TOPIC: care package binder for each client

Sorry Frank but you have fallen for the "I have liability for everything" mentality and probably also believe the "every home inspector will get sued it is only a matter of time", line.  Putting together a bunch of tips like, change the batteries in your smoke detectors, clean your gutters or test your GFCI receptacles, puts absolutely NO liability on you.

You can continue to pay for a pre-written manual or put one together and put it as a tab in the "general information" portion of your report.  Or better yet, take all the hints your have found and divide them by 12.  Email a portion each month (season appropriate) and keep your name in front of your clients.  Even after a year, they won't remember the same one from 12 months ago....  a prime reason that everyone should keep a full email marketing list of both clients AND used house sales people.  Name recognition...... AT NO COST.

Not my point at all- I subscribe to neither of those statemens.  In fact, the very simple items you mention (change the batteries in the smoke detectors... etc.) are included in all of my reports as part of the narratives.  I agree that such recommendations carry little or no liability; however, no matter what, as inspectors we are, and will continue to be, liable for what we write.  It goes with the terratory; the trick is to keep the exposure to a "reasonable" level, which may mean different things to different people.

Yes, I agree that keeping your name in front of clients, agents, etc. is a critical marketing tool.  To that end, I have in my data base the name and email address of everyone I have had contact with for years and use various methods to keep in touch, balancing cost with my time, which is pretty valuable to me !

I have more than 2X the reviews than my closets competition.

Here is my latest review. My clients like my binder package, It is worth the money I invest as I obtain many inspections from reviews like this one.

I couldn't be happier with my inspection. David is extremely knowledgeable and professional. He looked over every square inch of the house and took a number of photographs and explained what he was doing and the potential impact of any issues. He not only helped me understand what was a required immediate fix, he also laid out a game plan of fixes in the next three months, in the next year, and in the next five years. His inspection report and home book are outstanding. We spent about 3.5 hours overall going over the house. I feel confident that I know what I am buying and know what to do moving forward. He blows past inspectors I've dealt with out of the water. There's definitely a reason that he has so much high feedback and an A, he really is exceptional.

I let my clients do my advertising for me.

David, are these reviews coming from Client Testimonials on your website? I ask because when I email my client his report, I ask that they go to my Client Testimonials and write a sentence or two describing their inspection. I tell them that both positive and negative comments help my business. Almost all say they will, but seldom follow through. They usually leave nice comments in their replies to my email, which I copy and paste to my CT page.

Mike

These testimonials are from Angie's list. This has been my best source of referrals for many years now.

Oh, okay. I am on Angie's list as well. Do you ask your client to go to Angie's list, or do they usually offer the comment on their own? I put a link to Angie's on my website, so the client just has to click the icon to get there.