Thread: Mueller Field Rep - New to this site

I don't know if they have specific pre-requisites, but things that would help are familiarity with computers and data entry, knowledge of your area and how to get around by car, experience in any of the building trades, customer service experience maybe. You need to be detail-oriented, observant, comfortable knocking on doors anywhere and wandering around yards when nobody's home, efficient, good with basic math, and most of all you have to be able to work very independently.

Since it's an aptitude test there's not much you can do to study for it, nor should you. You really have to be suited to this job to get anywhere with it; it's very frustrating at first even for those who are suited to it.

Ok, I did my phone interview with Mueller on Friday morning. It lasted all of 3 minutes and the lady on the other end said a manager would be getting back in touch with me within 24 hours. I guess that does not count weekends. I decided to call them this morning at 7 A. M. I have been on hold for 45 minutes and there have been 54 callers ahead of me the whole time. It was 55 when I started. Is this normal? I wanted to know if this manager was going to call or e mail me. I do like the fact that I will be an employee of Mueller, that way, if I get sued, they will deal with the legal end of it. Any help on these questions will be greatly apprieciated!

Mueller Field Rep,
Hello,
I am going on 2 months with Mueller. So far 4 HV reports I have done have taken me over 8 hours to complete, with photo descriptions etc., etc. Support is a bit weak. So the manager tells me that a HV report should take 3-4 hours at most. What's up?
JR

HVs are tough. There are a million details. They do get easier over time, though. I've been with Mueller about 8 months, and they still usually take at least 4 hours - but even 8 months isn't enough to get really good at them (I've done about 30-40, I'd guess). Do you use the work sheets? Are they still training people to use a tally system, with a mark for every room for each floor, wall, crown molding, etc.? I think that's a waste of time flipping through pages, and it makes no sense in terms of calculating percentages. I simply take notes about each room. Figure a system of abbreviations out for yourself - "CM" for crown molding, "WP" for wallpaper, etc. Take plenty of photos, even if you don't use them in the report. When you get home upload and choose your photos, then write the Special Features section as soon as you can after getting done with the survey, while everything is fresh in your mind.

One thing that I hate is trying to figure out what is the best option for things that have no option. Doors, for example. I've seen 1 mahogany exterior door, and no teak or white ash, but 30 oak doors. I don't know if it's a regional thing, or what. Do casement windows go in under the sash section? An old leaded, beveled glass window is surely as costly to replace as a newer stained glass window, but there's no option for anything like that. The reference guide for HV is idiotic - needs to talk more about cost equivalency of different things, and more photos.

And you're right - there's very little post-training support. You "graduate" then you're totally isolated. Communication with other FRs seems to be discouraged. Ironically, it's because of a post by my manager back in 2008 looking for applicants that this forum became (I believe) the primary way for FRs to contact each other and learn about the job. The thread he started had been viewed over 33,000 times, last I looked - I wouldn't be surprised if it's over 40,000 by now.

Anyway, I hope this helps a little with the HVs, or at least makes you feel a little better - you're not the only one to get frustrated by them! You'll get faster, no matter how you do them.

Kristi

Originally Posted by Kristi Silber

Anyway, I hope this helps a little with the HVs, or at least makes you feel a little better - you're not the only one to get frustrated by them! You'll get faster, no matter how you do them.

Kristi

Let's just say Ive done enough HVs that I know exactly what is of underwriting value to the client, and can wrap up an entire report, including travel time and diagram sketching - in 1 HR. Familiarity with the online report is critical to completion speed, and Ive learned to pretty much zip down to the appropriate spot on the forms. I have "generic" narratives saved in Word that need minor tailoring, and cut/paste to the appropriate areas. This helps report consistency as well, which clients like.

Extra photos of nondescript spare bedrooms are not necessary. Hot water tank photos not required by most clients. I swear I've seen front and rear of the mailbox for house # verification for crissakes!

A lot of the file reports I've seen have extreme overkill, and any profitability wounds the inspector suffers are basically self-inflicted.

Well hello fellow reps, its nice to have somewhere to talk shop. I live in a high volume area and it's not uncommon to see 500-800 a week. I don't mind the work as it is very easy to do just time consuming. My manager was talking about a new minimum pay that Mueller is starting, Has anyone got any info on that?

