Thread: And this is now 2012?????

And the beat goes on

They just won't go away

This guy has been around for 8 years now.

$150.00 Home Inspections (up to 3000sqft/Termite Report $50)

$150.00 Home Inspections (up to 3000sqft/TermiteReport $50) **** ***** 8 Years Home Inspector - 5 Years as a Home Builder - 13Years as a Property Manager 5 Years Licensed Exterminator ***** HomeInspections goes far beyond the ordinary, utilizing cutting-edge technologies -including Infrared Scanning, Checking EMF levels, and providing foundationanalysis for property owners concerned about foundation problems. All at noextra price! No other Home Inspector in DFW gives you and your client more forthe money!!

Features Include:

· Ziplevel 2000 to determine the levelness of a foundation

· Thermal Imaging Camera to locate air leaks, missing insulation
· Gauss Meter to locate electro-magnetic fields (EMFs)
· Idea Circuit Analyzer to find wiring problems
· FLUKE CO-220 carbon monoxide meter
· Home inspections
· residential and commercial
· Over 9 years of experience
· Full Service Pest Control
· Call me I want to be your Home Inspector

Please

Make it stop

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Maybe he lives in a dirt hut.

I think he works in my area...

Ted,
If you are frustrated enough, you can make it a little more expensive for him by making sure his advertising fulfills all TREC requirements.

Maybe he works off of volume. With a system to reduce time on site.
Maybe he rather make $150 to $200 on a regular basis rather than $00.0 on a sporadic basis.
Does he have papers?
If you do not file taxes you can charge less.

Ted, that is the lowest fee for the amout of advertised work that I have ever seen.

Originally Posted by Gene South

Ted, that is the lowest fee for the amout of advertised work that I have ever seen.

I talked with him about 2 to 3 years ago. He has been doing this forever. It makes us all look like cheap suits (to be nice). He is up your way. An x realtor friend of mine sent me the add he sends to all the realtors up there. He used to have and may still have a termite sniffing dog thrown in for the same price.

I get my work from past clients. Very few from Realtors and the rest I rely on the internet. When you get calls and you are losing business because you are over a hundred plus more for the same product....well. You know what happens.

If we all relied on the old fasion way of getting business we would be like some of the tradesmen out there and not get less than a hundred an hour. That would make his price 200 less for a minimum inspection.

One of the things killing this profession is that everyone is throwing multiple services in and not charging for them.

Added value they call it. I call it red light district. If you have expensive equipment or other licenses and are performing more work why on earth would any reasonable man keep charging less unless he is from the red light district.

I agree. I charge for everything I do also. Sometimes I hear I charge too much. Ha. BTW, I had a woman call me the other day and she wanted to know if I used an infared camera as part of my inspection. I told her no, and click, she was gone.

I have never heard of the inspector you mentioned or heard of anyone talk about him. I know a lot of inspectors in north Dallas area or at least heard of them but not this guy. But I am sure there are a lot of guys out there flying under the Radar.

Hang in there.

Originally Posted by Gene South

I agree. I charge for everything I do also. Sometimes I hear I charge too much. Ha. BTW, I had a woman call me the other day and she wanted to know if I used an infared camera as part of my inspection. I told her no, and click, she was gone.

I have never heard of the inspector you mentioned or heard of anyone talk about him. I know a lot of inspectors in north Dallas area or at least heard of them but not this guy. But I am sure there are a lot of guys out there flying under the Radar.

Hang in there.

A lady called me the other day and after I quoted her my fee, she said, "You guys just keep going up every day!" I replied, "no ma'am, I've held my price there for about a year now."

After she stumbled over words explaining that she meant something else (I was smiling), she said she had found someone for $250. I suggested she call him back.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

When you get calls and you are losing business because you are over a hundred plus more for the same product....well. You know what happens.

The way I see it you have a few options:

1. Complain on the internet (do nothing)
2. Lower your price to draw more business
3. Don't provide the same product, provide a better product and make sure that potential client knows it.
4. Quit and find another job.

We live in a free market, capitalist society. If you charge too much for a product, people won't buy it. No matter what the business, if it does not evolve and adapt it won't survive.


If you'd like some tips on how to provide a better product, pm me. I'd be glad to help you out.

Originally Posted by Ken Rowe

The way I see it you have a few options:

1. Complain on the internet (do nothing)
2. Lower your price to draw more business
3. Don't provide the same product, provide a better product and make sure that potential client knows it.
4. Quit and find another job.

