Image Is...

I’m reminded of something that an executive inspector had to say in his retirement speech at an annual conference in Portland. He was concerned about the welfare of the inspectors who would follow in his footsteps and about that of the industry in general, and had this to say. I don’t remember word for word what he said, but it went something like this: “Knowing that I was going to retire in a year, I raised my prices, and started to get more work than I could handle. So, I raised my prices again and got even more work. So, I raised my prices again!” He went on to explain that he couldn’t understand why this had happened, but assured everyone that indeed it had and made him wish that he’d raised his prices years earlier. However, hearing that he had been a truly conscientious inspector, and believing that most people realize that they get what they pay for, I could understand it. And whereas I also believe that everyone has the right to make a living as best they can, I don’t believe that inspectors who demean the image of their profession by performing multiple cheap inspections every day deserve the respect of their peers. And, please, don’t accuse me of being an advocate of price fixing. I’m an advocate of common sense and justice. Medical doctors and chiropractors both assume the title of “doctor,” and yet the value of their medical knowledge and expertise is in no way comparable. This is equally true of inspectors, and to quote an ancient Chinese proverb “it only takes one rat turd to ruin the rice.”

The main reason that the issue of price and image is particularly important to inspectors is because twenty-five percent of us are going to be sued and probably not honorably defended, as I’ve pointed out in numerous other articles. Every day inspectors become targets for terrorist clients and their attorneys simply because they have deep-pockets, lawsuits are commonly settled for economic reasons, innocent inspectors are denied an honorable defense, premiums are raised, policies are cancelled, and livelihoods are jeopardized, and that is both a threat to our profession and a national disgrace. And it’s very likely to get worse. The best thing that inspectors could do for each other now would be to raise their prices, and promote themselves as the professionals they truly are, professionals who are willing to accept the grave responsibilities of inspecting properties that far exceed those of real estate agents, structural engineers, and geologists combined. Money is the counter by which culture is distributed. Take care.