You Can’t Please Everyone

Allegedly, Otto von Bismarck was the first person to say, “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”

Bismarck wasn’t the nicest person in the world with his persecution of people based on their religion and national origin.

Kentucky Tom Pro Tip: Working with modern-day versions of Bismarck has led me to develop my own slogan from years of experience: “You can learn something from anyone.”

Usually, I learn the most from my own mistakes. But, this week, two separate companies taught me good lessons that apply to real estate, although neither company is involved in the real estate business.

What they taught me applies to home buyers and sellers and those you choose to work with as agents, home inspectors, and repair people.

Know Thyself: Airline Analogy

If you’ve traveled on an airline, you’ve probably experienced one of the three different levels of quality: Spirit, Delta, or Singapore.

1. Spirit is the much-maligned but popular airline that provides the basic service of flying you from one place to another without frills. Anything extra, including legroom, luggage, snacks, or emergency oxygen, costs extra. That last one is an exaggeration, but you get the point. It’s their non-stop upsells that make people angry. But, many people continue to fly them because if you understand their rules, they’re one of the cheapest ways to fly in North America.

Kentucky Tom Pro Tip: If you’re in Europe, then easyJet is Spirit’s twin, although their purpose is even more explicit. To paraphrase: We fly you from one place to another. If you want anything else, it will cost you more money. Often a lot more money.

2. Delta is an average airline. It doesn’t do anything outstanding, but it usually provides better service than Spirit. This is generally attributed to its management paying higher wages to its workers.

3. If you have the opportunity to fly internationally, I highly recommend Singapore Airlines. They’re always in the Top 3 airlines of the world and, in my experience, the best airline.

Know Thyself: Options

Most people want the Singapore Airlines experience. It costs more, but it’s well worth it for most people—from those seeking relatively reasonable coach fares to those seeking first-class space.

But they do cost more than Spirit and usually Delta. At the end of the day, all three airlines provide the same basic service: travel from one location to another.

So, the first step in your search for a home in Kentucky or your journey selling a home is understanding who you are.

1. Do you want the absolute lowest price? There’s nothing wrong with that. But brace yourself for a turbulent ride on Spirit.

2. Do you prefer to invest minimal time and feel calm during the buying or selling process? Go for the Singapore Airlines experience. It will cost you more, but the time saved and stress reduction are often worth it.

3. What you don’t want is Delta. They’re not striving to be Singapore Airlines, and they’ve also adopted many of Sprit’s “nickel-and-diming” techniques, which puts more money in their pockets and more stress in your life.

For Your Consideration

Spirit and Singapore have learned the lesson: You can’t please everyone. Both companies focus on the two opposite spectrums of airline travel.

Kentucky Tom Pro Tip: My recent experience: I thought I was working with a set of Singapore Airlines companies. I was paying more and was initially relaxed because both companies held themselves out to understand what excellence in their business meant.

They both turned out to be the Delta Airlines of their industry—average service. Non-stop upsells. Inflexible.

I learned my lesson: no matter how rushed a situation may be, I won’t skimp on taking the time for a detailed conversation to have all of my questions answered.

Now, it’s up to you to decide which of the two types of companies you’d rather work with during your home-buying or selling adventure.

And once you choose, take the time to ask every question that comes to mind.

Better yet, write down 10 questions in advance and interview each company with the same questions. Then make your final decision.

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