ASHI Thread of the Week

[James H. Bushart]

ASHI members discuss their membership numbers:

I have rec'd. acknowledgment for renewing my membership. In the envelope was a request to bring new members into ASHI. I have seen this "plea" before and will assume that this letter it was written by someone other than our membership committee chairman, who I have great respect for.

I disagree with bringing in more and more members into ASHI. Frankly, I don't think there are enough qualified inspectors to meet ASHI's objective of 7,000. Where does this mindset of being the Walmart of our field come from? The bigger an organization becomes the more unwieldy it becomes and the more unqualified its members become.

If the inspector down the street who is undercutting me and bad-mouthing me becomes an ASHI member he is not going to change by virtue of his new association and anyone who thinks otherwise needs a reality check.
If an organization needs to pay money to bring in new members then I think that that organization has some problems. Why not let inspectors join ASHI of their own accord. If we as an organization maintain high standards the truely qualified inspectors will apply on their own. I have spouted off on this before and know that some do not agree with me, but I'm a determined fellow.

Is it possible that whomever comes up with these ideas has been out of the field too much, or maybe never in it?


Eric Barker
Barrington, IL




Subject:Bring in new members - again.

Harsh reality; we gotta have numbers if we're going to play. A 1200 member professional association might as well pack up the tent.
How numbers are reconciled to quality is a problem. I do not have an answer for the problem.

Kurt Mitenbuler
Chicago; workin' the inner City



Subject:Bring in new members - again.

Eric, I think you are taking the growth the wrong way. Here are a few of my points:
1) There will always be new people coming into the business, just as you did and every single ASHI member.
2) If we are going to have new people come into our INDUSTRY (not profession YET) then we need to make sure that we get to teach them and show them the right way to do the job. An alternative is to let them join NACHI and be incompetent.
3) We have an organization that is built on levels of experience, training and testing. Let them join as candidates and work their way up the ladder the right way.
4) We should lead the industry in quality and quantity. Remember, there is strength in numbers. Just look at how slick nick uses number VS quality to manipulate the system. Let us take the high road.
5) I already have one person sign up who was originally a NACHIite. I trained him and showed him the right way.. He had enough ethics in him and common sense to do what was right first and foremost. This is a positive for ASHI.
6) Just because we want an increase in membership does not mean a decrease in quality. Remember, you have to join as a candidate first. I think you are looking at a glass half empty when it is really half full.
7) I don't agree with everything that our organization does but I support it. When they start to lower the qualifications and standards then I have no use for them. Until then I stand and support our organization because we do lead the industry. Some day I hope that we lead this profession. There is a difference between industry and profession.
There are rewards for growth, however, growth cannot come at a reduction in quality. As long as the powers that be understand that and govern by it we should not have a problem.
Be proud of the organization and think about how you can make it better rather than what could make it worse.
I'm Jeff Remas and I approve this message


Jeff Remas
REMAS Inspections, Inc.
http://www.NEPAinspector.com




Subject:Bring in new members - again.

Hi all,
Well I have not seen the letter, I renewed online but I have seen similar letters. Thank you Eric for the complement.
As other have said we (ASHI) must maintain a positive growth if we are to remain the voice of the profession. But, we do not and will not reduce our level of membership requirements to do so. Yes, hopefully we will hit our goal of 7,000 members by the end of this year. We are very close to reaching that goal. On an average month we have around 125 folks who join ASHI or roughly about 1200 to 1500 folks a year. Now on the down side we loose around 50% to 60% of those a year also.
They do not renew for many reasons, the single largest reason is that they are no longer inspecting homes. Simply said , they have gotten out of the business. How do we know this? We ask them. We attempt to do an exit interview on every person that does not renew and we learn a great deal from this information.
Hope to see many of Y'all at CLD this week.
Scott

Scott Patterson
ASHI Membership Committee Chairman




Subject:Bring in new members - again.

I disagree with bringing in more and more members into ASHI. Frankly, I don't think there are enough qualified inspectors to meet ASHI's objective of 7,000. Where does this mindset of being the Walmart of our field come from? The bigger an organization becomes the more unwieldy it becomes and the more unqualified its members become.

