very good advisers and have little business.............




koexelek You seem to be losing the point of what i'm talking about, yr off talking abour doing research etc. This is not the discussion here, the discussion is a client going direct then coming to ask you something they have gone direct about!!!!

If you work for free good luck to u, but here is one who wont and doesnt need to..........

Cazza

Speaking as an ex adviser, fiesty1 has a point, I would be very caution about giving advice on a product I hadn't reccomended in the first place. The broker was completely wrong to do what they did, quite frankly, I'm amazed they were able to as Halifax shouldn't have cancelled the direct application IMHO, without confirming with their client first. In fact, under the Data Protection Act, should they have even confirm to the other adviser they had the application going through in the first place.

If you'd been my client, definitely would have been asking you nicely if you minded cancelling the application and letting me re do it!

koexelek

feisty1 wrote: »

koexelek You seem to be losing the point of what i'm talking about, yr off talking abour doing research etc. This is not the discussion here, the discussion is a client going direct then coming to ask you something they have gone direct about!!!!

If you work for free good luck to u, but here is one who wont and doesnt need to..........

I do see what you mean, and that is a valid point.