Customer Service

[terrisinsp]

This is the first forum posting for me. Two years ago you could report a laundry list of defects on a house; and buyers would say, "No problem, we'll buy'er as is." Today the buyer wants everything on the report repaired/replaced and the agents and sellers are hung out to dry.

Well, I have been tolerant of this paradigm until I made the mistake of going to an inspection with pain pills in my blood stream. I was irritable and told the customer I would not put a slightly rubbing door on the summary.

The customer was ticked, told the agent I was a jerk and the agent said I couldn't hide a condition. I shot back that the condition was on the report but not in the summary; it's being too picky, it just needs to be sanded at the top corner and any homeowner can do it in a jiffy.

The situation just got worse as I dug into my position! Now this morning I have decided to return the fee to the client, because I assure complete satisfaction.

Let's all be very patient with very picky, acknowledgeable buyers.

[waynesoper]

I just put it all in the summary, who am I to choose what is and what is not important to a customer.

[Scottpat]

Terris, life is too short to let those little things bother you, pain pills or not. I have to agree with Wayne, who are we to decide what is or is not an issue to our client. It should make no difference to you or me as a home inspector what our client wants repaired or not after they review the report.

If something is bothering my client and I find that it is not proper or defective then it goes in the report. Makes no difference to me and this is also one of the reasons I always ask my client before, during and at the end of the inspection if they have a concern about anything.

Glad to see you realized your error and gave the refund.

[randynavarro]

Yep. Just make a list.

It's not for me to decide what' important and isn't.

[Terence McCann]

I can see her point.

During my inspections I always say to change the locks or have them re-keyed for security. If I see a hot water tank that is old but still operational I recommend replacing it before it goes bad.

Not to long ago I did a job for this person who took my report and wanted the owner to replace the hot water tank and to change the locks on all the doors.

Now, before I start my inspection, I tell the client that during the inspection I will recommend things like changing the locks on the doors, routine maintenance items, etc. and that it is unreasonable to ask the seller to change out something that is still working properly.

It's hard to believe that I have to actually tell people this. [:-crazy]

[Nolan Kienitz]

Stopped providing "summaries" many years ago at attorney's advice.

You are effectively prioritizing (or it could be inferred that is what your are doing).

An inspector here in Texas spent about $10K in a complaint many years ago relating to "summaries". He said it was an expensive lesson to learn. He prevailed and his attorney also said: "No summaries".

As I've noted I had my attorney review circumstances and he more than strongly advised: "No summaries".

Ergo ... actually saves me some extra keystrokes in my report generation for the codes to create the summaries ... so it saves me time.

[Jim Katen]

This is the first forum posting for me. 2 years ago you could report a laundry list if defects on a house, no problem we'll buy'er as is. Today the buyer wants everything repaired/replaced on the report. The agents and sellers are hung out. Well I have been tolerant of this paradene until I made the mistake of going to an inspection with pain pills in my blood stream. I we irrtitable and told the customer I would not put a slightly rubbing door on the summary. Well he was ticked, told the agent I was a jerk and the agent said you can't hide a condition. I shot back it's on the report but not in the summary, it's to picky, it just needs to be sanded at the top corner. Any homeowner can do it in a jiffy. The situation just got worse as I dug into my postion! Now this morning I have decided to give the client their fee back, as I assure complete satisfaction. So let's all be very patient with very picky, unknownlegable buyers.

If you expect people to read and respond to your posts, clean up your spelling and grammar so that we don't have to bushwhack through the weeds to understand what you're trying to say.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Gibsonguy]

I am a relative newbie in here compared to some and was prepared to explain my separate summary, full inspection report and disclaimer which states to be sure to read the full report not only the summary as it is condensed and only includes the major deficiencies with the immovable and...

You know, I'm getting tired just typing it. Maybe I'll reconsider excluding summaries.

[hausdok]

Hi,

I don't care what they ask for. I don't care about the agents and sellers. I'm just a reporter. I learned long ago that some clients will completely ignore a badly cracked and settled foundation that I spent a long time writing up in order to demand that a door rubber that's torn by the family dog be replaced. There's no way I want to get involved in helping them decide what constitutes sand in their shorts. It's their transaction, if they blow it over silly crap, that's between them and the seller.

I put it all in the summary and I don't prioritize it. When they ask me to assign a priority to it, I explain that I can't climb into their head and help them decide what's important to them. I tell 'em, "Read the report and then read it again and do what feels right for you."

It seems to work for me.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Les]

"Read the report and then read it again and do what feels right for you."

That is the crux of the matter. I have done thousands of reports "both ways" and it really does not mean squat. Do whatever you feel comfortable with and best serves your client.

I must admit that I have refused to do a summary and have insisted on doing a summary - just depends.

[Jim Morrison]

The very moment that a home inspector burns more than a single, lonely brain cell on whether or not to include a rubbing door in his report, or especially where in his report to note it, he ceases to be a home inspector and is providing another service entirely. I only hope he's getting paid well for it.