A buyer who was unhappy with the service provided by a firm of estate agents went public with an email he received from the director, calling him ‘obnoxious’.
Newspapers treated it like hot news and splashed it accordingly – perhaps they knew Mary Portas is going shopping at estate agents (C4, 9pm tonight).
The result is that the story is now rapidly gathering pace on the internet and being repeatedly winged around on alerts.
The agent says he is baffled as to why the story was ever thought newsworthy in the first place – but says the publicity has done him no harm.
Jason Korsner, 38, a BBC journalist, posed with the email in front of the property he purchased, in his local north London paper, the Ham and High. The story went on to appear in the London Evening Standard.
But it transpired that Steven Morris, director of West End Estates, had objected to the way Mr Korsner – a senior broadcast journalist at BBC News – had treated his staff and sprang to their defence.
He said Mr Korsner had sent a 500-word email of his own to a member of staff, accusing agents of dishonesty.
In a string of criticisms, Mr Kornser had said: “Obviously, I cannot expect an estate agent to be honest about the extent of problems with a property.”
Mr Korsner paid £204,000 for a studio flat in Belsize Park after more than four months of negotiations with the seller.
But he told the papers he was unsatisfied with the service provided by the West Hampstead agents.
He said the final straw was when he was not provided with a full set of keys, whilst a storage heater and old mattress he asked to be removed were left behind. He said that he crushed his toes moving the heater.
He contacted Mr Morris to complain, saying he regretted the purchase.
In response, Mr Morris wrote: “I have to say we regret you purchasing this property as well, as … it’s not nice to hear your comments, which quite frankly only seem consistent with the way that you have conducted yourself throughout this transaction.
“Many times Darren [the company’s agent] was frustrated after speaking to you as your arrogance and attitude is laughable. I only spoke to you once in Darren’s absence and found you to be pretty obnoxious.”
He suggested that the journalist “go and play property investor with other estate agencies” and ended up by saying “I wish your toe better”.
Mr Korsner told the papers the email was unprofessional: “It seemed to me like one of those hoax emails. At first I thought I should laugh, but I was offended by what he was saying … There was a lack of information and that’s why I had to keep asking questions. But I was never obnoxious.”
He admitted: “I’m not pretending that I was an angel. We had some heated discussions because I felt they were withholding information from me. Things went very slowly and it took four and half months to exchange in the end.”
Mr Morris defended his email, saying Mr Korsner had been “vile” all the way through the negotiations.
“I’ve been in business 20 years and we’ve never had a complaint about us,” said Mr Morris. “He gave us a really hard time and we’d had enough of this guy, and my client can vouch for that. I only spoke to this guy once and he was foul to me.”
He added that he had actually given Mr Korsner four sets of keys.
He said: “Maybe my email was a bit strong, but I’m in my right as a human being to call him obnoxious. Obnoxious is a word in the dictionary and he was obnoxious.
“I was defending my staff and we had done absolutely nothing wrong. He had no reason to complain.”
Mr Morris added that he had been heartened by many of the blogs posted up on the newspaper stories. One wrote: “Never thought I’d back an estate agent – about anything! This is an exception.”
Mr Korsner told the Standard he was considering legal action over the accusations.
EAT reckons he could have a case … if only he can find himself an obnoxious solicitor.
Comments
well done to wooden top! Good to hear that some senior people do take responsibility and support their staff accordingly. Too many times, have I seen Senior Managers "hiding under the table" when the sh*t hits the fan.
@Industry Observer: "if writing insults to a journalist, no matter how well deserved, is just asking for trouble" So what. I refer you to my earlier comment.
Ray the buck never stops at the top in big organisations it gets headed off way down below that!!
I was manager of a cluster of 6 branches for the now biggest building society lwnding aboiut £5M a month, so I know a little about lenders, estate agents, solicitors, insurance brokers, valuers and anyone else in the housing market mortgage supply chain. This was up until 1994 when I had 57 staff of which 7 in reality were direct reportess being assistant managers or supervisors.
Then I became national rented housing manager for 2 years and for the past 15+ have been the alleged internal; legal eagle for a national specialist lettings company.
Is that enough pedigree for me to offer valid comment on customer service and handling for you?