We live in a free market, capitalist society. If you charge too much for a product, people won't buy it. No matter what the business, if it does not evolve and adapt it won't survive.


If you'd like some tips on how to provide a better product, pm me. I'd be glad to help you out.

And your point is.

Folks, all folks like to vent on occassion.. The guy is obviously a desperate fool that is literally part of the reason the inspection fees are constantly driven downward.

A better product? Why so arrogant to think you have a better product. I have seen your reports in the past and thnk there pretty typical of most inspectors which by the way does not make a better product. A better product is a product that exceeds the script Home Inspector. A better product is a product that offeers educational and proifessional opinions to a client and not to worry about getting a bad name with Realtors because you do exactly what folks expect you to do! Provide a better product. I and many on here have absolutely no problem getting multiple referrals from past clients which outway by a massive stretch the referrals they get from their palls the Realtors.

Your marketing skills to Realtors may beet many home inspectors marketing to Realtors but that does no make a better product.

Continuosly lowering your price to get more work. And vcannot even believe you even mentioned that point. The entire idea of everyones post on here is about the whores that do just that.

I think you have a hard time seeing past your own Realtor referral list.

Just saying

Your idea of chraging too much?????? Again, read back. You will find that the folks that contributed before you were venting about the folks that think they are going to punch out a couple a day by .......I want to be your Home Inspector and drop their prices yearly only to have to market like fools to try and run their life off and are destined to it just to eat at a couple hundred an inspection.

If you think that is a good life to have to work so hard and so long running around like a fool 5 to 6 dasys a week having to do 2 inspections a day....good luck to you.

Most of us find and do believe that as the professionals we are and the fantastic service we provide our client and the tremendous savings there is to most and keeping in mind that the trades folks we are inspecting behind get 80 to a hundred an hour (and we not only know their trade but the trades of all the tradesman in the industry) ......well forget it because I truly believe you don't get it.

Lets see Ken

Continue to charge less to get more work

Market the Realtors heavily when they are a good portion of the concern

Continue to add services to our inspections and charge less so we can work harder and take on more liabilty only to have to run and do 2 inspections a day 6 days a week to make a good living.

Or, do what the typical inspector does as in your reports so you provide a better product so you can get more work.

I don't get it Ken

If you did not want to vent about the slugs out there and only want to tells us how wonderful you are.....why not just start a new thread and tells us all about yourself.

Just saying.

There is becoming a tremendous amount of fools out there that are dampening everything the rest of us are trying to accomplish and your advise is to follow suit and market harder and provide the same product everyone else does so you can work harder for less money. You want the rest of us to follow suit and add and continue to add more services with out rasing prices for those more services and more liability. and and and and and

What is it that you are trying to say. Please tell us.

You keep saying to contact you so we can all learn your tips and ways but never just throw them out there. (I have contacted you) what and how you market realtors to be couteous to you to see exactly what you do and you never did throw anything back

I am throwing it right back to you. Tell us all exactly what you do and how you go about doing it. The other states and territories won't be harming your business to enlighten all the folks on here.

Seriously. You constanly offer such enlightenment but never produce.

Heard from another HI yesterday. He got under bid by another sort of local outfit. They told the client $165 for a Condo in the City.
No even worth walking out the door for. They must be really desperate.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

A better product? Why so arrogant to think you have a better product. I have seen your reports in the past and thnk there pretty typical of most inspectors which by the way does not make a better product.

A better product is a product that exceeds the script Home Inspector. A better product is a product that offeers educational and proifessional opinions to a client and not to worry about getting a bad name with Realtors because you do exactly what folks expect you to do! Provide a better product. I and many on here have absolutely no problem getting multiple referrals from past clients which outway by a massive stretch the referrals they get from their palls the Realtors.

I will not say that my product was better than others, nor will I say that it would be as successful in this market as I simply don't know because I retired from home inspection just before the market crashed, but I can say ...

I can say that there were 3-4 of us in South Florida who, as Ted put it: "you do exactly what folks expect you to do!". The CLIENTS thought it was a 'better product' and were willing to pay for it. We are talking about multiple day inspections on one house, on rather large houses, and we provided more information about those houses than other home inspectors would provide (that makes sense, how can a 2, 4, 6 hour inspection find and provide the same level of detail that a 1, 2, 3 day inspection can).

