Thread: those yellow page phone calls

hey all

here in colorado, i use qwest as my business phone lines, and because of that you automatically get a yellow page ad. a simple company name and phone number. i really don't want this but it's free

so at last count i've recieved maybe fifty calls from clients about inspections from this yellow page.

first thing i ask when i recieve a client call and they ask that simple question " HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR A HOME INSPECTION" hi who is your agent. because if they give me a name of agents i deal with on a regular basic, i know it's a job i'm going to get and i have prices for those consistant agents referrals. but when i hear a no name , i then ask how did you get my name. when i get the YELLOW PAGES i know i'm not getting this job, because they are looking for the cheapo inspection and could care less on my credentials, or quality of my report.

i used to give them my credentials and education, back ground and the number of hole in ones i had. but now when i see or hear YELLOW, i just say if your looking for the cheapest inspection fee, you're not going to find it here and good luck .

you know their going to get what they pay for, and i'm not going to give my services away for nothing.

anybody get the same thing out there

charlie

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Not any more....

I am strictly "referral only". If someone hasn't referred me or given you my card....I don't want to deal with you. The Yellow Pages is a sham....an expensive sham at that!! Whenever I'd get a "yellow" call, I couldn't help but envision that hefty woman on welfare who "accidentally" slips on the wet floor at Walmart on the other end of the line....

"You inspected my house and now I have whiplash ...."

I once heard that you are less likely to be sued by those you know, like and trust.....

Just my opinion

totally agree--don't eat the YELLOW SNOW

Just worked against me, a tad.

Wednesday I receive an email from a Realtor who refers about 1 every 5 weeks or so. It says Tim will call you about an inspection shortly.

No call, today I get an email from her on my BB, "has he scheduled?", I reply "not yet, I'll call shortly"...

After I finished the verbal at my second I call him and leave a message (about 4PM) he calls right back and says "I scheduled with A to Z for Saturday at 1PM"...

Turns out he opened the book and sees A2Z Advanced HI and schedules with them... :-(

Doesn't happen often enough to sweat it and I like to play with my grand kids (girl 3 and boy 1) on the weekend anyway :-)

Haven't had even the free listing in the 'yellow' section in two years!

I spent the +/-$2500? whatever it was for a biz card size ad 1 year. Got a total of 3 calls out of it. 2 maybes and 1 from another inspector doing a price check.
Mine was one of only 2 display ads. At the end of the year I called a few of the other inspectors listed and talked with them. The 4-5? guys I spoke with all said they got between 1 and 6 calls from their ads. Only 1 guy got 2 jobs out of it. Others have renewed, I don't know why.
I do better with occasional ads in the small local papers. The vast majority of my work is referrals though.

MK,
SAME HERE. $2000.00 = 3 inspections and they weren't $1000.00 each.

"Most people like to see their name in print". is their main focus for selling ads.

When I started my business in 2003 the first calls were from the Yellow Page sellers.
How do they get our numbers before the public does???

I have, and still do at times, use the yp to find stuff or addresses.

At the time my daughter said "Dad nobody uses the yelow pages book. They use the internet yellow pages".

I now have DSL and use the internet yellow pages. It's easier and I have more storage space, less clutter in the office.

I have a single line in the Inspection Services section and it is free.
I do get a few calls that say they found me in the YP"S but not enough to pour money into that advertising.

Most of my inspections are referrals from previous clients' friends and the Web Site.

Randy Nicholas

...."I am strictly "referral only". If someone hasn't referred me or given you my card....I don't want to deal with you."

I don't get it.

Yup, that and people who find you online. those are cheapos too.

So, what I'm hearing is, you need to have an unlimited referral base and/or be willing to bow to the Realtor who will only refer you if you do a quick and dirty inspection for a ridiculously low fee to stay in business.
Lets face it you have to attract new clients and yes referrals is the most efficient but your initial clients have to come from somewhere. If the Y.P. and internet aren't good tools then what is. I refuse to be a realtor's "b@#ch". I became an inspector because of being railroaded by a Realtor into using their so called "pre-qualified inspector" (qualified to be as blind as a bat).
What I need right now is, how to combat the calls made by realtor's inspectors shopping me so they know how much less to charge to under cut my fee. I guess if buyers want cheap inspections then I guess I need to find a new gig.

I do the same thing with the price shoppers. Just tell them your price and send them on their way.

