I recently wrote a blog on First Impressions. I decided to extend this a little further to encompass a few things that we all know but sometimes need a little reminder.
Communications
Respond quickly to phone calls and e-mail’s. Let that person know they are important.
Honesty & Trust
These are two words that work hand in hand. You gain trust by being honest. If I’m not sure about something I say so and request a little time to check it out and respond with the best answer.
Knowledge
Know your stuff; don’t pretend. Keep current with code information and continuing education. Let them know you are the best. Knowledge is power. This is one of the biggest contributors on your road to success. Practice the ethical standards of practice and you will never have to worry if you did the right thing.
Hardworking
Let them know you will go beyond their expectations. Make yourself available and practice being helpful. Answer questions, go the extra mile. Sometimes we become complacent and forget to pay attention to the little details that are so important.
You don’t gain success by accident; you must earn it. If we all follow the above we have earned our well-deserved paycheck
Thanks for the reminder, Carl. You are, of course absolutely right.
It's always good to remember we aren't owed anything in life, including a living. We should be as thankful for the 167th inspection as we were for the first one.
This is not only for inspectors but anyone in sales or customer service. We don't realize as inspectors we have to sell ourself and our service each and every day. The road to success and earning a paycheck is not easy.
Becoming a home inspector is not for everyone. Not everyone wants to climb a roof, crawl under a house, or wiggle around in an attic. What we do is hard work. We are just so good at it we make it look easy. The real challenge is bringing all this together in the reports that we submit to our clients that designate if we have earned our paycheck.
"Under Promise, Over Deliver" (T.Peters): People, in general, are more interested in having a task delivered when promised than they are in having an unreasonable delivery promised then not lived up to. It's better to commit to a later date or time and then meet or beat that schedule every time.
"Say what I'm going to do & then do what I said I was going to do": In other words "talk the talk & walk the walk". I have found careful planning is essential to larger projects and tasks. It requires you to completely think through a project from start to finish, identify the major components of the tasks, assign resources to accomplish the objective and document the process. After that it's a matter of commitment to getting the project completed as planned, keeping all interested parties apprised of progress and making schedule changes as needed.
"Good, Quick, Cheap.....Pick Two": I have found this axiom to hold fairly true a majority of the time. It means that you can usually only have two out of three of these attributes to a task or project. If it's good and quick then it's probably not cheap. If it's good and cheap it's not likely to be quick. And if it's quick and cheap then it's probably not going to be very good.
"Don't sweat the small stuff....."(R. Carlson): and, of course, "it's all small stuff" as the saying goes. This is probably the hardest for me to follow as it goes against my instinct to a certain degree but as I get older this adage begins to hold more importance. The trick is to identify those things that truly are important to you and make sure that you are devoting the right amount of time and energy towards them. This will almost always be in conflict with a career. Don't let a job define who you are, let that be done by your actions and deeds 24x7.
"Character is what you do when no one is around to see" : In other words, character should be defined by your actions behind the scenes and not done to impress others. Always "do the right thing" and "the right thing" is usually pretty obvious but may take some soul searching and considerable thought.
"Be generous": with your time, energy, talents and money. Volunteer for worthy causes that can use your help and, of course, your money. Gerald Mann, Sr Pastor at Riverbend Church in Austin, once said "I have it, you need it, so here it is" or something close to that effect and it has stuck with me.
"What Time is it?": don't make things harder than they need to be. Address and answer issues as simply and as directly as possible. Don't be one of those folks that I characterize by saying " If you ask them what time it is then they proceed to tell you how to build a clock".
"Praise in Public, Criticize in Private": probably nothing can motivate a person better than having someone praise their efforts, especially in front of others. We all want to be appreciated and even small tokens like a simple thank you can really go a long way. Conversely, one of the most de-motivating things that can happen is to be criticized or counseled in front of others. It will only lead to the person being targeted getting defensive and the whole situation likely being a very negative experience for all parties involved.
"When managing or leading a group, treat everyone the same": If you can't do for all what you can do for one then don't do it. Treating people in the same group differently breeds discontent.
"When you have made a mistake, say so and move on": The penalty for your error is bound to be lighter. By admitting your mistake you will be seen as human and as having learned from the experience. Doing the opposite creates distrust and hurts your credibility.
"I Don't Know": It's not a crime to admit not knowing something, just say so. Don't make up some excuse or long-winded song & dance answer. It is a crime however, to not follow up on the question, get the best answer possible and provide that answer to the question in a timely and appropriate manner.
The hardest part about being a home inspector is putting up with unethical realtors, they are everywhere. Not all realtors are bad, but you will meet your fair share if you are in this business. They want you to "close" your eyes when you see defects, and that's not how I work. So I often get phone calls after I issue reports to clients that my inspection reports are "overkill" and why did you report moisture stains in the ceiling...etc. etc,
by
Home Inspector - http://www.americandreamhomeinspection.net
As an inspector I have actually taken the approach of letting my buyer and the agent know ahead of time that my reports are "over the top." They should be prepared for a very long report even if there isn't much wrong (the serious stuff applicable to affect a purchase decision will typically be in the summary). I am about information and too much is never enough. I almost never get complaints from Realtors and certainly not from buyers as to the length of my reports or the level of details in my reports. I get maybe one call a year from sellers----usually to book an inspection for something they are buying. Of course, most of the agents that use me know what I am about and have already prepared the buyer. Most of the better agents have the buyer's long term best interest at heart. I am sure that there are many agents that don't refer me because of the type of service I provide---and that is OK with me. My reports are very house specific without a lot of information that would fit other house scenarios.
Something else I would add is that usually the buyer has made their mind up about purchasing the house while hanging out with me at the inspection-----the report is merely a record.
I seldom get phone calls from the unethical realtors who are looking at their commission check more than the buyer's needs, well, unless they want an inspection for them or their relatives.
Fortunately, tha's a small minority. I think, percentage wise, there's just as many unethical inspectors who care more about their referral source than they do the buyer's needs.
I just don't pay much attention to them and move on with my own world.
Hey Erby: Thanks for stopping by and adding your comments. I totally agree, I have met very very unethical inspectors or realtors. I believe most are conscietious and well deserving of their paycheck. The ones that come in for the fast dollar don't hang around long.
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Cell Phone: (830) 660-0131
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The inspection is the examination of a home or business. The standard inspection includes a review of the heating and air-conditioning systems;
plumbing and wiring; roof, attic, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, foundation (structural & mechanical).
Buyers, Sellers, New Home Phase Inspections are encouraged to have the inspection.
Service Area: San Antonio, Texas and Surrounding Counties (San Antonio, New Braunfels, Boerne, Wimberly, Bulverde, Schertz-Cibolo, Spring Branch, Blanco). Carl Winters, Advanced Inspector, License 3630...830-660-0131
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Thanks for the reminder, Carl. You are, of course absolutely right.
It's always good to remember we aren't owed anything in life, including a living. We should be as thankful for the 167th inspection as we were for the first one.