I think this topic died an untimely death. I would like to know what others in ASHI think. Frankly I agree with Eric. The notion that bigger is better seem hatched from the same place as licensing is going to be good for HI's.
So if we were to be wildly successful and convert a huge number of nacho's and nahi's to ashi, I don't see that as a good thing. Then I'm just another in a huge group of inspectors. Nothing to separate me from the crowd.
Membership is ASHI should be something that is sought after by HI's who are savvy enough to find out what the difference is between the organizations.
My understanding of nachi is that I could be a member by noon today if I have a pulse and a credit card. People join them because it's easy and cheap. It gives the appearance of credibility.
I think growth within ashi would be a good thing if we make the organization so good that people seek it out and want to join. That's good growth. To just go on a wholesale crusade for bodies is wrong headed.
We grow by being the organization that offers the best educational tools. This forum could be one of those tools, the ashi reporter could be if they had better technical articles. Years ago, one time, ashi sent out a technical journal with a dozen or so good articles. That was the best thing I ever received in print from ashi. I'd like to see something like that on an annual basis.
Then you are getting the inspectors who really care about what it is that we do. Not the ones who are looking for the cheap easy way.





Subject:Bring in new members - again.

Read Director Gifford's note here....


Kurt Mitenbuler
Chicago; workin' the inner City



Subject:Bring in new members - again.

What I don't get is who says ASHI should be the voice of the profession? Did NAHI or NACHI members? What if some non-ASHI type just decided that they DIDN'T want to have ASHI be their voice. Could it be that perhaps it's why they're not affliated with us?

Sorry - but who comes up with this stuff? I have to think that if someone else wanted to be the voice of home inspectors that ASHI would be screaming mad. Give me a break.

Eric Barker
Barrington, IL



Subject:Bring in new members - again.

Nick wants NACHI to be the Voice of the Home Inspection Profession. Do you really want Nick speaking and representing your profession? I don't!

Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN (Nashville)



Subject:Bring in new members - again.

>Nick wants NACHI to be the
>Voice of the Home Inspection
>Profession. Do you
>really want Nick speaking and
>representing your
>profession? I
>don't!Scott PattersonSpring
>Hill, TN (Nashville)

That, alone, is a pretty good argument for increasing our membership.

Garet Denise
Denver, CO

Way to go, Nick.

[ekartal6]

James,

What you probably didn't know about that thread is it contains the names of some of the best homes inspectors anywhere. One gentleman listed who I know personally gets paid $450 for a two bedroom condo inspection.

[bkelly1]

Unprofessional at best, leave ashi on their own board. Are you jealous Jim?

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by bkelly1

Unprofessional at best, leave ashi on their own board. Are you jealous Jim?

:
My understanding of nachi is that I could be a member by noon today if I have a pulse and a credit card. People join them because it's easy and cheap. It gives the appearance of credibility.
I think growth within ashi would be a good thing if we make the organization so good that people seek it out and want to join.

Somebody's jealous, Ben....but it ain't me.

[Doug Edwards, CMI]

Well, at best the statement is disengenuous. The same could be said about ASHI. If you fill out an application and send in a check you can join them too. As far as gaining credibility simply by joining an association, isn't that exactly what they are saying about ASHI? There are many people who belong to both and several others. I would think that most people belong to several because they get something from each that the others lack. What exactly does ASHI offer their members in the way of benefits. Their training certainly isn't free or even cheap, and yet many of the same trainers teach for NACHI so it isn't a question of the "quality" of training. This whole pissing match between these two organizations doesn' t help either side. I know some ASHI inspectors and frankly they are no better or worse than many NACHI inspectors. This sorta reminds me of High School cliques. I think a lot of inspectors join one organization or the other just to find some valuable and usable training but the BBs are a place for a very, very small section of inspectors to come and piss on the ground and mark their territory so they can declare how vastly superior they are. The vast majority of inspectors in any association do not have the time or the inclination to spend in here or over at ASHI strutting around crowing. I bet they got a few idiots over there too.