I am not saying our inspections or report 'were better', just that the clients 'perceived them as being better'. Most inspectors simply were unwilling to stop and smell the roses as they went around the houses because they were running around the houses so fast they raised dust clouds behind them 'got to get done - got to get to my next inspection'.

In the end we made more money, had less liability, and enjoyed it more.

I treated it more as a hobby than a business ... what's that saying 'find something you love doing, do it well, and you can make a living doing what you love doing' ... or something like that.

Ted,

I'm not going to quote your entire rant but will point out that I was not talking about my reports. We were talking about your business, not mine. I never mentioned marketing to Realtors. In fact, I never mentioned marketing at all.

I was willing to help you out and you chose to again turn a thread into a "point fingers, marketing to Realtors" crap. You don't want advice, you want to piss and moan on the internet. Good luck with that.


Jerry,

That's what I'm talking about. You sold a product which your client saw as better than the competition. That's what set you apart. Ted just doesn't get it and wants to offer the same product (his words) for hundreds of dollars more.

Originally Posted by Ken Rowe

Ted just doesn't get it and wants to offer the same product (his words) for hundreds of dollars more.

Ken,

Actually, that is not what Ted, or the others, are saying.

They are saying that some are offering what is promoted as 'the same product' for hundreds of dollars less. Like the old bait and switch sales pitches - product 'A' is only $xx, product 'B' is $xxx and is much better, and for the next week you can get product 'B' for $xx1/2 instead of $xxx' ... except that what is passed off as product 'B' is actually product 'A' ... even something of even less value.

Example: Product 'A' is a complete home inspection with x, y, and z services; product 'B' is a complete home inspection with x, y, and z services and a, b, and c services included. Product 'B' is sold, product 'A' or less is delivered.

There is no practical way that a home inspector can, or even will, do THE EXACT SAME "complete home inspection" for $750 and $150 - no way. The $150 "complete" home inspection will not be any where near "as complete" as the home inspection done for $750 - there simply is not the time to do the same inspection or the same report for that much less.

They lower their prices so they can do more inspections, and, at that lower price they *have to do more inspections*, which gets us back to what I said previously: "Most inspectors simply were unwilling to stop and smell the roses as they went around the houses because they were running around the houses so fast they raised dust clouds behind them 'got to get done - got to get to my next inspection'." ... at those lower prices that cloud of dust is obscuring things they would otherwise be able to see.

Thus, the different inspections are not the same product. The 'leave them in their dust' guys may be marketing their inspections as the same or better, but I would keep in mind a famous saying: "There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to P. T. Barnum (1810–1891), an American showman. It is generally taken to mean that there will always be many gullible people in the world. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Ken,

Actually, that is not what Ted, or the others, are saying.

They are saying that some are offering what is promoted as 'the same product' for hundreds of dollars less. Like the old bait and switch sales pitches

I don't see anywhere in Ted's statement that refers to only promotion as the same product or bait and switch.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

I get my work from past clients. Very few from Realtors and the rest I rely on the internet. When you get calls and you are losing business because you are over a hundred plus more for the same product....well. You know what happens.

He really needs to stop blaming others if he's loosing jobs.

A quick marketing comparison:

Original Advertisement Posted by Ted

· Ziplevel 2000,

· Thermal Imaging Camera
· Gauss Meter
· Idea Circuit Analyzer
· FLUKE CO-220
· Home inspections
· residential and commercial
· Over 9 years of experience
· Full Service Pest Control

These are some great buzz words. Does it mention if the guy knows how to use the equipment? Does it say anything about his professional credentials? Nope, it's basic marketing.

Now look at Ted's site. Fort Worth Home Inspectors Fort Worth Home Inspections , TX, Castle Home Inspection Services
No buzzwords but he makes sure to tell potential clients how they're going to pay for everything he inspects and how he hates inspectors who give away "freebies" and his dislike for real estate agents.
no buzzwords, no equipment list, no professional associations listed, no certifications listed, no education listed, no previous work history listed, no sample report. Just another long rant like he posts on here.

I'm sort of surprised anyone calls him at all.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

I am throwing it right back to you. Tell us all exactly what you do and how you go about doing it. The other states and territories won't be harming your business to enlighten all the folks on here.

Seriously. You constanly offer such enlightenment but never produce.

