Need help with clients changing rules of the game

General Inspection Topics
1

After phone call and signing of agreement, client is attempting to changes rules. Prior to home inspection their calls become more agressive. Hey, why arent you including radon and well water for free, everyone else does… Hey your price is too much, I’m an appraiser and everyone knows inspections are just $300 with everything, you are charging $350.

I did the inspection and as I thought, numerous agressive phone calls have come in and I just can’t make the client happy. Wish I didn’t even do it. Do we have do complete and inspeciton if things are going sideways before we even walk in the house?

2

Nope! I’ve told many that I’m not doing their inspection.

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3

Even after signing agreement? What is your redline for walking away? What did you say? thanks!

4

I think you’d be happier with another inspector…goodbye.

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5

My concern is we they have already signed an agreement, maybe its a legal question?

6

If you haven’t performed the inspection then the agreement is void.
I reserve the right to inspect what I want.

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7

I would just tell them I don’t like your attitude. If they are a pain in the ass now you can bet they will be a bigger pain in the ass later.

This song sums it up…

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8

I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone and have done so on many occassions.

First - I’ve never allowed any client or potential client to change the terms of my agreement. I’ve had some attempt to, but either pointed them to another inspector or convinced them that I would not perform the inspection under an altered contract.

Second - Once the inspection has been performed in accordance with the signed inspection agreement, I refer them (without apology) to that agreement in the event they feel they should have received something more or different.

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9

Thanks for the responses! Not sure if its a gut feeling, or if there is a way to be objective about it. I didn’t know we could refuse service after agreement.

10

The agreement usually pertains to doing the inspection. As opposed to NOT doing it.

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11

As you mentioned - Client was harassing you after agreement.
I would rather to take the chance to brake the agreement then potentially buy him a new roof or else.

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12

I remember once sitting at the kitchen table with client who wanted to change my agreement. The agreement was emailed to him days prior the inspection so that he could have a look at it and asked questions. He waited till the inspection to demand changes to the agreement. He was being unreasonable and I could see that he would have been trouble so I got my pen and wrote VOID across the agreement, got up and left. I could hear his wife giving him hell in the background as I was walking out.

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13

Good for you.

14

Perhaps it’s my age, but after over 9000 inspections I finally had a client that was a professional harasser. I got fourteen emails in the 2 months after the inspection. They got nastier & abusive - all over dumb-ass cosmetics.
So… even though it may not have been professional, I do not regret sending him this. He never contracted me again! :cowboy_hat_face:

Marc A.Goldenberg
Sun 8/18/2019 7:40 PM
To:Jeffrey xxxxxx
I do not appreciate the manner in which you have attacked me more than once.
You twisted my email words & now say I was never in the attic. You are a liar.
Now you call someone to support your fantasy about the roof design & cosmetic issues.
What’s next the toilet got clogged?
It appears you are on a mission to hold me responsible.
However, you have conveniently ignored the very, very important agreement you signed that you have violated.
I have no liability. Suggest you review it & abide by it before your indulgent behavior becomes an expensive proposition for you.
I have made a sincere attempt to deal with this but now with your insults & slander
you have crossed the line.
Don’t waste my time or yours sharing your life with me from now on.
I will not receive & review any other communication from you.
< MG >

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15

So you didn’t turn it into a “positive” experience? :smile:

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16

Trust your gut and fire the client, because as you have leaned, once you do the inspection, you’re stuck with them.

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17

You seem to be hung up on this point.
Solve it going forward by having your Attorney (you did have one review your contract, right?) add a Disclaimer clause stating your Right to rescind the Contract at any time prior to the beginning of the inspection, and the Right to terminate the inprogress inspection (for specific working conditions).
Done!

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18

Excellent wording.
Thank You for posting this.

19

I know my post was off topic but it reminded me of the bad decision I made to work for this nut case.
I had “red flags” pop up when he was first interviewing me, too many of them.
I thought oh well… just another nervous customer that needed an education on what to expect AND not to expect from a home inspection.
I should have known better and priced it super high & let him curse someone else.

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20

The signs are always there because they are of the same character, only the degree varies. Don’t know exactly how they end up that way but they all exhibit similar attitude and behavior. They tend to approach much in life the same way, not just home inspection. It typically only takes a few minutes on the phone to recognize how “special” they are :slight_smile: Anyone in the business world will learn this and hopefully how to deal with it.

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