Originally Posted by Mueller VA Rep

Well hello fellow reps, its nice to have somewhere to talk shop. I live in a high volume area and it's not uncommon to see 500-800 a week. I don't mind the work as it is very easy to do just time consuming. My manager was talking about a new minimum pay that Mueller is starting, Has anyone got any info on that?

I haven't heard anything of that yet - keep us updated though!

I was hired like most of you with a hourly basis. As my new manger took over I was told I was going to be paid a flat rate in contrast to all of the documents that were signed. In one way it makes it easy at the end of the year because you write off all of the gas and vehicle upkeep. The down side is the average exterior pays a flat rate versus what you are spending in the field and for completing the reports.

If you change to this version of inspections be very careful, I have had a large amount that have come in below the level that was promised. I do not know if it is intentional or not, but have to go to my manager on a continual basis and have them correct it to the right amount. I am sure that each area will pay different amounts. For my area it is okay, it sure doesn't come close to the time that you spend in the field and importing the information, especially if you get one of those QA people that need glasses to see what you have documented and placed in your report.

There's no doubt that it's a very strange system they use. I was hired with the lure of $13/hr avg. for an "efficient" FR. (They've since advertised the same position in my town at $14/hr avg. - for a company that deals in statistics they sure are lax in their use of them!) A while after getting through training my manager let slip a minimum rate he thought I'd been told by my trainer - $12/hr. Now that alone is pretty funky, since there are weeks when I've come in below that rate. My guess is they use a rolling avg. like they do with our error percentages.

What, then, is the rate below which cases are unacceptable to the system, so that you can't submit them?

When this happens to me, usually my manager will tell me to submit other cases first, and then the low rate ones will go through. So the minimum is based on an average of those pending.

Taxes. Technically I don't think you can claim gas and car expenses since that is already deducted from our earnings and given back tax-free. Now, that's another strange little thing. There should have been a figure in Box 12 on our W2s saying how much mileage "reimbursement" we got. But that money is reflected nowhere on the W2 - at least it wasn't on mine. Something fishy there.

If there's some new minimum in the works, I wonder what it is and how it's calculated.

Oh, another thing...have you guys gotten the new $3 Occupancy cases? Are they all from Laudan Properties? I looked them up. Turns out they employ FRs, and advertise property inspections/occupancy verifications. Interesting that they farmed their cases out to Mueller - must be cheaper that way!

Hello All and thank you for providing this forum.

I just had a phone interview with Mueller and was told that they would be getting back in touch with me in a couple days. Is this normal or will I get a rejection email?

Thank you for your time.

Originally Posted by Ken Kowalich

Hello All and thank you for providing this forum.

I just had a phone interview with Mueller and was told that they would be getting back in touch with me in a couple days. Is this normal or will I get a rejection email?

Thank you for your time.

Normal. They usually have multiple applicants to interview, I think. Though I suppose you could get a rejection email anyway.

Originally Posted by Mueller Fieldrep

Quite well to me means working and having a life. I left a job in construction where I was working 60 hours a week and answering calls all weekend. I worked as an operations director for small construction firm, about 50 employees. We worked on high end homes (2 million and up) but our real specialty was turning basements and garages into showrooms)

I work between 30 and 40 hours a week now and I make my own schedule. My manager sometimes gives me 30 or 40 cases on tuesday and another 30 or so closer to the end of the week. This allows me to schedule my weeks ahead of time. It doesn't hurt that my cases are all within a 15 mile area. I am averaging about 26-30 per hour. Before you say I can't, remember all my cases are close so I can sometimes complete 6-8 exteriors in an hour, plus an hour computer time.

I think the reason some people don't do well at Mueller is due to the lack of supervision. I work monday to wed in the field and enter cases on thursday and friday. Field days are usually 9-2.

I have some shortcuts that I have come up with and they do save time on the HV's and Commercial.

I will be happy to answer any questions.

Hi MFR,
I like your approach and thanks for the insight. I don't agree with everything, like, averaging 4 lines for a HV narrative just to power through cases in olympic time (it seems). I'm imagining a million dollar house with saunas and chandeliers and built-in Cherrywood everything and 8 dif wall types. I guess including everything is creative writing. Not being facetious, but it seems like the cliff notes version of a report...unless you list specialty items separately.