Website:

• list your professional accreditations. If you don't have any, get some. Nachi is the easiest to get, ASHI is more respected. Strive for ASHI ACI status.
• Provide a sample report unless you only do a checklist report. If you do a checklist you don't want anyone to know. Strive for a computer generated report with lots of digital pictures.
• Provide payment options. Cash, personal checks and credit cards. If you don't take credit cards, start. Square is great and clients love seeing new technology in action. They may not remember the inspection but they'll remember you swiping their credit card on your phone.
• Don't utilize your website as a blog. If you must rant, do it on a forum or blog. Potential clients are turned off by whiners.
• Be honest. People are hiring you for your honesty and it will show through on your website.
• List your previous work history. Don't just put how many years you've been doing inspections. Put the number of inspections, previous employers (construction related).
• List the equipment you use. Most people won't know what it is, but it sounds impressive.

By the way, anytime I'm asked about how I market, run my business, or perform an inspection I'll tell them exactly what I do. Heck, I'll even share income and expense numbers. Even with other inspectors in my area. I have nothing to hide and no problem helping out other inspectors. But, if they're not willing to learn and grow it's kid of pointless, isn't it.

Originally Posted by Ken Rowe

Original Advertisement Posted by Ted

· Ziplevel 2000,
· Thermal Imaging Camera
· Gauss Meter
· Idea Circuit Analyzer
· FLUKE CO-220
· Home inspections
· residential and commercial
· Over 9 years of experience
· Full Service Pest Control

Ken, I think you need to get new glasses or somehow improve your reading, and your marketing assessments - THIS is what Ted's original post for that ad stated:

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

$150.00 Home Inspections (up to 3000sqft/Termite Report $50)

$150.00 Home Inspections (up to 3000sqft/TermiteReport $50) **** ***** 8 Years Home Inspector - 5 Years as a Home Builder - 13Years as a Property Manager 5 Years Licensed Exterminator ***** HomeInspections goes far beyond the ordinary, utilizing cutting-edge technologies -including Infrared Scanning, Checking EMF levels, and providing foundationanalysis for property owners concerned about foundation problems. All at noextra price! No other Home Inspector in DFW gives you and your client more forthe money!!

Ken, do you truly think that the inspector advertising that can actually do *ALL* that he is advertising for the *$150.00* he is advertising?

If that ad is not bait and switch ... I guess I would be just dumbfounded and stare like a deer caught in headlights.

Ken, do you REALLY believe that inspect WILL do all that stuff for $150.00?

If you do ... as I stated in my last post: "There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to P. T. Barnum

Maybe somebody should call this guy posing as a customer and ask him if all this stuff is included in his inspections and what the cost is.

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

Maybe somebody should call this guy posing as a customer and ask him if all this stuff is included in his inspections and what the cost is.

And set up an inspection of that 3,000 square foot house, posing as the client interested in all that fancy new-fangled equipment he has ... dang, I bet that would $150.00 well spent when, 5 hours later, that inspector is still on his infrared camera and has not yet started his foundation analysis (hope he does not think that "analysis" just means checking 'level') ... man, someone could have some real fun with this guy and all that he says he does ...

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

Maybe somebody should call this guy posing as a customer and ask him if all this stuff is included in his inspections and what the cost is.

I'm shocked that lisa hasn't jumped in this conversation yet, to tell us how she can offer free on-line training , and certify us, for all of the stuff the guy offers, all for free..

Originally Posted by Dan Harris

I'm shocked that lisa hasn't jumped in this conversation yet, to tell us how she can offer free on-line training , and certify us, for all of the stuff the guy offers, all for free..

Dan
Lisa is no where around.
Why don't you be quiet, just drop it, OK.

Originally Posted by Dan Harris

I'm shocked that lisa hasn't jumped in this conversation yet, to tell us how she can offer free on-line training , and certify us, for all of the stuff the guy offers, all for free..

I'm surprised as well.
Ya know, I just personally think it totally sucks that Brian H. looks the other way when it comes to NACHI throwing up their free crap all the time in this forum.

Originally Posted by Marc M

.

Ya know, I just personally think it totally sucks that Brian H. looks the other way when it comes to NACHI throwing up their free crap all the time in this forum.

.
They Pay To Advertise

Bills Got to be Paid.
.

Originally Posted by Billy Stephens

.
They Pay To Advertise

Bills Got to be Paid.
.

Fair enough..

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Ken, do you truly think that the inspector advertising that can actually do *ALL* that he is advertising for the *$150.00* he is advertising?

