NACHI's Promotion of Full Time Inspectors

General Inspection Topics General Inspection Discussion
1

Okay…on a couple of threads, the debate is raging on whether or not Nick should pursue his idea of creating a logo and promoting full timers. Why should the public place 100% of their confidence in the skills and expertise of someone who hasn’t done the same?..might be how we feel, but not necessarily a positive way of putting this idea forward (although I might put that in my blog. I kinda like it.)

This thread…until it is hijacked and degenerates into something else…is intended to focus upon ideas as to how to actually promote this concept in a positive manner with no collateral damage.

Here is something to start the discussion: (Reminder: We are in the public forum.)

When you hire a full-time inspector to provide you with a report on the condition of a home you are wanting to sell or buy….

  1.    You know that you are hiring an inspector who is placing his name and his business on the same line as his signature.

  2.    You know that you are hiring an inspector who has committed 100% of himself to his profession, and who is committed 100% to adding you to his list of satisfied clients.

  3.   You know that you are hiring an inspector who depends upon the satisfaction of his clients to be successful in his business.

  4.   You know that you are placing your confidence in a home inspector who has confidence in himself, and who has demonstrated the ability to depend upon his skills to provide for himself and his family.

  5.  You know that you won’t have to wait for him to return from his “day job” to provide you with additional information, support and service.

  6.   You know that you are hiring an inspector who considers his home inspection training, skills and development to be his greatest personal and professional strengths.
  7. You know that you are putting your faith in a home inspector who has faith enough in his own reliability that he commits to you 100%.
2

James its all good except for one thing…Some markets do not have enough business for a full time inspector. A guy has to make a living. What if he was full time and due to the economy has to get another job?..I am full time with plenty of work. Just making a point.

I would rather seen an additional tier on the CMI qualifications. Such as a Senior CMI and have Nick come up with the criteria. 5,000 inspections, at least 8 years in business or whatever he decides. I want to STRIVE for something more one that is HARD to obtain…and one that can be verified…just my 2 cents.

3

I like it Jim. It doesn’t disparage part-timers. And besides, no one has to disclose that they are part-time anyway. This helps some members without harming any others.

4

IMHO, 2000 inspections (average 250/year) and 8 years HI or related experience/ceu’s/other related training/etc are about the minimum that CMI should require!!..but then it is** just** a “marketing gimmick”. Come on, folks. Give your clients what they deserve!!

5

Brian just loves telling others what they should do and he does not even belong to any association .
I remember when he was installing insulation as he was not getting many Home Inspections .
I have no idea if he is doing much in Home Inspections now .
He sure does a lot of complaining about NACHI and our inspectors

6

Well, it cerainlly didnt take long for this thread to go in the wrong direction. :roll:

7

I heard he has a new friend named Ray.:stuck_out_tongue:

8

Great I like it, My market is smal so I provide a 60 mile radius service and also contract with out my services to local communities and HUD

9

He can’t help himself!!

10

You’re B…A…D!!!

11

CMI is, indeed, a designation designed for marketing purposes…as are all designations.

The last person who I care about impressing with “credentials” is another home inspector. I leave others to spin their wheels in that worthless effort.

It’s always fun watching all of the Urinating Olympic events that come and go among home inspectors. No matter what it is, the tendency is always to use something about someone else to show how BAD it makes them…in a vain attempt to make me appear GOOD.

The recent trend toward including IR scanning as part of a home inspection is a good example.

If you have been around long enough, you will remember how the first inspectors to introduce IR cameras to their routine were marketing themselves as being better…and anything less was a disservice to a client.

Well, after enough guys bought IR cameras…they began to require a way to be better than other camera owners. They invented different levels of training and determined that they would use their level of training to indicate how those of lesser levels were BAD…and that their level was GOOD - and anything less was a disservice to a client.

Between those of the same level…now it is the price of the camera and the bells and whistles that make one withe fewer bells and whistles BAD…and theirs GOOD – and anything less is a disservice to a client.

