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Thread: Blowing off steam
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03-28-2013, 02:10 PM #1
Blowing off steam
No I'm not talking about boiler venting I m talking about asinine Realtors. Man they can sure make you mad. It's like they are trying to. I can't wait until I can get my business to the point where I can pi$$ them off.
Called an office to make sure the utility's are on and how to access a home. First off they get in my craw by telling me I got to drive 25 minutes one way to get the key and I can't mail it but have to drive it back so I am gonna have about 2 hours in drive time just for a key. The other agents I deal with open the house. Not Coldwell banker agents. Then I ask her about the utilities. She has no idea and the listing agent is out of town. I said fine I'll call the buyer and let him know. So I do that. Then she calls me back 10 minutes later to say the utilities are on. I say " Including the gas" She says" I don't know, you did not ask me about that so I did not ask." You freaking idiot, I asked you about utilities, plural, that means all of them, water , power, sewer, GAS, coal, whatever they need you idiot. Man, they get on my nerves.
Sorry just had to vent.
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03-28-2013, 02:26 PM #2
Re: Blowing off steam
I draw the line at going out of my way for a key. I have done it on a very small handful of occasions when the office was on the way or just 5 minutes out of my way and only for a realtor with whom I am familiar. In your case Ren, I'd be mailing that key back to them whether they like it or not. Whoops, I forgot I had it and drove home. Too far to drive back. Key is in the mail.
Around here, it is the realtors' responsibility to make sure the house is ready for inspection and opened. If those realtors can't get off their butts to open a house, then they should be putting a combo lockbox on the door to the house.
"It takes a big man to cry. It takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man". - Jack Handey
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03-28-2013, 04:12 PM #3
Re: Blowing off steam
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03-28-2013, 10:02 PM #4
Re: Blowing off steam
We're lucky here. Everything has a lock box and we recently were given access to Book-A-Showing so we can set up access and get lock box information on-line, without having to deal with the agents.
Not to hijack your thread, but I was also going to post a "venting" thread. The market is crazy busy here. I've got 8 inspections booked for next week already. I've had to turn down 6 inspections this week because there's not enough time in the day. Almost daily I'm getting the call, "I need the inspection tomorrow or the next day, can't you just squeezed me in?" I'm sorry but how the he11 does one just "squeeze" in a 4 hour inspection between 9 and 5 when I already have two 4 hour inspections booked?
Or the guy asking me to do a second inspection and discounting the price since this is his second inspection with me. I'm sorry, but why would I turn down a full priced inspection to do your discounted inspection?
Or the person who calls to ask for availability. We have Thursday at 10am or Friday at 3pm available. "Ok, I'll take Friday at 10am" Sorry, I'm already booked at that time, we have Thursday at 10am or Friday at 3pm open. "Ok, I'll take Thursday at 3pm" AAARRG.
Almost as bad as the agent calling to ask for availability. We have Thursday at 3pm or Friday at 10am. "Ok, let me call my clients and get back to you". 5 hours pass and he calls back, "Ok we'll take Thursday at 3". Sorry, we're booked until next Wednesday now. No sir, just because you called and asked our availability doesn't mean we're going to hold you spot in hopes you'll be calling back.
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03-29-2013, 03:58 AM #5
Re: Blowing off steam
I've been getting that one too Ken. "Pencil me in" is what I regularly hear. I was trying to be helpful with a couple realtors who regularly send work my way so I "penciled them in" to only hear a couple days later "that deal didn't go through". Luckily I was able to fill those slots regardless.
I'm going on the shelf next week for rotator cuff surgery so I've been referring a number of buyers to other inspectors. I don't know how much time they have either. It is a busy time.
"It takes a big man to cry. It takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man". - Jack Handey
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04-21-2013, 06:30 PM #6
Re: Blowing off steam
I will never pencil any one in any more. Too much of what you said. Some inspectors are going so far as to take a credit card number and billing or a cancellation fee if the inspection is cancelled 24 hours prior to the inspection. Not sure if you can really do that. If you are Realtor friendly your Realtor probably wont be so friendly to you anymore.
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04-22-2013, 08:37 AM #7
Re: Blowing off steam
Pencil me in - I just tell them that I've "penciled them in", but I don't actually change anything. If I need to book it, I book it and just tell them that we'll need to pick another day.
