Rant about secretaries

[Property Meister]

Im not sure if it's limited to real estate agents, but here is my rant

I'm calling up the managing agent to ask a small question, with a property my family owns,. The agent is a small office, maybe three staff,

Hi can I speak to joe
What's your name
My name is blah blah
Blah who?
Blah blah!
How do you spell your surname?
B-l-a-h!
What property is it in regards to?
Unit blah, blah st
What st?
Blah! Spelt blah
And what unit number was it?
Number blah,
Ok ill put you throu to joe?
Joe isn't in at the moment,
What's it in regards to?

FFS!

And guess what, joe calls me back, I miss the call, and I call him back within a few minutes and I get asked all those questions again

End of rant

 

[Luv2Travel]

If you gave all the information they wanted to begin with, they wouldn't have to ask all those questions.

When I ring my PM's office, I always ask for the PM and then say my name and what my property address is. Receptionist doesn't have to ask me 100 questions, she just puts me through.

I've worked on real estate reception, and I always asked for name and property address. The PM likes to know before they take a call, so they can be prepared with what you might be ringing about. It also filters out nonsense calls that the PM doesn't need to be notified of e.g. someone who has got the PM name off an ad and just wants to know an open time, which the receptionist can handle. PM's are too busy managing your property, to deal with waste of time calls.

If the property manager wasn't in the office, I always asked what it was regarding in case it was urgent, in which case I would contact the property manager on their mobile.

I don't see what the big deal is.

 

[JWR]

Just be happy you are not the secretary...

 

[Angel13]

Maybe ask Joe for his mobile number and text him the questions next time.

 

[Luv2Travel]

Just be happy you are not the secretary...

Exactly! Customers are SO frustrating.

 

[cu@thetop]

Given the number of people who are trying to sell me something, get free legal advice, ask for donations etc -my secretary goes through em like a dose of the salts to remove the timewasters. It is just life if your are busy- for those on the receiving end don't take it personally.

 

[mattnz]

In the great book I have been reading "The 4 hour work week", Tim Ferris discusses how he would call for half an hour before secretaries arrived and half an hour after they leave and get more appointments with the bosses who make decisions, than sales agents that tried calling all day during the hours that the secretaries were working.

 

[Aaron Sice]

whats the call regarding?

dunno, just returning his call.

ill pop you thru now.

 

[redwing]

In the great book I have been reading "The 4 hour work week", Tim Ferris discusses how he would call for half an hour before secretaries arrived and half an hour after they leave and get more appointments with the bosses who make decisions, than sales agents that tried calling all day during the hours that the secretaries were working.

Imagine trying to call Tim though, you'd get an outsourced secretary who would possibly advise you that there's no chance of talking to the Boss who makes the decisions, as he's only at work 4 hrs for the whole week

 

[Rolf Latham]

Given the number of people who are trying to sell me something, get free legal advice, ask for donations etc -my secretary goes through em like a dose of the salts to remove the timewasters. It is just life if your are busy- for those on the receiving end don't take it personally.

in the german old skool language, this person used to be known as Die Vor Zimmer Dame

Literal translation = Gatekeeper

Real life skill set = Diplomatic Dragon Lady with discernement

ta
rolf

 

[DEC]

I always do the questions via email so I have it in writing for later use if needed.