The one thing I know for sure is that this is a different job for everyone based on locale. I don't know where you are from (east coast could be myrtle beach or bedford stuyvesant). Sure, you can do 24 cases in a day, but where I live, it takes all day to do 12 if you start early and sprint around the risk and there's no traffic. The next guy over works in farm country and probably thinks 12 cases a day is impossible unless he risks speeding tickets between each stop.

The only advice I have is this: What's most important is not what you may think is right, or what everybody else thinks is right, but what your superviser thinks is right. If you are banging out all those reports and doing well, then your style of reporting is fine. In another area with another FM it may not be.

Thanks for all the posts so far.

The trainers and QA want all the hazards well documented. The managers spend their time looking at charts showing how much longer Bob take to complete his reports than Jim, and then proceeds to degrade Bob. What they need to do is compare the quality of the reports. Does Jim notate the DVFP or skip that since it is three extra mouse clicks to enter it? Does Jim take his photo at an angle to hide a hazard? Does Jim record/actually measure every outbuilding? Does the gutter draining onto the driveway get reported?
Others have intimated in order to make money you need to overlook Hazards. That seems to be the only way to stay within expected time requirements. This has taken me from an 'i play an important role for the underwriters' attitude to an 'the company is really not giving the best service they can to their customers so why should I care?' attitude.
I actually had a manager tell me they are only looking for major items like roofs and basements, I was taking too long and asking too many questions.
But wow is the flexibility great and more than makes up for the low pay.
What drives me crazy is I never get caught up and am looking for a job I can walk out of now. Maybe a city codes inspector-lol.

Hi Veronica, nice to see another woman post here. I saw by your other thread that you've been doing insurance inspections for 3 years. Has all that time been with Mueller? And have you seen the really long thread about Mueller? "Mueller Services, Inc. - Insurance Loss Control Surveys" has over 5 pages of posts, and more than 70,000 views.

It's nice to see someone else concerned about the trade-offs in speed vs. quality. The latter doesn't seem to be much of a worry to many of the FRs who post here, and that may be a function of the pressure to race through cases. In the field I think not only about the customers, but the homeowners. If something happened to their home, it's to their benefit to have it insured for the proper amount. I've had many PHs who were willing to pay a little more in premiums to make sure that was the case. Then I see reports I've done and QA has changed the siding without telling me or listing it as an error, and think, What does QA stand for? Quite Aggravating? I feel bad for them, though. Low pay and minimal training, plus pressure to find faults.

Originally Posted by Veronica Lloyd

The trainers and QA want all the hazards well documented. The managers spend their time looking at charts showing how much longer Bob take to complete his reports than Jim, and then proceeds to degrade Bob. What they need to do is compare the quality of the reports. Does Jim notate the DVFP or skip that since it is three extra mouse clicks to enter it? Does Jim take his photo at an angle to hide a hazard? Does Jim record/actually measure every outbuilding? Does the gutter draining onto the driveway get reported?
Others have intimated in order to make money you need to overlook Hazards. That seems to be the only way to stay within expected time requirements. This has taken me from an 'i play an important role for the underwriters' attitude to an 'the company is really not giving the best service they can to their customers so why should I care?' attitude.
I actually had a manager tell me they are only looking for major items like roofs and basements, I was taking too long and asking too many questions.
But wow is the flexibility great and more than makes up for the low pay.
What drives me crazy is I never get caught up and am looking for a job I can walk out of now. Maybe a city codes inspector-lol.

Hi Veronica, welcome...

One thing that keeps popping up is that there are different pro and con lists depending on location and or manager. I can easily see how it can be confusing on this forum when the descriptions of people's experiences are so different.

There's a new FR newsletter that started last month, which hopefully will help the disconnect we feel since our positions are so autonomous. I use to deny any feeling of disconnect or that it had an affect on me. It's mostly subconscious, but it can have a negative effect to never deal with your peers or superiors except to get instruction or criticism. The more human element one gets naturally when everyone involved is in the same room or hallways like an office or restaurant or retail job doesn't happen in Mueller's environment, so one has to stop and remember that there is a warm and fuzzy people part there, because the only product we build is a report. The rest of the company is just a chain of people helping people. We just never see each other.

