Field Services Professionalism
Posted on | May 15, 2007 | 4 Comments
I have had many discussions about Field Services professionalism and the likelihood  of the topic being introduced into my discussions with others is increasing.
It is my belief that we are going to hear more on the topic and it is time for all of us to take a look at where the field services industry is headed and where we, as independent contractors, are headed in the industry.
Expenses continue to increase while I keep hearing of falling fees. I really have to question continuing to perform some services while ignoring others.
Why is it that many of us continue to work in the mortgage segment of the business performing $3, $4 or even $10 inspections when $1000.00 insurance premiums are common and insurance claims into the tens of thousands is common? Why?
Contrast mortgage inspection work with insurance field services which may pay from $12 to hundreds of dollars. What is the difference? Everyone I talk to says the difference is professionalism, training and experience.
By the way, most insurance services work requires no insurance and I have yet to hear of an insurance claim.
I think we may have to discuss this more later. How was my day? (43•6.50)+(2•25)
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July 16th, 2007 @ 6:12 am
Terry, I don’t understand how to jusify leaving the house for less than $20 on urban and $30 on rural inspections for any company,regardless of the volume.
I have been doing inspcetions for the last 5 years and we are just on the edge of going full time as my customer base increases. I tried doing the high volume driveby inspections and ended up getting taken for several hundred dollars when they wouldn’t pay for the work. My biggest problem in North Texas is when a client looks at the map and dose not realize that it looks alot closer than it actually is and I have to ask for mileage adjustmen. Before the end of this year we will be ready to make the move to full time and doing the work I really enjoy. Glad we found you web site and talk soon.
James Capps
Fort Worth,Texas
July 16th, 2007 @ 7:57 am
Hi James,
Every inspector has a fair fee firmly planted in her head. It may not be realistic but it is planted there anyway. Whether the fee be $5, $12, $20 or more I feel we all have to look at the overall long range effect of doing or not doing a service at such and such a price.
Over the years I have moaned and groaned at every opportunity about different companies, their pay and their policies. Some of the moaning and groaning was just show – letting off a little steam – and the complaining stopped entirely when a check for $5000 to $10,000 for the month came in the mail.
I’ve had it very good over the years. However, as I have talked about in previous posts, things are changing a lot. We now are getting $800 to $2400 a month from these same companies. I have not lowered my fees so the companies are giving me less work it appears. I know there is a lot more competition locally now. I know of three new inspectors in the area just this year.
I have dropped a lot of my outlying areas because of expense and time. If the company will not pay for it, I will not do it – not any longer. It is obvious they can and will direct the work to another inspector. There is always a new kid on the block for them to take advantage of!
I no longer let fear of loss control what I will or will not do. There have been many discussions with company management about my hard nosed attitude. When I drop an area, the companies are told that when they want us to once again handle the area for whatever reason, they will be considered a new client and they will pay the new prices.
Three or four companies had fees within a dollar of each other for a particular type of inspection we did and I always felt we lost money on every one. We finally told them we would no longer do them and we were told that we had to do them! You can imagine how that went. We stopped doing them immediately. All of the companies ended up contacting us and doubled their fees. It was a gamble but we really was willing to give up all the work over this one issue. We made six figures on this one type of inspection the following year.
I’m getting extremely long winded here! The bottom line is that neither you nor I are going to change the industry. I am not sure that it can even be changed by large numbers of reps joined together – as I said, there is always a new, unknowing new rep. What I do know is that we all have to take care of ourselves. As I lose more and more of the cheap stuff, $5 and $7 inspections, I am soliciting more and more of the $25, $35 $65, $125 and $325 stuff. I am having pretty good results; I have done more of these in the last month than in the previous year!
Re-read my sermon about Field Services Professionalism. We are going to have to learn more and become more professional. When we do, we can expect professional pay. At $5 to $20 we are just common labor. By the way, some fast food joints here are paying fifteen year olds $12 an hour. The nineteen year old shift manager gets $22!
July 16th, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
I forgot to comment on one thing. Don’t think for a minute they think an area is closer than it really is. Every national office I’ve ever been in had plenty of zip code resources. With the free online mapping tools available now, they know exactly how far you are from what they are asking you to do. They can tell you within a foot how far it is from you and what the neighborhood looks like!
January 27th, 2009 @ 5:22 pm
Terry,
Are there any conferences or conventions related to the mortgage field services industry that you are aware of. Looking for a place to network and pick up more clients and a wider variety of work.
Thank you
Bill Garrecht