When it comes to running a home inspection business, most of us are working with limited information. We likely have a vague understanding of where we want to be and the goals that we’d like to shoot for, but have spent little time or energy hashing out the details. Dreaming about the big picture is easy to do and can offer us an alluring glimpse of our possible future, but dreams can only get us so far. If we fail to invest the necessary resources (time, money, and attention), we’re bound to get a commensurate return on our (lack of) investment.
Operating a business can be described as constantly running a gauntlet of problems: problems with our clients, problems with our tools, problems with technology, problems with our transportation, problems managing expectations, problems with our schedule. No matter the day, we’re constantly dealing with problems that threaten to derail our progress.
It’s only natural for us to “shoot first and ask questions later.” We’re hardwired to dislike uncomfortable situations and do our best to jump in and immediately try to solve issues as soon as they pop up. While initiating a quick response is probably a good thing in the eyes of our customers, taking action without analyzing the circumstances is like putting the cart before the horse. It might seem like a good idea at the time, but upon further investigation it turns out to be nothing more than a costly error.
Many years ago, I found myself in a similar situation with a home inspection client. A listing agent contacted me regarding an inspection that one of my inspectors had done. She frantically explained that the inspector must had broken something during the inspection, as she just arrived at the home and there was water all over the brand-new carpet in the hallway. Not wanting to make any waves with this valuable agent (who regularly referred us to her clients), I apologized for the issue and promised that I would do whatever it took to make things right.
That was a mistake.
I committed myself to make repairs based on the one-sided information I was getting from the listing agent, when I should have reserved judgement until I was able to personally investigate the matter. I erroneously jumped to conclusions, taking the agent’s assessment of the situation as gospel instead of examining things myself.
It turns out that the vertically mounted HVAC system in the closet had a closed service valve installed in the condensate drain line. The inspector had noted the valve in his report and recommended that it remain open while the AC was in use, and documented the fact that he had turned off the system when he left the property (which was a very smart thing to do.)
The house was sparsely furnished, as the owner was living out of town and only occasionally stayed at the property. I later discovered that the owner’s mother had gone to the home the night after the inspection to turn on the AC system, so that the house would be cool when her son returned later that evening. The closed valve in the drain line caused condensate to leak all over the floors in the area adjacent to the system.
In my rush to appease the Realtor, I had committed myself to pay for something that was in no way our fault. If I had simply waited until after I had gathered more information to decide an appropriate course of action, I could have saved myself a lot of time and energy, not to mention quite a few dollars as well.
Having a process in place that we follow whenever things go off the rails can help potentially problematic situations go much more smoothly. Being able to fall back on a familiar routine ensures that we “check all the boxes,” helping to limit the possibility that we waste valuable time and resources chasing after a straw man.
Planning ahead for those inevitable problems makes good sense. Having an idea of the steps we’re going to take when something happens can help us stay cool and lessen the possibility that we’ll face an expensive situation.
Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes.
Epictetus
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Thanks, Joe