Originally Posted by Rick Speers

Ok, I did my phone interview with Mueller on Friday morning. It lasted all of 3 minutes and the lady on the other end said a manager would be getting back in touch with me within 24 hours. I guess that does not count weekends. I decided to call them this morning at 7 A. M. I have been on hold for 45 minutes and there have been 54 callers ahead of me the whole time. It was 55 when I started. Is this normal? I wanted to know if this manager was going to call or e mail me. I do like the fact that I will be an employee of Mueller, that way, if I get sued, they will deal with the legal end of it. Any help on these questions will be greatly apprieciated!

Did you ever get the job?

Originally Posted by Carlos Pineiro

Hi Veronica, welcome...

One thing that keeps popping up is that there are different pro and con lists depending on location and or manager. I can easily see how it can be confusing on this forum when the descriptions of people's experiences are so different.

There's a new FR newsletter that started last month, which hopefully will help the disconnect we feel since our positions are so autonomous. I use to deny any feeling of disconnect or that it had an affect on me. It's mostly subconscious, but it can have a negative effect to never deal with your peers or superiors except to get instruction or criticism. The more human element one gets naturally when everyone involved is in the same room or hallways like an office or restaurant or retail job doesn't happen in Mueller's environment, so one has to stop and remember that there is a warm and fuzzy people part there, because the only product we build is a report. The rest of the company is just a chain of people helping people. We just never see each other.

I agree the newsletter is a good step, especially for people who haven't been around for years. I actually had a question answered in this month's letter, which surprised me. I thought they'd have 100s of questions at the beginning and wouldn't address mine, which was partly a complaint.

"The rest of the company is just a chain of people helping people"
I wish I felt this way!

Do you get paid for close outs?

Hello everyone!

New FR here, i just finished all of my paperwork and should be moving into the online training and then onto the job. I just wanted to drop in and say hey and see if a few of my question might be able to be answered.

Anyway onto the questions.

• As a FR is there anything that i can do or use that will make jobs faster or easier?
• What should i expect out of the online training?
• As a new FR will i be buried with jobs immediately or will it slowly ramp up as they see what i can handle?
• How does pay and mileage reimbursement work?

I will defiantly pop back in and check back and if i have anymore questions probably ask them. I am super excited for this job and want to do the best i can possible do so any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time

Michael, wishing you all the best but, if you look at the threads age, 12-20-2011, don't pounder, and expect a speedy response from those members.

Try introducing yourself to all the members and Brian Hannigan, the captain on the good ship InspectionNews, that traverses the open home inspection oceans, on threads like,

• Glad to be here.

All the best!
Robert

Originally Posted by Michael Hermann

.........
Anyway onto the questions.

• As a FR is there anything that i can do or use that will make jobs faster or easier?
• What should i expect out of the online training?
• As a new FR will i be buried with jobs immediately or will it slowly ramp up as they see what i can handle?
• How does pay and mileage reimbursement work?

..........

How to make job faster or easier may be to use a drone with camera.

All of these questions are those that you should have asked when you interviewed for the job. It seems that you may be grasping at straws for employment. Unless you are using this as a very part time job that might get you $7/hr after expenses on a piece work basis. You might really want to be informed more from the company before you expend to much time and effort.

I really think that you would gather great insight into the company and their business model by reading through all postings on Muller. Their perception of their employees seems to be very poor. You might be better off selling magazine subscriptions door to door.

Try looking here: Mueller Services Inc. - Insurance Loss Control Surveys

Started by Jason Cammelleri, 05-27-2008 10:44 AM

As a side note, be very cautious of what you post here and anywhere else. Company big brother will be watching and they watch.

Best of luck.. You are a better man than I for going down this path.

Reviews on Mueller :

https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Mu...ws-E272289.htm

Originally Posted by Michael Hermann

Hello everyone!

New FR here, i just finished all of my paperwork and should be moving into the online training and then onto the job. I just wanted to drop in and say hey and see if a few of my question might be able to be answered.

Anyway onto the questions.