The buck stopped with me and all my equivalent level managers because those above either did not went to know or need to know or we didn't want them to know!!
The big difference in this estate agent telling a customer where to go is that it is his prerogative because it was his company. When I was charged with giving customer service in, I am sorry to say, days when that mattered but were sadly long ago, it was not my own business, so I was always accountable up the line for my own actions and those of my staff. And was happy to accept that.
Quite what this has to do with the price of fish I do not know but there you are.
Industry Observer: Were you ever the 'top' man, where the buck really stops? This is not meant to be an insult to you but there is a difference between being 'senior' and being the 'boss'.
Jimmy read mine again. I am not saying you don't fight or that you do not stand up or act like a doormat and let them trample all over you - you just don't make a complete fool of yourself. Which if writing insults to a journalist, no matter how well deserved, is just asking for trouble.
PeeBee I speak from personal experience having many years ago and in an earlier life sent an arrears letters to a borrower who unbeknown to me, of course(!!) was dead and had been for a little while. The advice came from a very senior manager after I'd had a bad experience with the letter coming out - and it was a courteous but firm letter not name calling.
You also mentioned hairdressers Mary Portas did that one either last series or early in this one.
Wooden Top you are quite right but this is what I am saying. You simply tell the unwanted customer no more communication. If that is physically removing them as opposed to on the phone or in an email so be it. I managed very large building society offices for many years and I would never have allowed verbal and especially physical abuse to my staff especially on the counter - and this was at a time when the Customer is King ruled and a complaint letter about you to the regional manager (or heaven forbid, HO) was a problem for you.
Course on physical ejection the really obnoxious ones will then sometimes try to claim assault but that's another story. As is Mary Portas
Tell me an agent who has never met this type of buyer before. Arrogant people make you jump through hoops, treat you like dirt and frankly are more often than not dishonest.
My staff know I won't tolerate such behaviou from seller or buyer. They have to bite there tongue, smile and "yes sir/madame". However as the boss I will stick up for my staff, I've told obnoxious vendors and buyers to take a hike before now, there are not the only person in the world to do business with. We always have the last laugh when they exchange.
In the last 10 years I have physically removed 4 potential buyers from our premises who stepped well and truly over the line and more than prepared to do it again. Why should my courteous staff take S***.
Observer: WHICH words and phrases trouble you, and I will happily explain them to you and you alone.
I think the rest of the world get the drift...
While on the subject, one of your phrases troubles me immensely: "NEVER EVER put anything into print that you would feel uncomfortable if it was ever read out in a Coroner's Court."
Just WHO are you expecting to die as a direct result of this exchange of correspondence, pray tell?
@Industry Observer. Actually, I think you are very weak. You seem like the sort of person that runs away from a fight, then tells everyone you did the "mature" thing. You are not impressing me with your opinion. You seem spineless.
PeeBee we will all be moving onto greater things I suspect at greater length in today’s EAT but apart from not understanding half the phrases and words you use your attitude typifies all the rest. We are right leave us alone to get on with it. I did not say in my post that the guy did not need dealing with – my point was that he should have been dealt with appropriately.
If you think how Mr Morris dealt with it was correct then good luck to you and your business. But in my experience slagging off a customer and dropping down to their level never achieves anything. All that was needed was a curt, objective and to the point response that neither Mr Morris nor his staff would engage in any further communication. The error was committing what you and others rightly say that at some time we have all felt.
The art is not to say it IN PRINT and above all to someone you know has access to the media as opposed to the usual hollow threat of going to them.
Defend staff – of course even if they are wrong. But drop down to an offensive customer’s level?
Well done for standing up for your staff. Dam jurno's always want you to walk on water for them or else there is an undertone of what they might say about you in the press if you don't kiss there ass enough.estate agents staff don't need to put up with people like this.
That is a good observation - I might have to start nit-picking you!
Burf - Chillax mate. Please re-read my post. The gentlemen in question IS a "numpty". I should have added, to specify for your benefit, that the email from the agent sounds to be fully justified to me and I completely agree with his actions.
My post was directed at the specific quote, that I pasted for your viewing to re-affirm my point. There are too many slack agents who suggest that the buyer is 'not important' as they are not 'your client'. A terrible attitude. My post was referencing this, which was quoted by a poster. I wasn't in anyway questioning the agent's actions - he did the right thing.