If that ad is not bait and switch ... I guess I would be just dumbfounded and stare like a deer caught in headlights.

Ken, do you REALLY believe that inspect WILL do all that stuff for $150.00?

If you do ... as I stated in my last post: "There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to P. T. Barnum

Jerry,

It doesn't make a difference what I or you think. We aren't potential clients. What I'm saying is if the typical potential client had to choose between this guy and Ted based solely on this advertisement or Ted's website Ted would loose the job 10 out of 10 times. He'd loose it 10 out of 10 times even if the price was exactly the same.

It's called marketing. In order to run a business successfully the business needs to market successfully. And no Ted, successful marketing has nothing to do with marketing to realtors and it has nothing to do with price matching.

Marketing is getting your information in front of potential clients and making them believe you are the only person they want to inspect their new home.

Originally Posted by Ken Rowe

Jerry,

It doesn't make a difference what I or you think. We aren't potential clients. What I'm saying is if the typical potential client had to choose between this guy and Ted based solely on this advertisement or Ted's website Ted would loose the job 10 out of 10 times. He'd loose it 10 out of 10 times even if the price was exactly the same.

It's called marketing. In order to run a business successfully the business needs to market successfully. And no Ted, successful marketing has nothing to do with marketing to realtors and it has nothing to do with price matching.

Marketing is getting your information in front of potential clients and making them believe you are the only person they want to inspect their new home.

Ken,

So, you support that guys advertising methods of storytelling using fairy tales to entice clients to hire you?

I understand what you are saying about marketing, you, however, apparently do not understand about bait and switch.

Marketing 101:

Car A
- 0 to 60 in 9 seconds
- 0 to 100 in 12 seconds
- 0 to 150 in 18 seconds

Car B
- 0 to 60 in 10 seconds
- 0 to 100 in 12 seconds
- 0 to 150 in 15 seconds

Which car can advertise that it is faster?

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Ken,

So, you support that guys advertising methods of storytelling using fairy tales to entice clients to hire you?

I understand what you are saying about marketing, you, however, apparently do not understand about bait and switch.

Marketing 101:

Car A
- 0 to 60 in 9 seconds
- 0 to 100 in 12 seconds
- 0 to 150 in 18 seconds

Car B
- 0 to 60 in 10 seconds
- 0 to 100 in 12 seconds
- 0 to 150 in 15 seconds

Which car can advertise that it is faster?

I've never seen this guys product so I can't comment on whether it's bait and switch or any other type of misleading advertising. I'm can only assume you have because I'm sure you're not the type of person to make accusations without some type of evidence.

Please share with us exactly what is false in his advertisement and provide evidence for us. Is it his experience, his equipment or his price?

I really don't understand why any inspector is worried so much about what other inspectors prices are. Stop crying on the internet about it. Put on your big boy pants and make it happen.

As far as your car advertisement scenario. They both can say they are faster and neither would be false. Car A is faster than car B 0-60 and car B is faster than car A 0-150.

So
How about those low ballers increasing in number by what seems monthly.

Oops, sorry. I did not mean to bring it out front to erveryone. That appears to be wining. We must never talk about such matters. Someone might read this thread and not like to discuss such matters. Some may even hunts threads down like this just to complain about threads like this wining ang crying about such threads.

Some may openly say that anyone that vents of such matters is just crying on the web and when it gets brought up that they are just wining and crying about such threads they may just get even more uoset and start crying out control.

Oh well. I guess we should never talk on such matters. Talk aboyt ranting

Some may even complain about my web site where i tell folks straight off that this is not the typical hype, fluff and baloney they may find everywhere. Then that person continues to read the first page and not find anything but straight talk and facts abd no hype and fluff and then complain about ut even more

Funny how thus thread started out by showing an example of what marketing and low ball pricing that this professiion us slowly turning into.

200 freaking dollars for everything including the kitchen sink for all homes up to 3000 sq ft

What the hell is wrong with venting about that kind of crap.

Dont like it?

By the way. The part about realtor marketing? That is where that particular add and pricing was sent. To tens of thousands or Realtor in boxes.

Dont read it and move on. Time for a grip check.

One could also cry about this post being sent from my phone and the spelling errors. Just saying.

I can see it's pointless to try to help you out. Ignorance is bliss I guess.

It's funny, a couple guys pm'd me regarding this thread supporting my thoughts. I told them this is what the outcome would be.

