Dan Cullen
04-05-2015, 03:00 PM
I was asked by an ASHI Chapter to give a presentation at a conference recently. I've never before presented at a conference but they were in a bind and I know that, at my age, it's good to challenge myself with new endeavors in order to prevent becoming an old codger and to reboot the few brain cells I have left.
I gave about a one hour talk on how our company has managed to beat the odds and has grown from one moron (me) to about 10 inspectors in a major market area and how we did it without currying favor from agents and without marketing to them.
During my speech I talked just a bit about risk management and about a certain attorney (let's call him Moe Larry) who, for a monthly fee, will write hard-hitting letters to clients who are trying to extract money from the poor beleaguered home inspectors in the field. I said in so many words that it was a worthwhile service but, since we have 10 inspectors ($500 per month for the service), since we already have E and O, and since my son-in-law is an attorney, that it's not something we would need right now. I made a point to say though that it is a service that could certainly come in handy when dealing with unreasonable clients.
A couple days later I received a phone call from someone (let's call him Bill Lacki) who said he works with Moe Larry and that he understood me to have made disparaging comments about Moe's services during my talk at the conference. He also said that before he would 'take action' he wanted to get 'clarification' from me about my remarks.
That threat to 'take action' really got my Irish up and I let him have it with both barrels and with absolutely no expletives deleted. I then sent a follow up email to him and to Moe Larry letting them know that I would tell my little 'tempest in a teapot' story to my fellow inspectors and asking them (Moe and Bill) if they wanted to 'clarify' their stance before I did. I have yet to hear from either of these fine counselors.
Well that's all I have, thanks to anyone who reads this for letting me get this off my chest. As a great attorney I know is wont to say, "we deal with facts and we live with truth". I don't take kindly to bullying and threats and I thought it only fair to tell the story as I experienced it directly. I appreciate your kind attention.
I gave about a one hour talk on how our company has managed to beat the odds and has grown from one moron (me) to about 10 inspectors in a major market area and how we did it without currying favor from agents and without marketing to them.
During my speech I talked just a bit about risk management and about a certain attorney (let's call him Moe Larry) who, for a monthly fee, will write hard-hitting letters to clients who are trying to extract money from the poor beleaguered home inspectors in the field. I said in so many words that it was a worthwhile service but, since we have 10 inspectors ($500 per month for the service), since we already have E and O, and since my son-in-law is an attorney, that it's not something we would need right now. I made a point to say though that it is a service that could certainly come in handy when dealing with unreasonable clients.
A couple days later I received a phone call from someone (let's call him Bill Lacki) who said he works with Moe Larry and that he understood me to have made disparaging comments about Moe's services during my talk at the conference. He also said that before he would 'take action' he wanted to get 'clarification' from me about my remarks.
That threat to 'take action' really got my Irish up and I let him have it with both barrels and with absolutely no expletives deleted. I then sent a follow up email to him and to Moe Larry letting them know that I would tell my little 'tempest in a teapot' story to my fellow inspectors and asking them (Moe and Bill) if they wanted to 'clarify' their stance before I did. I have yet to hear from either of these fine counselors.
Well that's all I have, thanks to anyone who reads this for letting me get this off my chest. As a great attorney I know is wont to say, "we deal with facts and we live with truth". I don't take kindly to bullying and threats and I thought it only fair to tell the story as I experienced it directly. I appreciate your kind attention.