TOPIC: Clients Paying for Inspections Online

I like the idea of having the ability for clients to pay online for the inspection.  I have a hardware device that is wireless and can take credit cards right out in the field.  It has saved me a few times when the client has forgotten their checkbook.  This ability built into the software would give us one more avenue to get paid for the inspection in case the client forgot their checkbook, cash and claim to have no credit cards.  I would also like to see the possibility to be able to add the code to our websites as well because if it was ONLY in the software, then we could only use it after the fact and I think that most of us would prefer to get paid BEFORE we start the inspection. Being just in the software would allow us to collect if we did not get paid before the inspection, which is not the norm, so the service would not be used very regularly.  If volume is a factor on price with a merchant, then we would probably have to pay a high premium.  But, if we could also use the service upfront, on our websites, the volume could be very high if we used our websites as a payment center for inspections, before the actual inspection.  I believe that PayPal would be an ideal CC merchant in that they do not charge their fees by volume.  The other possible way that this would work, and I am just brainstorming here, is to have the ability within the software to book the inspection and utilize the built-in payment feature to pay for the inspection.  If the inspection is not paid for in advance, then the inspection would not be booked and an email automatically sent out to the un-paying client, the agent, and the inspector, say a few days ahead of the inspection date alerting them to the fact.  They would need to have the payment in by the day before the inspection or the inspection was no longer booked.  With this feature the software, then would be our business calendar , payment service and all of the client information would be entered and ready to fill in the report as soon as we were done with the inspection.  Many of the other reporting software programs have the ability to calendar the lined up inspections, and at the least, this may be a good thing for HIP.  I know that I am way out there on this and it just adds huge complications to HIP, but wouldn't it be super if we could book, calendar and pay for an inspection thru the software?  Of course in this way, we would not need the "pay me before you can see your report feature", but rather "pay me before I inspect your house" feature.  Paying online would eliminate RUBBER checks, excuses of no cash and eliminate the time required to actually get paid at the site with the client asking everyone within the client "party" where they put the money or check :  And then there is the subject of getting your tailored inspection agreement automatically signed as the online payment is made....oh, this is another subject and probably needs to go into another thread.....

Hi Robert,

All great ideas. I'm still going over with multiple merchants and will be calling a few more when I have time next week as there aren't any so far that I've been truly happy with. All at least want a statement and gateway fee with the minimum of about $15 a month, plus some sort of minimum monthly transaction cost (usually $25).

I plan on starting to add a calendering system into the program and our new website hosting service, as well as offering it to people who aren't hosting their sites with us (but still use HIP). It is a big project so probably won't be done for a few months but we'll definitely get there. There's still a few features left in the program itself that need to get added before I can move onto that. Our new website hosting should be ready in the next week or two though, we just started opening it up to a few testers.

I'm not too sure that most inspectors get paid pre-inspection. Can some other guys comment on this? From what I've seen when going on ride-a-longs is that guys often get paid at the end of the inspection but before handing over the report. But this could be that most of the guys I've gone with are in California and it's different in other places. They do sign the contract with the payment amount BEFORE the job though so they are already locked in.

Dominic, do not get me wrong.  I know what I have suggested is a lot of work and in no way am I looking for changes in a flash.  I am just brainstorming and my ideas do not have to be implemented in the software.  I am just shooting out ideas.

You are correct in that I do not get paid until after the actual inspection, but I do not give reports on site.  I thoroughly go over the inspection at the time of the inspection with them and let them know at booking that they will receive an electronic report within 12 hours after the inspection.  That way there are no surprises at the inspection when the get no report at the end.  So, far I have not gotten any negative feedback from this.  I tried to give reports on site, but I found that only written check sheets are the only ones that made sense...not my kind of report.  I find lugging around a computer and trying to write good comments and incorporating digital photos very cumbersome and a time waster for my client.  Most of my clients want an inspection in an hour or less.  I get them to a 2 to 2 and a half hour inspection, but with a report on site with ANY software will stretch it to 3 or more hours.  I do not feel that this would be acceptable with my clients.  I like to go back to the office and digest what I have inspected and write the best possible report for my clients.  I have, in my training, gone on ride-longs with inspectors who do on-site reports and all of them use check sheets and some mail a cd of digital photos to the client later.  There is no tie-ins to the data and photos with that...it just is not the way I want to do business.  Just my opinion.  Now, maybe when APPLE comes out with a tablet PC, I will look at things differently, but a report of mine with ANY software will take m at least 2 hours to write up back at the office...maybe it will be faster with HIP as I get going with it, but my utmost priority in my business is to be sure that the client understands the report and the digital photos that go along with it.  If I am confused when I read it after I write it, then my client will definitely be lost.  I cannot guarantee that I would not be confused with reading my report if I did it on-site.  So, far I have not received a negative in doing it this way.  I think, in reading the NACH message Board, that many inspectors have switched from on-site reporting to back at the office reporting.