Thread: Phone Calls Dropping

Just curious if anyone else is experiencing the same. This is the first week phone calls for HI's has dropped for me since about January. Been staying busy doing every week prior but this weeks has slowed, thankfully still have work.

Usually for me this year slows down slightly with which I usually attribute to the Memorial Holiday and graduations but this is the most dramatic drop I have saw for a few years.

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With the world ending in devastation in 2012, everyone has decided packing up and moving everything is just not worth the effort.

Myself I just bought a new Ferrari and have no intentions of making a payment. What are they going to do. Ruin my credit. End of the world coming soon, I don't care.

Hey, Lets enjoy the summer!

rick

My phone stopped ringing last week - the kind of stopped where you pick up the phone to make sure there is still a dial-tone. So far this week nothing but two calls from price shoppers off the the website, this is the first week since the depths of last winter when it's almost the weekend and I have no HI business booked (the water intrusion end is still holding up well). It's kind of spooky for things to be that dead that suddenly.

Hey Michael, thanks for the response. If you don't mid me asking what type of moisture intrusion inspections (infrared, tramex) are you doing and how are you going about getting business for them? Shoot me a PM if you prefer. Thanks!

Ha. Just got my third price shopping call of the week... from a price-shopping ATTORNEY.

JUST the sort of client I need.

Not.

Randy,

"Mystery" leak identification. IR is sometimes useful (and sometimes appears to be "magic" when it does) but it's mostly just good ol' differential diagnosis.

Source this year is around 1/3 Angie's List, 1/3 web site and vehicle signage, and 1/3 agent and client referrals.

I charge $75 to come out and look and $250 (less the $75) if I identify the source of the leak (if there are truly multiple different problems, I charge $125 per additional if found at the initial visit). I generally offer to refund the $75 if the attempt is a complete wash-out, but usually at a minimum I'm able to eliminate what others considered possible causes.

There is often additional revenue from optional written reports, follow up visits, other units in condos, property condition reports for condo boards, and referrals for HI work, etc.

Roofs don't quit leaking in a slow RE market, plus I'm constantly learning stuff that's useful for HIs at WI inspections, and stuff at HIs that's useful for the WI work.

It's much lower stress work than HI - for one thing, you are often a hero for finding a leak it's been to bedeviling the client for months or years, and for another it can often be scheduled around around other jobs - but it can also be extremely frustrating work, especially if you have a personality like mine and you really DO NOT like letting the leak beat you - and sometimes, especially if you can't or don't want to do intrusive investigations of a given problem, it does.

You must be watching the 'Hysteria' (History) channel Rick. I watch it sometimes for laughs and awe mostly. The amount of shows they have pontificating about the 'potential' end of the world is a bit stunning. And yes of course since 2010 didn't end it, 2012 is the new date.
To be fair, once in a while they do have a reasonable show on.

I did not want to chime in on this for the sake of bad luck following but since the weekend my phone slowed tremendously. It is due to all the kids just getting out of school and memorial day just getting over. The phone will pick up for the rest of the summer with the exception of right before school starts in your area and then pick up after that until Thanksgiving.

Might have one for Saturday morning. One home this past Monday, a 4 plext wednesday. 2 fell thru on this past Tuesday. Yes that was 2 that disappeared for the same day the evening before.

Ted,

I was going to refer you one earlier today that someone wanted over in Ft. Worth, but my Spanlish is "not too good" so I could not give him you number or make him understand what a referral is.

rick

My call volume has ticked up a bit. Nothing huge but enough to book jobs for 5 of the next 6 days.

Originally Posted by Rick Hurst

Ted,

I was going to refer you one earlier today that someone wanted over in Ft. Worth, but my Spanlish is "not too good" so I could not give him you number or make him understand what a referral is.

rick

I can understand enough to communicate. The fact is when I have a business associate call the Spanish speaking folks that do not seem to understand English and she says hello in Spanish and then turns back to English most speak and understand just fine. 9 out of ten calls I have her make the folks understand English very well.

Go figure.

Thanks for the almost referral

I just lost one to someone over your way. I gave a very reasonable price and was the top of three referrals on the list. Sometimes that 10 bucks is all it takes. I have actually lost a half dozen since last Friday over a few dollars. Many of those were in the North of Dallas area. Someone is pretty desperate over there and talks with a golden tongue. I figured I would see my Nephew while over there and did not add anything for the extra time for the traveling and gave a reasonable price.

Pretty slow for me since the credit stopped... one thing that doesn't slow down is the re-scheduling and moving around jobs because the banks are yanking people around.

3 jobs this week got postphoned or moved around. If it weren't so slow I'd be irritated. Fact is, it makes me feel like I have done an honest day's work when I get to pick up the phone and actually talk to someone.

I know what you mean Matt. I had three last week and one this week that got moved around and nearly lost one. It especially sux when they decide to re-schedule literally as I am walking out the door. Hoping it ticks up again next week or the following. It's crazy more people aren't considering buying with the insanely low interest rates on fixed 30's. That tax credit would be eaten up at that rate pretty quick. I guess only time will tell what this market will do....

I was cruising along at 3-5 inspections a week till last week where I only had 1 and this week I had 3 scheduled and they were all cancelled. I checked my phone also because it was so quiet. Oh well I have been getting a lot of yard work done.

It looks to be the general conclusion that most are slow. Hopefully things pick back up in the coming week or so. Don't get me wrong I like a little time off and if I have a few days next week that are off and then it is back to normal I will be happy guy . Keep us posted, make sure y'all have a good weekend!