Originally Posted by Ken Rowe

Jerry,

It doesn't make a difference what I or you think. We aren't potential clients. What I'm saying is if the typical potential client had to choose between this guy and Ted based solely on this advertisement or Ted's website Ted would loose the job 10 out of 10 times. He'd loose it 10 out of 10 times even if the price was exactly the same.

It's called marketing. In order to run a business successfully the business needs to market successfully. And no Ted, successful marketing has nothing to do with marketing to realtors and it has nothing to do with price matching.

Marketing is getting your information in front of potential clients and making them believe you are the only person they want to inspect their new home.

Ken

Unlike the folks like you that are sold on crap the folks that do read my website that are quite tired of guys like you selling them call me and ask to book an inspection. The others that call are the absloute price shoppers. Now you can spend your time dealing with the price shoppers or you can set somthing up where they call and want to book an inspection.


People are tired of being sold something every minute of their lives Ken. If you think real hard about all the calls where folks are trying to sell you something and you say not interested and hang up..............................Just giving you time to think.

As far as the rest of the crap you are selling.

You are never in front of potential clients Ken until you see them at the inspection. The only marketing you can do to get your info in front of clients is to market realtors as you do....heavily. All the rest that find you on the web have a very large part to do with price shopping. The price shoppers that find find my site off of the area maps that list name and number so they can call down the list. The others that call me, call because they find that website that you dislike so much and appreciate it because it talk of folks like you trying to sell them every second.

I do believe I told you maybe, well, at least a thousand times. I get all my work with the exception of a minute few inspections from past client referrals. Almost all, and the rest from the internet. Those that read my website that you were so kindly referring to and do not like brings me untold thousands a year with out all the crap.

This is not a mine is bigger than yours Ken even though you always try to make it that way or "I have recieved a couple of PMs that new it was going to end this way." I have recieved several but who the frig is counting. The ones I recieved were from Texas folks. Folks that deal with this crap on a daily basis here in Texas in my area. Oh, sorry, you are that self absorbed self that needs recognition. I personally do not need a pat on the head and a kiss on the cheak or to be told what a good boy I am to be able to go about my day.

As I always end it with you Ken

Have a nice day. Gotta do my weekend reports

Oh yeah. You have mustard on your face from that sandwhich. I'll see if I can find someone to clean you up. Oops, never mind I see you handled it quite nicely all by yourself.......good boy. I am real proud of you!

Wow, is how I will really end this.

No, stop, I have to end this. Will yeah cut it out, I have to go.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Ken, do you truly think that the inspector advertising that can actually do *ALL* that he is advertising for the *$150.00* he is advertising?

If that ad is not bait and switch ... I guess I would be just dumbfounded and stare like a deer caught in headlights.

Ken, do you REALLY believe that inspect WILL do all that stuff for $150.00?

Seriously, Jerry, there are plenty of HIs that are retired military, or part-timers, or they're bad with math, or just plain uninterested in making money. Their fee structure is much lower than the median fee for that market.

That isn't bait & switch.

Since the dawn of time there's always been "some other guy" that does the "same job" for substantially less than most others. In any industry or trade. And when he's gone, someone else will replace him.

I get the same phone call several times per week about "so-and so inspector" will do the same job for half the fee.
Whatever.
You can thank Walmart for that. (Or F.W. Woolworth for any old-timers)

Dom.

I'm the guy Markus was mentioning who was underbid by the $165 dollar inspector last week. (That price was quoted to me during a phone inquiry, so it's possible that it's not accurate, though this multi-inspector firm had a reputation for low prices).

But even if it is, I don't have a problem with either the price or the level of service provided for the price: the buyer is going to get pretty much what they paid for, I checked out the sample report on their website: a very basic checklist, plus a lot of useless boilerplate. (IMO, the report does not even come close to meeting the requirements of the state SOP, BTW).

If I provided that level of "service", I could probably charge the same.

Though amongst other reasons why I don't work that way is that I would sure hate to be sitting in the witness box defending my findings on the basis of such a report.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

As far as the rest of the crap you are selling.

You are never in front of potential clients Ken until you see them at the inspection. The only marketing you can do to get your info in front of clients is to market realtors as you do....heavily. All the rest that find you on the web have a very large part to do with price shopping. The price shoppers that find find my site off of the area maps that list name and number so they can call down the list. The others that call me, call because they find that website that you dislike so much and appreciate it because it talk of folks like you trying to sell them every second.