Originally Posted by Bob R

So, what I'm hearing is, you need to have an unlimited referral base and/or be willing to bow to the Realtor who will only refer you if you do a quick and dirty inspection for a ridiculously low fee to stay in business.
Lets face it you have to attract new clients and yes referrals is the most efficient but your initial clients have to come from somewhere. If the Y.P. and internet aren't good tools then what is. I refuse to be a realtor's "b@#ch". I became an inspector because of being railroaded by a Realtor into using their so called "pre-qualified inspector" (qualified to be as blind as a bat).
What I need right now is, how to combat the calls made by realtor's inspectors shopping me so they know how much less to charge to under cut my fee. I guess if buyers want cheap inspections then I guess I need to find a new gig.

Woah, Woah, Woah there Bob..... lots of mud slinging and assumptions in those few words. Just because you work primarily off of referrals doesn't mean you're anybody's slave, work for cheap, do a poor job or are blind as a bat.

The vast majority of my business is from past clients, real estate agents and other referal sources that I've worked years to accumulate.

With the attitude you portray from your post you seem bitter, vengeful and desparate. For the sake of your success in this business I hope I'm misunderstanding you.

Never mind...

Let me start by saying I'm sorry for what was a very sharply worded post.

If my post sounded bitter, thats because of a phone call I had received earlier in the day from what I'm sure was a Agent"s inspector shopping me.

I perform a far superior inspection to the other inspectors (I've seen some of their reports) in my area. I do charge more than the undercutting inspectors but for that I'm penalized. I am sorry to vent but I am frustrated.

Originally Posted by Bob R

Let me start by saying I'm sorry for what was a very sharply worded post.

If my post sounded bitter, thats because of a phone call I had received earlier in the day from what I'm sure was a Agent"s inspector shopping me.

I perform a far superior inspection to the other inspectors (I've seen some of their reports) in my area. I do charge more than the undercutting inspectors but for that I'm penalized. I am sorry to vent but I am frustrated.

Say Bob look up my post of ( Agent Fired me today L.O.L. )

Best

Ron

I also ask "Do you mind if I ask where you got my name" 90% of my work comes from referrals. Referrals are generally not price sensitive and want to hire me because a friend, co-worker or family member told them about the job I did for them.

If they say they found my name in the phone book and are checking prices, I cheerfully tell them if they only want the lowest price I can tell them who to call and they won't waste any more time. My wife thinks that is running off a potential customer but the price shoppers are not the type I want to work with.

Ron
I read your post, "I got fired" I guess getting kicked to the curb is just an occupational hazard. I have a personal friend that is an Agent and she stopped referring me stating a similar reason. I think it had more to do with her broker because she's not that kind of person. She would always do the right thing even when she didn't have to.

Bob R.

Ron
I read your post, "I got fired" I guess getting kicked to the curb is just an occupational hazard. I have a personal friend that is an Agent and she stopped referring me stating a similar reason. I think it had more to do with her broker because she's not that kind of person. She would always do the right thing even when she didn't have to.

Bob
Would it not be best to show up to a vacant house take your time do it your way send in your report checks in the mail... I have a few clients that work that way.


Eldon (Scooter) Holliday I also ask "Do you mind if I ask where you got my name" 90% of my work comes from referrals. Referrals are generally not price sensitive and want to hire me because a friend, co-worker or family member told them about the job I did for them.

If they say they found my name in the phone book and are checking prices, I cheerfully tell them if they only want the lowest price I can tell them who to call and they won't waste any more time. My wife thinks that is running off a potential customer but the price shoppers are not the type I want to work with.

I think every call can be a client. They nay ask about your price but they have a need and the guy that can fill there need is the guy that will see his service. but 80% of the time the real estate agent has the buyer under his control.

Best

Ron

Originally Posted by Eldon (Scooter) Holliday

If they say they found my name in the phone book and are checking prices, I cheerfully tell them if they only want the lowest price I can tell them who to call and they won't waste any more time. My wife thinks that is running off a potential customer but the price shoppers are not the type I want to work with.

90+% of all people who contact me ask about price first thing out of their mouth. If I turned all those callers away, I'd lose 90+% of my business.

I actually like to hear other inspectors say they shoo away buyers who ask about price. Because those buyers in turn end up calling me and have a chance to become my future source of referrals.

What do most people know about home inspections?

Not much!

Why do they ask about price?

They don't know what else to ask!

Educate them and turn them from price shoppers into educated consumers.

You'll book quite a few of those inspections.

Naturally, a few of them will remain price shoppers but quite a few won't!

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