Family First:

#1. I tell them I have an emergency. 

#2. I ask a team member (or an office-mate if you don't have a team) to cover for me.

#3. If it's a true emergency, then I guess I see which clients are worth coming back to and which ones were not. 

Although I am not on a team, I have been fortunate to have been in the business long enough to know/trust some colleagues to act seamlessly in my place.  Good luck 

   If an emergency were to take me out of town for more than a couple of days (not likely), I have brokers who I can call on.  They will step in for me and keep the deal running, or close it if necessary.   We will work out the appropriate compensation or referral fee.

I've negotiated many deals from a hospital room (Ray's medical issues, not mine)!

If there is something that is even more pressing that I can't possibly be available, my assistants would take over - just as though I was on vacation.

Only once have I had anyone stand in for me other than during my annual vacation.

be transparent with clients and let them know one of your team members will be the point of contact until the family siuation is handled

thanks to the  Internet and smart phones I manage well, just to give you an idea when my mother passed away many years ago I was in Europe  emailing and texting a client...we closed on a $3 million home.... 

I ask another agent to cover for me...

I explain to clients what's happening and take it from there. Good clients are generally understanding. But how it's handled really depends on the nature of the emergency, time involved, etc. I've had emergencies and they have not stopped me from delivering what needs delivering to my clients. I've yet to lose a client over an emergency situation. Technology lets us run our businesses even away from our office and I always have a colleague who will cover for me if needed, just as I would for her. But I can't remember the last time I actually called on her for coverage.

Ask someone in the office to help.

I hope that everything is okay with you and your family Praful.

As someone else to cover for you in those cases. 

I have colleagues and my broker that I can count on when needed. Thankfully it hasn't happened too often.

I have some trusted colleagues to lean on as needed.  I quickly prioritize what can wait and what can be delegated.  I manage some via the phone/computer & quickly learn if my gut was right in investing my time with those on my active client roster.   Hope this is a "just" a question and not a current situation. 

With today's technology, my office is set to go were I go. I have answered the phone on the stairs of Seven Falls.

Just one of the great benefits of working on a team

Reschedule and/or get coverage.

Simply refer them to an associate.

There are those customers that i can tell and others who someone else has to take over without batting an eyelatch. 

I recently covered for another agent and hope that if I'm ever in need, I will turn to other agents to offer me assistance.

Our team has a deep bench...

Benefit of a Team

Explain the situation.  Most reasonable people will understand.

We have a stellar agent that works with us that would take over in an emergency. We would do the same for -Kasey

I have other agents I can ask for support (and that I will support if they need my help).  I actively communicate with clients when there is something going on that is going to take me out of the game for a bit.  I don't want them to wonder why they are not hearing from me or getting quick answers.

An emergency is exactly that, it requires you to drop everything & take care of the fire that's burning. Emergencies are usually short term so your clients would have to wait a day or two while you tend to things; unless you have someone to cover you. Long term situations call for a different plan of action. 

Always been lucky to have back-up when needed!

Hope you have a friend in your office who can help.

Family important because we are working for our family, so I will ask someone my team member to take care of office work and I will help my family.

Major responses first preference family, happy to hear this.

having hands full begs this decent question. Getting a handle on all of it is first step. The squeaky wheel willl guide  after that

ditto to Thomas J. Nelson, Realtor, ePRO, CRS, RCS-D Family Always First.... refer the client to a reliable agent....and pay that agent well.... depending on how much time you've already devoted, you may want to split it....and let the agent finish working with them.... playing pass the buyer is not a good game.

I have a fantastic processor and assistant.  She makes my life a ton easier, and I also have other backups in place if I need extended time away.  Thankfully it's been several years since I've had to worry about this.

More important is balance a family life, health vs showing homes.

I'm with Thomas J. Nelson, Realtor, ePRO, CRS, RCS-D on this one.  Inform them of the emergency (no need to go into specifics) and put everything on hold for a day or so.  If any work issues arise, I have someone in another office I can call to assist.  Since he's a friend of the family, he would likely already know of the issue.

One of the valuable aspects of our Team is that we can cover for other Team Members when needed. Whatever the client needs, from aid from a licensed agent to help from one of our administrative Team, the client gets what is needed.

This is a people business in so many ways Praful. I've got people.

Praful ~ I have a couple of colleagues in the office that can cover for me if needed.  I would explain the situation to the clients and let them know that Suzy will be taking over; with contact from me as/if possible.

Family first.

I am honest and transparent with my clients. I explain (no details) and continue to do the work I can do while managing the emergency. 

I worked at my mother's hospital bed for weeks after she had a stroke. 

Now I work with another agent so that we have flexibility to travel, etc. however, I have since day one always had a back up agent or 3, someone to trade vacation time with, etc.  I cannot imagine operating any other way. At a minimum, pay another competent agent to handle things.  

Have another agent cover me.

Praful,

Get someone to cover.  A

A full disclosure about it and try to fix and pull up my family sh...t asap. 

After dealing with this,  I make a point to contact my current clients and explain the situation. I try to get things done as I can. Most of my clients are more than understanding and it all goes well. 

Have a few people I can rely on to cover things that need to be handled.

I have many friends in the industry that would/could jump in and cover for me if needed.

I hae a trusted agent that I can get to take over.

I have agents I can ask to step in. Always have. 

Family first. Most of the clients understand the family emergency.