Research says that people tend to respond less to what you say and more to your body language. Your tone of voice is the second most important factor in face-to-face communication. What you actually say is third. Therefore, be aware of what you are physically doing and how your clients may perceive your body language and actions.
This is a form we created to educate buyers of occupied homes of the importance of returning to the home before closing to check areas that were not visible during the inspection and verifying that repairs were made, and all included appliances are still in place.
Customer Service is the driving force behind our business. We are hired as a Professional, and they deserve our attention, our un-divided attention, and the best product we can give them. A good inspection and experience will grow your business, a bad inspection will cost you realtors, return business, and your reputation.
A pair of boots are used for the exterior and roof part of the inspection. After the exterior and roof are inspected a nice clean pair of slippers are used to inspect the interior of the house. This is done so mud, roofing materials, or even animal waste is not tracked into the house.
Commercial vehicles:
The right vehicle needs to be considered for an inspector, as it may be used to haul equipment or double as a mobile office. Another thing to consider is how the vehicle will be used for either strictly business or for personal and family as this can affect insurance and taxes.
One way an inspector might gain a competitive advantage over the competition is by sending a hand-written thank-you note or card to their client after the inspection. Most people appreciate a handwritten thank you letter more than a type-written or one sent via email.
When a caller is placed on hold, a minute seems like forever, no matter how pleasant your company’s hold music might be. Try to wait for a pause in the conversation before telling callers you’re putting them on hold. Make sure they understand why you’re putting them on hold, and be truthful about how long it may take. Apologize for the inconvenience, and if they’re unable to hold, it’s best for you to call them back rather than asking them to call you back.
Customer service skills are those essential capabilities that make you well equipped to handle one-on-one interactions with clients. There are customer service roles in nearly every industry and many different types of customer service skills that you can highlight on your resume. Go into as much detail as possible to demonstrate the depth of your customer service competencies by emphasizing your relevant experience in the following areas.
Customer service professionals are tasked primarily with communicating effectively with customers. This can take many forms and may occur via telephone conversations, emails, live interactions, or online chat. Communication is at the core of any customer service skill set. You must demonstrate attentiveness and critical listening skills that allow you to understand the customers’ problems, even when they’re not skilled at explaining themselves well.
This was what my reward was with having great customer service and returning client service skills. I had a client who I had done an inspection for the previous month and she called me back to do another inspection on a different home. After completing the crawl space at the end, I was about to go over my findings and found this spread of food waiting for me at the staged table in the kitchen. Greatest client ever.
Inspector Attire: In this image of all the different attires that are suggested, I identify with the attire that has a tee-shirt and pants. I have tried long sleeve button up shirts and noticed I perspire heavily with those types of shirts. I found a breathable tee-shirt that is self-wicking and was able to put my logo on it.
This home inspector has a professional appearance. His shirt is tucked into his pants, clean shaven and well groomed. He is also wearing a hard-hat which indicates to the client that he practices a safe work environment. It is important to look professional when on the job.
A short but detailed list of instructions to a client of things to check can help build a better relationship with a client. Also, it can help speed things up when asking a client to do simpler, and quicker inspection tasks.
When talking to customers it is always good to be at least 3 feet away from the person. This leaves them comfortable in their personal space. Also look them into the eyes while talking. It shows your engaged in the conversation.
Homeowners have more to worry about than being ripped off by shady contractors in this lagging economy, but such a climate brings desperation – and with it, sadly, fraud. Of course, the majority of tradesmen are generally honest professionals, but there is a large number of unscrupulous contractors who will fix items that dont need fixing, or grossly overcharge you for services or parts. Worse, there are plenty of con artists posing as tradesmen who will simply take your money and run. Inspectors are often the first ones to uncover such fraud, so they too need to be familiar with its common forms in order to best serve their clients.
I included this picture because it is the most important tool i own. My computer, it allows me to easily complete my training on InterNachi. It also allows me to sync all my devices and calendars to make sure that I provide the best possible service to my customers.
On one of my last mentored inspections I found the siding o the garage right in the stones around the building.Checked inside and found rotted sill plates and studs due to water intrusion.The sheathing on the wall was saturated up to about 5 foot from the floor and this condition went around both sides and the back.Its a structural and safety issue,recommended repairs by a qualified carpenter and suggested they park the Mercedes outside until then.
Why Inspectors Should Take Continuing Education, Even When It’s Not Required.I started my home inspector training last year,in my state we need classroom and mentored inspections as well as online training but with all this I found that the courses offer by INTERnachi were so much more advanced and offered so much more training in subjects never discussed in classes.When I finally finished my training I had in excess of 180 hours of CE but better thank that I had so much more knowledge about this industry that I find fascinating.I still continue to take courses even though I don’t need the credits.As an example I scheduled an inspection on a suspected meth house so I took that course to see what extra things I need to be aware of when I finally did the inspection and observe indications of cooking in the shed at the back of the house and could explain the problems that creates to my client.At 66 I am still learning as much as I can.
In this picture I am properly dressed and would leave a good, lasting, first-impression. This is good because now you are leaving an impression that will make your client less nervous about hiring you and more confident that you will do your job well.
When you are inspecting a home it is okay to cause damage if it is unintentional and it couldn’t be avoided. In the long run you are saving your client lots of head-ache in the future, by finding a major problem now.