Great stuff “again” Bern… You rock !!!
Jim
So if you are distinguishing yourself from other inspectors and going above your standards, which by the way Koe Ferry says you should not do, why are you giving it away for free instead of charging more?
wsiegel: He isn’t giving it away for free. Watch the video again.
I did and I quote “it is part of my brand. I became the home inspection companyj who did free infrared scan. I included it with my home inspections. It allowed me to distinguish my services from everyone else. To be good you have to be good technically but also with your marketing practices”. So Nick, please tell me what I am missing. There was nothing more in that clip
wsiegel asks:
You passed right over it again. He isn’t giving away free stand-alone IR inspections. Read what you quoted him saying:
It’s part of his home inspections which are anything but free - highest fee schedule in the entire state. There is a difference between “giving away a service for free”, and it being an integral part of a service you charge for.
But if you think that was only a technical demonstration… you missed the point. Watch how he not only incorporates the tool but integrates his client into the service he charges for. He weaves together the tool and his clients (on site) to allow him to command higher fees from his clients. He allows his client to hold and experiment with the tool for a reason, and it isn’t to find moisture…LOL. Notice how in a technical discussion about the use of a mere tool, he’s also holding a parallel discussion about his brand and marketing. It’s his brand and marketing that allows him to charge more. You’re watching a master at work, folks.
Nick, this will be my last post on this issue becasue talking to you is like talking to a politican. You both talk out of both sides of your mouths. I never said he did a stand alone thermal imaging inspeciton. He said he includes it “for free” with his home inspection.
I also never said it was a technical demonstration. I was only quoting exactly what he said.
You ssid its part of his home inspetions and he has the highest fee schedule in the state. Can you substantialte that. I have done some research and have not found a home inspection web site for Ben
At the time Ben was doing inspections, he was charging more at that time. I use to do the same thing. I charged more for the inspection and threw in the other services as part of my enhanced package. If you add more services that exceed the SOP, then get signed agreements for those services, if you feel the need to protect yourself. I think you will find Joe Ferry agrees with that method.
Now you got it right. Here is what you initially wrote:
Not at first. You got it right now.
I was one of his partners in the business. Nobody charged more than us. Ben sold his share of the company and moved to Colorado to become Education Director after our former Education Director Gerry Beaumont died unexpectedly.
This is completely analogous to InterNACHI. InterNACHI charges more ($499/year) than any other inspection association, but we can command those dues because you get a lot free with your membership. www.nachi.org/benefits.htm
We never wanted to be the cheap inspection company or the cheap association like FABI is. 
A flashlight lets me do my job better. So does a thermal imager. Awesome technology that separates me from the competition. Last week the listing realtor said how did you even see those 2 water stains… Then she laughed when I gave the buyer the buyback card, she thought I was joking… I will be inspecting her personal house this week.