How to ask nicely?

For those of you that write your report at the inspection at the kitchen counter:

Have you found a nice way of asking for some peace and quiet?

I often find myself sandwiched between a joyful group of talkers (Realtors, buyers, sellers). Everyone is excited to get the deal done! Everyone is trading recipes and good areas for a bike ride!

Meanwhile, I’m doing my best to accurately collect and transcribe the data.

Anyway, have you found a way of politely asking for some quiet or am I just dreaming?

Do it in the office. Why the immediate gratification?

You did your walk-through right? That’s gives them something to get started with while they wait for your (office generated) report. I try and give the agent (with clients permission) one nice big defect to keep her/him busy. Works everytime!

One of the reasons we quit doing them at the house.

Summarize on site, then go home do the report where its peaceful.

The guys I’m training with do the report as they inspect, once the inspection is done the report is done. Maybe take a little longer to get it done as you inspect. All they do is a quick double check at the end.

It sounds like they are using a “checklist” for the report. Doing this type of inspection they do a VERY short summary next to the items that are checked.

The majority of home inspectors have their own “checklist” that they use during the inspection. {This is either on their laptop or… They have printed it out and attach it to a clipboard} This ensures that you “don’t miss anything”!
Then-they-take-it-to-their-office to “polish it up”.

You can either ask them for a copy of “their check list” and try to inspect the way they do or….You can take your checklist home and or to your office and Polish it up by inserting photographs where necessary and or by giving a more detailed explanation.
I have been in this business since 1972 and I have tried both “methods”. I found that by taking my “paper check list” to my office and reviewing it and the photographs taken at the job site that I could give a more detailed, “polished” and professional report to my clients.

Either way….I wish you luck :slight_smile:

Or goto the office with a seat and a sink:mrgreen:

I’m amazed at how many inspectors produce reports without doing a lick of research. I’ve done thousands of inspections and hardly a day goes by that I don’t have occasion to research something during the course of authoring my report.

Do the in-field reporters just rely on the defect descriptions that come with the software and dump the rest back to the client to find the answer to by hiring a contractor to come behind them?

I do short form in the report and finish at home

I was hoping this would not turn into a discussion about the merits of writing a report in the field vs. at the office. I understand that is far more interesting…

That’s how I have been doing it for over 10 years.

I use HIP and complete the report as I go. I print the report, burn photos to a CD then go over the summary with the client. They leave the house with a completed report in their hands.

Try using your mobile office (truck)

Comments in blue above. I was sent this by a consumer who reads this BB and saw this post. It is an answer to the OP’s question.

I use HIP and am basically finished on site. I use the picture summary to go over things with the client and then load up my gear and go to the truck where I can finish proofing on my lap top and send report. To distracting to try and work with all those folks standing around me.

The guy I train with uses Horizon, tons of pictures, very nice report. Researching anything would only be a minute or two max from their phone or ipad.

Maybe you should take the hint.

I walk and talk into my phone. My report writer takes all my notes and completes the report from their home while I’m on-site. I use drop box to send them my pics. Works great and frees me up big time.

Either way….I wish you luck

I’ve never been able to research anything in a minute or two.

I may have 1/2 day or 1 whole day discussing something on this mb with people who have “seen it before”, know what it is, or how it works.

I agree with Chuck Evans. I could probably crank out the report at the site, and no research needed, just say “it needs diagnosed and repaired by the proper contractor”, or use all canned comments.

I just don’t think that method is the best for my clients, for my business, or for my own personal satisfaction of learning what I don’t already know.

So I collect all data on site, have a brief conversation with the client at the end (unless the client attends the entire inspection, which most do), and go home to my office and very loud head banging rock music, and do the report two or three times to make sure it’s absolutely right.

Of course, that limits my inspections to high quality over high quantity, which is not the business model a lot of inspectors choose to follow. :wink:

At the point that you are meeting with the client and going over what is involved in the inspection I would just work something in like, " and when I am finished with my inspection, I will ask for a bit of time to myself( however long you think it will take) to get the report finished". You are a professional and should not feel bad laying down some rules. It should be up to you to find a quiet place to finish the report. Let them stand and yap all they want, but you should be able to remove yourself from them to get the report finished peacefully.