Really? We're never in front of potential clients until we see them at the inspection? Everywhere I go I'm in front of potential clients. That's why I always carry business cards. Ignorance is bliss.

Really? The only marketing I do to get me in front of clients is to market to realtors? Apparently you haven't seen my website, my mobile website, my vehicle signage, my business cards. You haven't seen my listing on ASHI, HomeGauge, Facebook, Linkedin, Googleplus, Googlemaps, all major search engines and most minor ones. You haven't seen my syndicated blog. You haven't heard my radio interviews. You haven't seen my business sponsorship listings in any of the local snowmobile or motorcycling magazines.

Really? All the rest of the potential clients who find me on the web are price shoppers? Read the first sentence of my website. It says, "If you're looking for the cheapest price for your home inspection keep looking, it's not us." I get less than 3 price shopping calls per month, while taking 25 to 35 calls, emails, or text messages ordering inspections.

Really? People call you to purchase something because your website isn't trying to sell something? You need a lesson in marketing worse than I thought.

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Ken,

Actually, that is not what Ted, or the others, are saying.

They are saying that some are offering what is promoted as 'the same product' for hundreds of dollars less. Like the old bait and switch sales pitches - product 'A' is only $xx, product 'B' is $xxx and is much better, and for the next week you can get product 'B' for $xx1/2 instead of $xxx' ... except that what is passed off as product 'B' is actually product 'A' ... even something of even less value.

Example: Product 'A' is a complete home inspection with x, y, and z services; product 'B' is a complete home inspection with x, y, and z services and a, b, and c services included. Product 'B' is sold, product 'A' or less is delivered.

There is no practical way that a home inspector can, or even will, do THE EXACT SAME "complete home inspection" for $750 and $150 - no way. The $150 "complete" home inspection will not be any where near "as complete" as the home inspection done for $750 - there simply is not the time to do the same inspection or the same report for that much less.

They lower their prices so they can do more inspections, and, at that lower price they *have to do more inspections*, which gets us back to what I said previously: "Most inspectors simply were unwilling to stop and smell the roses as they went around the houses because they were running around the houses so fast they raised dust clouds behind them 'got to get done - got to get to my next inspection'." ... at those lower prices that cloud of dust is obscuring things they would otherwise be able to see.

Thus, the different inspections are not the same product. The 'leave them in their dust' guys may be marketing their inspections as the same or better, but I would keep in mind a famous saying: "There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to P. T. Barnum (1810–1891), an American showman. It is generally taken to mean that there will always be many gullible people in the world. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Jerry,

EXCELLENT analogy! That is basically what is occurring in the DFW area (I am in the same market as Ted). We face many problems here and I could spend half the day listing them. However you hit the nail on the head with your comments!

When I choose to attempt to sell against such inspections, one of the points I make is that once an inspector is committed to performing multiple single family home inspections per day, or to end their workday at some arbitrary time, they cannot decide to spend more that the pre-scheduled time at their inspections because they are committed to move on at a given time.

However in my market - with many 100+ yo homes with multiple layers of additions and modifications, and often with very significant deferred maintenance - around 10-15% of the single family homes I inspect are going to be sufficiently complicated inspections that I will be on-site for 4 hours or more.

And, especially in the current foreclosure market, it's not always possible to predict in advance which these will be.

In that situation an inspector committed to moving on to the next property or picking up his or her daughter from soccer practice is just going to have to do the best they can: hit what they suspect are the major liability items, and move on.

OTOH, one of the things my clients are paying me for is to schedule my inspection and report writing time such that their properties *will* receive the of time and attention needed to provide a reasonably comprehensive inspection and report.

If that's not what a client want's, that's OK with me.

What I don't want is a client who expects a $525 inspection and report for $250.

My job, when I choose to do so, is to attempt to educate potential clients about the difference.

Their job is to decide which sort of inspection best fits both their needs and budget.

YMMV.

It's a free market if he can be succesfull and charge these fees good for him if not bads for him. Hopefully he still provides a good service. The market will eliminate him if he is not providing the community a good service.

Rick

Part of the problem is that the client may not know they are receiving inferior service... what is their standard of comparison?

(How often have you been told "I sure wish you had done my *last* home inspection"? IMO, if a inspector does not hear that pretty frequently, it's a strong indication *they* may be providing "inferior" service.).