But all the client cares about is one thing. Am I going to get stuck pouring more money into this house than I am expecting to? It’s the same question he was asking when inspectors were using flashlights, levels and tape measures as their primary tools on the same houses that are still being inspected today.

What CMI is…and how other designations can be used…is not the usual destructive marketing of how my competitor is BAD…which makes me GOOD, somehow. It is a tool for marketing one’s self based upon the criteria established to obtain it.

Granted…there are things that the public needs to be warned about. They need to know when the person inspecting their house is a full time contractor who does inspections part time…as a means of providing job bids to do repairs. They need to know the potential for the same bias that the agent who is selling the house has…for neither will make their big check unless you buy.

But the part time newby will take much longer to acquire his CMI designation than will a full time professional inspector who is investing in himself with education to add to his experience. Will there be insecure and inferior people wanting to detract from that because it is something they do not choose to have…or cannot have? Certainly. Does that make it BAD…or make them GOOD? Absolutely not.

The public is smart enough to learn the difference between a professional who markets his abilities from a non-professional who lacks them, and must attempt to make others appear worse than he perceives himself to be. We don’t have to say that part timers are bad, in general. We can, however, point out the definite advantage that there is to hiring a full time, professional home inspector.

12

I believe this to be one of the better post on this entire subject. It feels that it was thought out and well presented.
I couldn’t agree more with the last section.

13

I just want another snazzy logo. :smiley:

14

Jim, all of these things are not solely the traits of a full time inspector. I am currently a part-timer (Due to the market) and service my clients better than my competition does. I find this out when “their” clients call me and from their clients “agents” that call me.
I put less effort in when I was “full” time for almost two years. I was not marketing myself enough and realized my mistakes. Now I market harder on my way home from my “other” job than I ever did. In fact I have booked a few inspections from my other job. I will go back to “full” time when the referral base picks up.

15

All of Jim’s points are good ones and should be used by every full time inspector to promote his business. However, that promotion should be done on the inspector’s web site not through the offices of INACHI.

INACHI is here to promote all inspector members equally. Special logos, special accreditations will only segregate the membership ( and I would qualify for the full time status). Promoting one one inspector over another is the job of each individual not the association to which they belong.

JOIN US AT;
http://www.theachi.org

16

From someone with no vested interest here:

It’s a bad idea that will lead to bad blood between members and members and the “association”. George’s above statement says it all and well!!

17

Maybe Inachi can have differant levels of designations using the number of inspections and years in business. Also education and qualifications should be considered.

1-100 inspections -Canidate (Maybe a better word can be used)
101-500 -
500-1000
1000-2500
2500-5000 Senior Inspector
5000+ Master Inspector

Not sure of the titles, maybe others can chime in.

I have the master inspector designation and I feel 1000 inspections should not qualify me as a master.

I like the discussion, keep it positive.

How can the public determine the differance just with the Certified designation, that word is very misleading.

You can have a newbie with a few inspections with a great website and he is hired.

Or the 20 year inspector with numerous inspections, years in the trades but he is in a slow market and his website is not attracting clients.

Who would you hire? Who would the average consumer looking for a qualified inspector hire?

18

How would you narrow down or otherwise change the list? How will you, when you become a full time inspector, market the change?

19

Dave, I am not completely advocating the newbie here, but the 20 yr. guy should know better. I would be suspicious of his commitment to the profession. (based upon the criteria used in Jim’s post)

20

George…NACHI has always promoted its members. It always will.

ASHI insiders decided that ASHI should promote ASHI to the public with the rationale that it would, somehow, benefit its members. Nick was smart enough to know that home inspectors need to be promoted more than home inspector associations, and took a different approach which is probably why so many ASHI members now belong to NACHI, too.

NACHI provides recognition for all of its members who commit themselves to education and development in indoor air quality with a certain logo and designation. How is that different from NACHI providing recognition for all of its members who commit themselves 100% to their profession?

The inspector, in turn, will use that designation to promote himself on his website, just as you suggested.