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Thread: got fired

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Maryland
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    Default got fired

    I thought that would get your attention.

    The truth is the job ended early by mutual agreement. The job was being done for a seller. It turns out the client thought they were getting a code compliant inspection. Not only that but one which took into account what the codes happened to be at the time the house was built. As I began to point out things that needed attention he began to question about code and grandfathering and all that. I explained that I didn't do things that way.

    To make a long story short, we had a respectful discussion, he paid me a partial fee and I did a partial report of what I had done.

    Have any of you ever had a client misunderstand what your service was intended to do? How did you handle it?

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Spring Hill (Nashville), TN
    Posts
    5,851

    Default Re: got fired

    Quote Originally Posted by John Dirks Jr View Post
    I thought that would get your attention.

    The truth is the job ended early by mutual agreement. The job was being done for a seller. It turns out the client thought they were getting a code compliant inspection. Not only that but one which took into account what the codes happened to be at the time the house was built. As I began to point out things that needed attention he began to question about code and grandfathering and all that. I explained that I didn't do things that way.

    To make a long story short, we had a respectful discussion, he paid me a partial fee and I did a partial report of what I had done.

    Have any of you ever had a client misunderstand what your service was intended to do? How did you handle it?
    I always ask a prospective client what type of inspection they are looking for. I briefly go over on the phone what I will be doing during the inspection. I would hope that if they were looking for a code compliant inspection that they would tell me first and not after I'm at the home.

    Scott Patterson, ACI
    Spring Hill, TN
    www.traceinspections.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Chicago IL
    Posts
    2,048

    Default Re: got fired

    Customers don't always know what they want and what they want isn't always what they really need.
    I usually assess needs during initial phone or visit and go from there.
    You should consider having multiple contracts for various types of inspections. Each of my contracts has a different heading that makes it fairly clear that it is or isn't an HI (HI insp contr; Specified condition contr; Construction insp contr; etc)
    I've done many code compliance inspections. I only do them on an hourly basis, not for a set fee. You can never foresee all the issues that might arise.
    It sounds like you did OK with the client, a good learning lesson.

    www.aic-chicago.com
    773/844-4AIC
    "The Code is not a ceiling to reach but a floor to work up from"

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