Over the last 6 months or so, when talking with a potential client and they desire work that 1) I don't provide, 2) I don't want, 3) is outside the area I work, I have reffered work out to several different surveyors. There are 3-4 guys I ussually recommend. I don't know them personally but just through reputation.
One of these guys works in an area that I just don't have any desire to go to, small mountain towns west of Denver. I have sent no less than 10 clients to hime this year. I don't know if any work resulted from the recommendation/s or not.
But here's my beef.
Not once have any of these guys ever called me to express any gratitude. Not that I really want that, I just find it odd that they have not called me and say thanks, or maybe that they could send a client my way.
Just yesterday, a caller asked me if I could do some work on a 2.5 acre property in the mountains west of Denver. I expressed, that I really don't get up that way due to the location and that I would need to charge travel time, etc. and that my fees might be higher than a local firm.
She asked if I could recommend anyone up there. - I paused and said, No.
-- I'm to the point of thinking -"what's the point?"
If these other guys aren't going to be greatful, I'm not mentioning thier name.
And, no I haven't called them to ask if they know I've given their name out.
I guess that's just not the way I roll. - But,yes I do know that they know I have reffered them, by follow up calls to clients I've had.
But anyway- nuf said:-S
Frankly I'd be willing to bet that the client never told the other guy about the referral. It would probably be worthwhile letting these other guys know what you are doing and see how they react.
i recommend other guys regularly.
i send work to former employees.
i send work to people i know personally.
i send work to people i have met online.
i rarely get recognition.
i don't know how often they return the favor, i don't keep up with it.
i don't think much about it, i just try to help out someone who needs a survey and some other surveyor. no big deal.
We get a lot of calls for the "want to build a fence" type lot surveys. After letting them recover after I tell them how much we would charge to do them I will sometimes give them the name/number of a guy that is more smaller scale surveying focused and usually can do them for a smaller fee.
He has come to me at several conferences and personally thanked me for the referrals. He has even passed along information about some some construction staking projects, that he doesn't do, to us to see if we are interested.
It has worked good so far for me.
I agree with Dave. Most of the time that I have referred a client to another surveyor, I have never heard from the surveyor. I just assume that they never mentioned that I recommended them.
> Frankly I'd be willing to bet that the client never told the other guy about the referral. It would probably be worthwhile letting these other guys know what you are doing and see how they react.
I have to agree.
We make a point of asking callers where they got our name, if they don't volunteer it themselves.
If it is a referral we make sure to contact whoever it was that made the referral.
I don't follow up on referrals that I make, unless I happen to see them at some function. I do ask if so and so called.
Call the surveyor next time and ask him what his schedule is. If he has time tell him the name of the client and that you are sending them his way becuase of either time, location....or what ever. that way he will know when and if the client calls how and why.
Just a thought.
When I recommend another surveyor, we call them and let them know it's coming and to look forward to it. They do the same for us. You might try that approach. It works very well with us. Sometimes, a buddy of mine in Anderson County will cuss me as I sent him a dog job and just didn't know it. I usually apologize and say I owe him a round or something.
You can't take it hard. I regularly send work to Shawn and J. D. Billings from this and the other board. I have no idea if the guy speaking to them said he was a referral from me. I only send folks to surveyors that I know and trust to do a good work for a good client. Otherwise, I'm just too busy and can't get to it.
On occasion though, I have sent a dog job to a lowballer just to get even for some crap that I had to work through of theirs though.
> When I recommend another surveyor, we call them and let them know it's coming and to look forward to it.
I use a variation on that. I'll call the other surveyor to let them know of the referral and make sure that they aren't too booked up to take on any other work at the moment.
Kent
I appreciate the referral you gave me for my sisters property in North Austin. I was dreading having to go do that one. It was WORTH money NOT to have to learn the ways of Travis County. 🙂
Thanks again
Make the reference by email if possible so that you can cc the surveyor in question. If email is not available, offer to have local surveyor call the client and then make the call to the surveyor yourself. Things like this will help you establish a network or cooperating professionals.:-D
Kent
> It was WORTH money NOT to have to learn the ways of Travis County.
Kris, I'll bet you East Texans would find it easier to get used to indoor plumbing than you think.
> When I recommend another surveyor, we call them and let them know it's coming and to look forward to it. They do the same for us. You might try that approach. It works very well with us. Sometimes, a buddy of mine in Anderson County will cuss me as I sent him a dog job and just didn't know it. I usually apologize and say I owe him a round or something.
That is almost exactly as I do it here with about 4 other surveyors. We try to help each other out when it is not in our own wheelhouse.
Carl
Kent
LOL!!!! Maybe so!
Do they know you recommended them? Why don't you shoot them an email, (or call) and tell them that you sent someone their way. State that you want to know if they were able to help the client, and if they were not able to help you would like to find someone who can.
Maybe others have sent clients your way and you don't know to thank them. I would think that if you communicated with other surveyors better, you would be more prone to help each other out and send each other clients.
I know I have met a lot of ungrateful, arrogant, and egotistical surveyors. Some guys just gripe about others and never do anything proactive to build communication.
Of course perhaps you do all of the above, so my apologies if my advice is not applicable to you. Obviously, I don't know you or what you're like.
To me it is all about assisting the client.
A good referral is good assistance... and I don't expect any quid pro quo.
It would be nice to hear back from the other surveyor, but that is not the point.
adamsurveyor
You're right and thanks for the reply.
I have, but not on a regular basis, done what you suggest.
and yes I know what you are saying by
"I know I have met a lot of ungrateful, arrogant, and egotistical surveyors. Some guys just gripe about others and never do anything proactive to build communication."
(esp some Colorado surveyors)
I have been referred, and have referred others quite a few times. I have found the norm to be that when a potential client calls from a referral, the referring surveyors name is usually said in the second or third sentence by the caller.
Sidebar: I just received a referral this last Monday, and though the referring surveyors name was mentioned, I did not catch it fully. I want to express my gratitude to that individual.
At times, I have received calls from the referrer about the possible work, and at other times, I have called those that I have referred about my referral to a prospective client.
One company was referring a lot of work, so I went down to the local Italian Deli and sent them over a nice catered lunch.
The referrer should always be acknowledged even if the job does not work out.
