As a result, I was anticipating that the home we were renting would be severely damaged or uninhabitable, and was already making plans to take my family elsewhere. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I contacted our realtor only to receive good news about the condition of the home, and impeccable customer service during what must have been very difficult days for the realtors both personally and professionally.
We booked our rental property through a company called Village Realty in Nags Head, NC. When I called them a few days after the hurricane, I would have completely understood if they were neglectful in answering the phone, short in their responses, or generally didn't provide much in the way of basic customer service. Instead, what I received was a warm greeting, gracious assistance, and quick and helpful answers to my questions.
These people were probably inundated with phone calls all week from renters and home owners, while at the same time working hard to resolve dozens of issues with the properties they manage. I'm sure they were also handling all of these challenges while dealing with potential damage to their own homes and property, wrestling with poor communications infrastructure, and navigating some very dangerous or impassable roads. Every day leading up to our arrival, Village Realty was updating its website and Facebook page with valuable information for owners and visitors. I checked them both daily. Simply put, I was amazed at how helpful they were under such stressful circumstances.
When we arrived in Nags Head, our house was not only ready and waiting for us in excellent condition, it was available hours before we were due to check-in. Village Realty even called me on my cell phone while I was in the supermarket with my family to notify us that the house was ready for occupancy. When we drove up to the front door, someone was already there cleaning out the hot tub so we could use it that afternoon.
It wouldn't have surprised me if the realtor made us wait several hours or a day to check-in. But they didn't. Village Realty went out of its way to ensure that our vacation was as pleasant as possible, even though it was probably one of the most difficult weeks of they've ever experienced. Now THAT dear readers...is customer service!
I hope that I can emulate Village Realty and provide the quality of customer care they provided me and my family. Therefore, I want to give them a plug. They've earned it. If you're ever renting a home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, call Village Realty at 800-548-9688. They are good, good people, and have converted me into a loyal customer.