Jim Robinson
New Mexico, USA
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04-22-2013, 06:13 PM #8
Re: Blowing off steam
I used to tell them that I only use permanent ink pens, not pencils ...
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04-22-2013, 09:26 PM #9
Re: Blowing off steam
I pencil people in and give them a timeline. If they are just inquiring without actually booking something, I let them know that the schedule can change rapidly and anything I offer may not be there in an hour.
I believe it serves me as well as the agent. I see no cause to be unreasonable. I don't necessarily cater to agents, but I will try to cooperate.
Department of Redundancy Department
Supreme Emperor of Hyperbole
http://www.FullCircleInspect.com/
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04-23-2013, 06:50 AM #10
Re: Blowing off steam
I try be flexible, but like you guys, I'm so busy that it's hard to bend. Manyof the agents I know, got spoiled the last five years when they could call and schedule the same day. But not anymore, and I have several agents who are calling inspectors until they find someone who isn't busy.
And then the occasional seller who tells everyone when the inspection will be and how long it'll take. I ran into one of those guys a couple of months ago.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
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04-23-2013, 09:45 AM #11
Re: Blowing off steam
I'll usually just try to overbook myself for the week with the expectation that 1 or 2 will fall apart. Schedule 2/day and usually end up doing 8 for the week for example. Also, the golf clubs are usually in the back of the truck.... I've found 9 holes takes about the same amount of time as doing an inspection.
Cancelations are just one of the few annoyances of this profession..... there's really no way to avoid it IMO.
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04-23-2013, 12:21 PM #12
Re: Blowing off steam
I've gotten to the point where I prefer to just stick to one inspection per day, even in the busy season. I'll only consider two a day any more if the houses are both under 1,500 interior square feet, no detached structures, and no crawlspaces. I rarely get out of inspection in less than 3.5-4 hours anymore. Like Matt said, cancellations happen and you know they're going to happen. But when you handcuff yourself to one inspection for the day and you're the last one to find out "oh, that deal fell through", you get left holding the bag. Sometimes this annoys me but I have to admit I welcome some of them when I'm short on sleep.
"It takes a big man to cry. It takes an even bigger man to laugh at that man". - Jack Handey
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04-23-2013, 12:42 PM #13
Re: Blowing off steam
1st, I have a Supra key. If the house isn't on a Supra lock box, it is dependent upon the client to gain access. My contract states so. The client (and Realtor) get a confirmation email stating that fact. I don't even speak with the agent unless the agent books the inspection. I never drive to pick up a key. The agent is getting paid a commission. They can give me the combo code or come open the door if it's not on a Supra lock box. But it boils down to the fact that the client who signed the contract is responsible for providing access to the property.
My contract also states the importance of having utilities on and again puts that burden on the person who signed the contact. I never call an agent to ensure they did their job.
My contract further states that any return trips are billed at $100/hour including drive time with a $150 minimum charge. I've enforced it several times.
Clients who book an inspection are told to sign the inspection agreement within 48 hours in order to hold their place on the schedule. If they don't provide a signed contract, I fill the slot with someone else.
Lastly, my contract states that client cannot cancel the inspection with less than 48 hours notice or they will be billed in full. If they sign the contract, it's enforceable. A simple statement like that will prevent price shoppers from bailing on you at the last minute.
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04-23-2013, 03:12 PM #14
Re: Blowing off steam
Jim Robinson
New Mexico, USA
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04-24-2013, 06:47 AM #15
Re: Blowing off steam
I've been doing two a day lately. It makes for a long day, but hard to turn down the work. It'll return to one a day soon enough. My morning inspection yesterday rescheduled because of the snow and I have to say that I was happy to have a morning off. And weirdly, I have today off; my only day off in ten days. When the spring rush eases, I'm going back to taking Sundays off. I'm getting old and need more beauty sleep.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
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05-13-2013, 08:16 PM #16
Re: Blowing off steam
Hang in there. We invested some money into SEO and took our agent referral from over 80% agent business referral 360 degrees. So now were doing 80% of our business from internet calls. "We" choose the agents "We" want to work for. As a matter of fact, even with me and another guy we still turn away jobs.
Mazza Inspections and stuff...
https://mazzainspections.com
https://waterintrusionspecialist.com
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