[Peter C. Russell]

Originally Posted by ekartal6

James,

What you probably didn't know about that thread is it contains the names of some of the best homes inspectors anywhere. One gentleman listed who I know personally gets paid $450 for a two bedroom condo inspection.

This seems to me to be a typical ASHI comment, Quality is directly associated with a dollar figure.

JMO!

[ekartal6]

Originally Posted by prussell

Quality is directly associated with a dollar figure.

I agree 100%.

[dharris]

Originally Posted by ekartal6

I agree 100%.

Quality is directly associated with a dollar figure. I'm confused. If Quality is directly associated with a dollar figure why does nachi/ nick have to give out free and discounted memberships and free CE to get new nachi members ??


Busshy.. Wait to you see the upcoming nachi members only posts comming that were forewared to me.. 100s of pages The one kicking out a WA. nachi member for being an ashi member and something about his emails is a good one with a lot of players names that will be exposed to the public. I'm sure they are and will be very proud of their posts that they thought were not open to the public.

I'm sure that after exposing some of the most juicy ones to the public your fellow members will be proud that you are also a member of their org.. </IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG>

[ekartal6]

Dan.

I meant that quality work earns more money. I am not joking that an ASHI friend gets $425 for a tiny condo - because he is known for quality work.

Go have a cold beer. I was on your side.

[dharris]

Originally Posted by ekartal6

Dan.

I meant that quality work earns more money. I am not joking that an ASHI friend gets $425 for a tiny condo - because he is known for quality work.

Go have a cold beer. I was on your side.

Earl... Cold beers give me a head ache.
I'm agreeing with you. I was just compairing quality work to a quality org and cannot figure out since everybody claims nachi is the best, why doesn't nachi get the top $s for membership dues opposed to having to give memberships away to get new members.

[cmccann]

Dan...Don't be a Nick and claim the goods, and never deliver. Just deliver the goods.

[jwortham1]

What you probably didn't know about that thread is it contains the names of some of the best homes inspectors anywhere.

Couldn't agree more Erol.

I definitely wouldn't say no to ride-arounds with some of those afore-mentioned gentleman!

(Think they'd let me carry their tools?)

[dharris]

Originally Posted by cmccann

Dan...Don't be a Nick and claim the goods, and never deliver. Just deliver the goods.

Chuck.. I'm torn on what to do.. .Not to mention it will take days to get the "best of" nacho garbage sorted out to post

Following are 3 of several comments that I received...

Dan. You have a good reputation in our profession, Don't lower yourself to Gromyko's and Busharts level.

I also accessed the ASHI site. All The topics that I read including the one that Jim posted is just an example of true HI professionals trying to raise the level of our profession, posting some of the garbage from the members only is like most of the garbage on the open side of the bulletin board.

Dan. RE: posting the BS on the members only, don't go there. The unedited Jerry Springer version would be quite an eye opener to the public, posting it will only increase the bad impression of home inspectors to the public, Bushart and the other ESOP members have already done that.

[klott]

I think growth within ashi would be a good thing if we make the organization so good that people seek it out and want to join. if is the key word here. I checked them out and you see where I'm at. Ken

[klott]

Originally Posted by dharris

Quality is directly associated with a dollar figure. I'm confused. If Quality is directly associated with a dollar figure why does nachi/ nick have to give out free and discounted memberships and free CE to get new nachi members ??


Busshy.. Wait to you see the upcoming nachi members only posts comming that were forewared to me.. 100s of pages The one kicking out a WA. nachi member for being an ashi member and something about his emails is a good one with a lot of players names that will be exposed to the public. I'm sure they are and will be very proud of their posts that they thought were not open to the public.

I'm sure that after exposing some of the most juicy ones to the public your fellow members will be proud that you are also a member of their org.. </IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG>

I wonder Can someone be sued for putting someones post out in the public view without their permission in order to harm them. Dan I don't have a clue who you are or who you think you are, but if you're not a member of nachi then what are you doing here. Who pissed in your oatmeal? What's with the nan nan nan nan nah! If you're special please send me an autograph,if not then just SHUT-UP !