AoS: When was the last time we disagreed on anything? I really can't recall a single instance - and in fairness (and par for the well-trodden course...) I agree with everything you have said
HOWEVER...
Every now and then you come across one numpty who, regardless of what you do; how you do it; how hard you bite your lip - it is obvious they need a big dose of f*** off. They will NEVER appreciate your actions; they will NEVER recommend your services; they will ALWAYS blame you for every little glitch regardless of the actual cause - usually them! By licking up to them you are doing nothing other than massaging their exploded ego; and encouraging them to do it again and again. Yes, you are bigger and better than them; yes, you should ride above it... but at the end of the day, bullies need stopping in their tracks or they will continue to be bullies, and prats do not know they are prats until someone advises them accordingly. I would respectfully suggest that Mr Morris has actually done humanity a service above and beyond the call of duty.
(Let's be honest - we ALL wish we had done it to at least ONE person...)
Oh Dear ACE OF SPADES grow a pair will you!
Yes the customer is the one who buys the house but the vendor is the one that pays you!!!
It seems to me that this buyer wouldnt have been happy with any amount of respect, attention and all round excellent customer service that you could have given to him!
Yes the customer is always right and you should treet them like gold dust but there is only so far you can go,
He should have been complaining to his solicitor who would have then told him 'Buyer Beware' as he should have done in the first place!
"Why should the buyer expect the agent to be servile and 'nice' to him, the agent is employed by the vendor. "
Yes, the fella in the article is a numpty, but the above quote is a cringe-worthy, amateur approach. It's not only this quote, but you see similar thoughts in and around this site all the time.
Treating the buyer with respect, attention and offering all round excellent customer service separates good agencies from lazy/bad ones.
The buyer is the one delivering your pay day, keeping your existence and your client's sale alive - always a pivotal point to remember. It's not just about taking their money either, you want your brand to be the first thought in their head when they think of local estate agents. If you're good (whether they are a buyer or seller), they're likely to use you again and tell their mates.
Well done Mr Morris - sounds like you have tried to put a spoilt bratt in his place
Must be making his Mommy and Daddy proud by getting in the news for acting up!! And not getting down to some serious journalism!!
Most inspirational slogans I have ever seen;
'All of our customers bring us joy. Some by arriving, others by leaving'
My favourite however;
'The customer is not always right. The customer can be confused, misinformed, misunderstood, idiotic or bloody stupid, but the customer is never wrong'
"Why should the buyer expect the agent to be servile and 'nice' to him, the agent is employed by the vendor. "
A current buyer is a future vendor, as are his friends/colleagues/anyone else he cares to bad mouth the agent to.
I'm not saying the agent should not have made his feelings known but not entirely sure about the wisdom of the execution.
As with any disagreements I'm sure there is more to each side than is being revealed here.
Why should the buyer expect the agent to be servile and 'nice' to him, the agent is employed by the vendor.
I've met my share of useless agents but I've also dealt with plenty that are good at what they do.
Fair play to him for standing up to this eegit. Anyone who pays over £200k for a studio flat needs their head examined. How much info did he expect about one room?
Industry Observer: Grow a set, FFS!
Yesterday you had a pop at 'rebel' for using the well-chosen and most appropriate phrase "customer fellatio". Today, you admonish a business owner for having the cojones to tell a twerp that he is, in fact, a twerp.
There comes a time that you need to take a deep breath, exhale - and shout B0110ck$!! - and that is what Mr Mossis did. Perhaps this bully will now count the cost of POTENTIAL actions before applying his rude and aggressive behaviour to every situation, in case someone else has the sense and presence of mind to stand up to him. This way only his poor ickle feelings are hurt. Someone else, in another situation, might well smack him one just for the Hell of it!
Good on you, Mr Morris.
Mr Observer - wish I could say the same...
Well done to the manager for his actions, whilst he could have acted better by not emailing the response, there are too many "customers" who think too easily of snapping at staff members and treating employees of big companies badly under the "customer is always right" banner.
He has earned some brownie points with his staff, and all other employees who suffer at the hands of abbusive customers.
Andy
Burton on Trent
All estate agents should consider installing strategically placed punchbags in each of their offices and consider venting their anger on these before sending out obnoxious emails - especially to senior radio journalists. They always seem to some how have the upper hand!