• As a FR is there anything that i can do or use that will make jobs faster or easier?
• What should i expect out of the online training?
• As a new FR will i be buried with jobs immediately or will it slowly ramp up as they see what i can handle?
• How does pay and mileage reimbursement work?

I will defiantly pop back in and check back and if i have anymore questions probably ask them. I am super excited for this job and want to do the best i can possible do so any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time

The job continues get easier as you do it over time. Its simply a practiced skill. Nobody no-looks dribbling a basketball up the court the first few times they play. The fact is: if you put in the commitment, the job gets easier and it goes faster, but its up to the individual. I am at a point where I don't have to think most of the time and my mind is on auto pilot. My focus is up and out at the home and the yard, and not on a clipboard. I sketch most fronts in the 1+ minute I'm waiting after the doorbell, and I am back in the car in less than 10 min most of the time. I meet interesting people and its always exciting not knowing if the risk is a palace or a dump or under construction or fenced. The driving is effortless with a GPS and the paperwork is easy after a time. There are opportunites to travel for short term trips to another area to cover shortages there, or not.

Everybody has different experiences, maybe their area is different, maybe they don't like the work, maybe they agreed to a pay thats not adequate. That's not my story. I have done over 7000 cases including businesses, farms, and HV properties. Mueller has never lied to me, and I love my job or I wouldn't still be here after 5 years.

If you understand *and like* the work in training, and you can trust that the stuff your learn will is repetitive and can be memorized, and are able and willing to make the time commitment to get to the point where this job is easy, then you will succeed. For me, it was a bit of a struggle for 3 months, always having to check Google Earth because I couldn't see the sketch (in my mind) on big houses right away, and I had to check the manual every other case, and all that is more work and mental stress. At about 3 months, I felt like I could go do 14 houses with my eyes half shut, and yes, by then it was a breeze. You can buy cheap printer ink on eBay and a used GPS and figure out what your gas and other expenses are right away. If you like the work, and the compensation works for you, Mueller will have the cases for you. Good luck.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by Michael Hermann

Hello everyone!

New FR here, i just finished all of my paperwork and should be moving into the online training and then onto the job. I just wanted to drop in and say hey and see if a few of my question might be able to be answered.

Anyway onto the questions.

• As a FR is there anything that i can do or use that will make jobs faster or easier?
• What should i expect out of the online training?
• As a new FR will i be buried with jobs immediately or will it slowly ramp up as they see what i can handle?
• How does pay and mileage reimbursement work?

I will defiantly pop back in and check back and if i have anymore questions probably ask them. I am super excited for this job and want to do the best i can possible do so any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time

The job continues get easier as you do it over time. Its simply a practiced skill. Nobody no-looks dribbling a basketball up the court the first few times they play. The fact is: if you put in the commitment, the job gets easier and it goes faster, but its up to the individual. I am at a point where I don't have to think most of the time and my mind is on auto pilot. My focus is up and out at the home and the yard, and not on a clipboard. I sketch most fronts in the 1+ minute I'm waiting after the doorbell, and I am back in the car in less than 10 min most of the time. I meet interesting people and its always exciting not knowing if the risk is a palace or a dump or under construction or fenced. The driving is effortless with a GPS and the paperwork is easy after a time. There are opportunites to travel for short term trips to another area to cover shortages there, or not.

Everybody has different experiences, maybe their area is different, maybe they don't like the work, maybe they agreed to a pay thats not adequate. That's not my story. I have done over 7000 cases including businesses, farms, and HV properties. Mueller has never lied to me, and I love my job or I wouldn't still be here after 5 years.

If you understand *and like* the work in training, and you can trust that the stuff your learn will is repetitive and can be memorized, and are able and willing to make the time commitment to get to the point where this job is easy, then you will succeed. For me, it was a bit of a struggle for 3 months, always having to check Google Earth because I couldn't see the sketch (in my mind) on big houses right away, and I had to check the manual every other case, and all that is more work and mental stress. At about 3 months, I felt like I could go do 14 houses with my eyes half shut, and yes, by then it was a breeze. You can buy cheap printer ink on eBay and a used GPS and figure out what your gas and other expenses are right away. If you like the work, and the compensation works for you, Mueller will have the cases for you. Good luck.