April 20th, 2006 → 9:40 pm @ terry
I certainly have not done a very good job of keeping everyone up to date on my daily activities. I will try to do better. It has been a very busy week so far and we don’t have any indication when it will slow down.
I would like to try out the pool this weekend so I will be out of here early in the morning also.
I started very early today; 5:00 AM. I wanted to work on the site a bit and install some new software before I went out to do inspections so I got an early start.
I was surprised two see the hookers working the streets so early; around 8:00 AM when I drove onto the street of my first inspection. It was in a part of town that no one else here will work, so it was set aside for me to do. Anyway, two hookers and three pushers in less than ten minutes in the neighborhood. Guess this is the reason no one wants to work this area. It is probably the very worst area we have, but some others are trying to be as bad.
After the first exciting inspection, I started the route we prepared night before last. No excitement, no problems. Found them all.
18 at $7.50
20 at $5.00
$200 for about six hours in the field. Lets see how much time it takes to upload the inspections and pictures. I’ll let you know tomorrow.
April 11th, 2006 → 9:43 pm @ terry
Sore Subject? Yea, I guess so. I might be getting a little too sore; and I know my complaints will not change things much, if any. However, who knows, somebody at the “national” may actually read this blog. This happened yesterday; late in the evening. Vickie received a follow-up list with five properties listed. All five said the pictures submitted did not agree with the pictures they had on file.
For the Definition of Follow-Up List, go to the glossary.
I decided Vickie needed a break from the paper-work and I needed a break from the web site, so we decided to go to all five and see what the problem was. In fact, I was adamant about checking it out since all five properties were inspections I had done personally.
The first was an out-an-out error on my part. I took a picture of 362 instead of 364. My fault!
It was obvious to me what was wrong on the next four. All four were waterfront properties. Expensive water front properties. I do not know how it may be in other parts of the country, but here, if the waterfront property is large enough, the owner will sell parts of it to others for a handsome profit. The buyers will build homes on the property and all homes use the main street address. For instance, our first property was at 5534 FictitiousWaterfront Road. The original home, down on the waterfront is 5534; the next one out is 5534 1/2, and the one closest to the street is 5534-A.
Of course I do not have access to the pictures the company has on file, but I am willing to bet that the out-of-town inspectors hired to “help out” after the hurricane, saw the mailbox with 5534 and took a picture of the first house visible. What you want to bet? This was the circumstances on all four of the properties!
So who pays the price for incompetence and the lack of local knowledge? I have yet to be convinced that quality and professionalism weigh as heavy as “cheap”.
Five inspection follow-up’s free of charge to clear my name? This company does this often. It effectively lowers the rate of pay per inspection. If I had originally only done five inspections, at say $7.50 each, and then had to return to follow-up on all five, then I am actually receiving $3.75 per inspection!
Check out the companies you are thinking about working for.
April 7th, 2006 → 6:45 pm @ terry
I’m getting an early start this morning. I decided to download and label the pictures I took yesterday. I do this, placing them in a directory on the computer so I can carry the memory card with me again and it gives Vickie & Teri time to go over the pictures as they can.
I spent almost one hour just doing my part on the pictures. They still have to be uploaded to the company web sites or e-mailed. Each company has a little different procedure.
Keep all this in mind when you are discussing fees. Pictures may be free to some companies but the time certainly is not.
I have prepared another “Far End” route for today; sixty-eight inspections total. I will try to give you an update when I get back this afternoon.
I’m finished for the day. I won’t linger long but here are the stats for the day. I will let you do the math.
1 inspection @ $7.50
32 inspections @ $5.00
28 pictures @ 1.00
33 inspections @ $7.50
And, we started receiving work from a new company today. See ya’ next week.