Generally the customer is deemed to be right - but not always.
After over 40 years in business I KNOW that some individuals are truly obnoxious, sometimes worse. After his due consideration in obtaining the facts Mr Morris was absolutely correct in standing up for his firm and staff.
Unfortunately the directors/partners of large firms have little repect for their staff, treat them as 'cannon fodder' and instructed them to appologise whatever the facts.
Well done Mr Morris, I have done the same.
P.S. Industry Observer: In my opinion your advice is unbalanced and leaves much to be desired in relation to staff morale.
Steven Morris has my utmost respect for not being bullied. To stand up for you and your staff is not always easy, especially when you are not always backed up so called professional organisations. Absolutely nothing stated in this article gives Korsner the right to abuse his position as a public paid journalist. It is obnoxious for Morris to be labelled as unprofessional. I hope that vendors in that area read the article and say "That's the agent for me, doesn't work for the buyer, and not afraid to say it." You have the absolute right to retaliation and I hope you get a lot more support from people in the property industry.
Some people just do not understand the principle of basic manners
You should treat people how you expect to be treated
They often don't like a taste of their own medicine
This chap was obviously a bully, and was told so, perhaps his mother and father would have something to say about his behaviour
It sounds like the buyer was a bit of a bully or at least a pain, and the manager wrote an email which he should have drafted, re-read a day later and re-written before sending. I suspect he could have made pretty much the same points without sounding a bit silly. Trouble is as a BUSY manager you sometimes get a slightly skewed version of events, so do need to temper the knee-jerk.
The BBC plodder should get a job in the real world...hopefully he may need to soon.
Those TV tax parasites haven't a clue.
So this journalist claimed the agency was with holding information from him. Perhaps someone had better explain the law to him in regard to 'buyer beware' and the job his solicitor should have been doing on his behalf.
His time as a journalist may be better spent trying to get the law changed and making SELLERS have some legal responsibility for the condition of the house they are selling!
Well done, The respect Mr Morris has earned from his staff is well worth the flack he’s getting now. Defending his staff against unreasonable purchasers should be applauded.
I’m sorry but if you act like a d**K then expect to be treated like one.
Storage heaters and mattresses? is he having a laugh?
I read this article in the Evening Standard and even as a non-EA I thought fair play to the manager; all he was doing was defending his colleague from what sounded like a supercilious boor.
Well done that man.
We as estate agents are always at the bain of the press, when will they understand, that sometimes the press are not always right. They have been credited at bringing the housing market down, through scaremongering on th efront pages. The minute the MP's expenses came out the market changed.
Telephone hacking, privacy infringement, harrassment, disclosure issue's.
This is not investigative journalism, its a buyer using the medium of the press to feel justified in acting like a total idiot. We are people too, talk to us we can help, have a go at us, we will be less reluctant. For once a boss actually said how he feels, rather than being scared of the papers.
Fair play to the Agency boss for sticking up for his staff and business!
Brilliant!
:-)
Sometimes you just have to bite back. When you know you are not going to deal with this person again but more to the point do not want to why accept unjust criticism?
The office was obviously driven to distraction by this journalist.
I say well said Mr Morris.
There are SOOO many times I would have loved to have responded to a whinging, whining, halfwit of a purchaser who has had unrealistic "TV" expectations of buying a property.
It is rare that property transactions are simple - the mark of a good agent is to make it LOOK like it is.
But sometimes things go wrong, particularly with leasehold flats like this one.
All you can do is pick yourself up and move on, putting it down to experience.
When in a hole stop digging would be my advice to Mr Morris. One other useful piece of advice long used in 35 years of dealing with written complaints:-
NEVER EVER put anything into print that you would feel uncomfortable if it was ever read out in a Coroner's Court.
If only parts of what are reproduced above are 100% correct in the re-telling then no matter how appalling the buyer's email may have been, and how unjustified his comments, the agent's response was totally unnecessary. You are never going to deal with the buyer again or turn him into a nice person so why get dragged into it.
The response only makes it look more likely that the buyer was at least right to complain. The other advice of course is never to respond to a complaint the same day other than acknowledging it.
Woah, so maybe the public dislike journalists more than estate agents.