Originally Posted by
Aaron Miller
Cost of doing business. Indicates, at least to the general public that verifiable credentials and on-going education are in your business plan. Not, of course, that they aren't in
yours oh w-a-s-h-e-d Scott, just that in my opinion, it's often the appearances that count most to John Q. Public.
Sure,
you keep up with your education, but how can someone else verify that? If it comes down to making a decision between inspectors to hire the prospective client will likely come down on the side of the inspector whose knowledge can be easily proven.
Example: my wife's Mercedes needs engine work. I can either take it to some mechanic with a verifiable certification from the Daimler-Benz corporation or I can take it to Fritz down on the corner who visited Munich once on vacation and got drunk on German beer. Fritz may well be the better mechanic, but how will I know. I'm not willing to take a chance on the unknown in this case. Which would you choose?
Aaron
Well that is all true.
I have not had any problems that I'm aware of not being listed on the ICC site, but I guess I wouldn't really know if a person passed me by for not being listed either. Most of my business is referral based. I do a tremendous amount of litigation support and consultations. Normal home inspections due to my choice now comprise about 40% of my business.
I have given thought about renewing my ICC certifications, simply so I can use that in my litigation work against builders, etc. Right now my litigation work is primarily working for plaintiffs or defendants against home inspectors who are being sued and building product and installation failures in residental construction. So not being listed with the ICC has not come into play, yet.