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Many of you won't be reading this issue of the Monday Morning Messenger because you are busy attending the huge CREIA/ASHI conference in San Diego, California. We look forward to your informative feedback once you return. There should be over 1,000 Home Inspectors in attendance and the California Inspectors are rolling out the red carpet to welcome Home Inspectors from around the nation....... Don't you wish that you could be there too??? I received a cell phone call from one of four Inspectors that were luxuriously traveling to San Diego in a large RV. Their game plan was for three of them to sleep in the RV and they are planning to shower inside the Town & Country Hotel at the fourth Inspector's room..... They were calling to extend the invitation to make the 10 hour trip and bunk with them in sunny San Diego...... Sounds tempting doesn't it?!?!
The
CE project is now making quick progress. Changes were made in
the programming to allow my massive inspection form sets to load
up into the little CE Casio machine. If you are looking to buy
a CE machine I would pick your hardware very carefully and limit
the choices to either Casio or Compaq. I would steer all of you
to the Casio E-100 because of the way I have fallen in love with
the Casio's bright screen. The only thing better is the Casio
E-105 because of the added 16 meg of ram if you can afford the
extra $100. I recommend the E-100 because in another 6-8 months
it might just be outdated and you'll want a newer model. For now
my E-100 is more than plenty to handle my Home Inspecting needs
and internet sales have turned up for as little as $399......
There are still a few more glitches to work out of the 3D CE software
system before it will be ready for the masses.
MARKETING TIP - LETTERING
A great marketing
tip is using the work vehicle as a billboard by plastering it
with your company logos and lettering. My older work van was a
regular Michael Leavitt & Co mobile. It included side and
rear window lettering with a nice sized spare tire cover featuring
my logo and phone number. I thought of the spare tire cover idea
as I sat in traffic one day looking at the rear end of a van with
an exposed spare tire...... What an advertising spot.
Since I retired that
vehicle, I still have the spare tire cover. Instead of letting
it go to waste I have since wrapped it around an old ten speed
rim and I use it for advertising when I sponsor holes at local
golf tournaments.
I decided to downsize my vehicle and opted for a little white mini-van with the two built-in child seats. This feature might not interest most of you, but with young kids it is the greatest feature in a van. I have yet to letter my mini-van since purchasing it. Instead, I have opted to letter my custom made ladder case.
I don't know what the rest of you use for a ladder, but I used to carry a 20' extension ladder as well as a 6' A-frame ladder. This was bulky, but adequate. The difficult part about carrying ladders is in the winter time when the ladders get rained and snowed on. You will recall back in May 1999 I upgraded my ladder needs from two down to one and reported the following.........
LITTLE
GIANT LADDERSWhat kind of ladder are you currently using??? Up until Friday afternoon, my ladder collection consisted of a 6-foot Werner aluminum A-frame ladder and a 20-foot Werner aluminum extension ladder. I drive a Plymouth Voyager mini-van with custom roof racks to carry the two ladders. It is professional, but I could easily be mistaken for a window washer....... Not the best mis-identification.
A Home Inspector's ladders can say a lot about his professionalism without any spoken words. For this reason, I have felt embarrassed about my extension ladder. Some time last year (1998) I was coming out of a garage carrying my extension ladder towards my 1-ton Chevy van (I don't have this vehicle anymore). As I approached the van my cell phone sounded off. At that particular time of my business, I was very excited about receiving cell phone calls. I now dread the inconvenienc...but I digress. I took my ladder and quickly set it down on the ground next to my van. I quickly answered the call and found myself sitting comfortably in the driver's seat taking down the vital information for an inspection. When the call was done I was then running behind schedule for the next appointment. Knowing this, I started my van and proceeded to back out of the driveway. After moving only a foot I felt, and heard, the crunch of metal as the van was lifted up on the driver's side.
I immediately realized my error and pulled forward off of the ladder. I jumped out and the lower portion of the ladder was collapsed. I was surprised to find that the ladder still functioned fine, but it looked crunched. One would think that I would have immediately purchased a new unit, but I could not bring myself to do so. The ladder is still working to this day, but I have been investigating ladder options ever since.
My
search landed upon the Telesteps® telescoping ladder found
in the Professional Equipment catalog, but it only raises to 12
ft 6 in. Homes in my area are typically at least 1 1/2 stories
which greatly exceeds 12 ft 6 in. I have patiently been waiting
for them to come out with an 18 ft version, but I am still waiting.
The idea intrigues me. I love the size and can even tolerate the
inflated purchase amount, but it will not fit my needs.
I was scheduling an inspection for last Friday when the client said that he worked for Wing Enterprises in Springville, Utah, and they manufacture the Little Giant ladders. I did not know which ladder that was at the time, but for some reason I thought it was the Telesteps® telescoping ladder. When I told him what my needs were he said, "We have just the ladder for you." He then asked if I would consider bartering the inspection fee. I said that I would be very interested if the ladder would fit my needs. He said that he would bring one to the inspection.
When
the inspection was completed we walked out to my Buyer's SUV and
he pulled out a Little Giant ladder. It was not the ladder that
I was envisioning, but what a ladder it turned out to be. I later
found out that the Telesteps® is still only 12 ft 6 in max,
but the Little Giant will fit all of my needs. He demonstrated
the features and it is both an A-frame and an extension ladder
combined into one.
As an extension ladder it will extend to 22 ft so I can finally get on top of those 2-story buildings. My previous extension ladder was just too short for two story buildings. It was also very unstable at the very extended length. The Little Giant height is amazing to me because the ladder collapses to about 5 ft3 in long. The extending lengths are set at 1 foot intervals.
As an A-frame ladder, the Little Giant will offset so that one side is vertical with the other angled. This feature comes in handy inside of closets where I used to leave my 6-foot A-frame ladder closed and leaning into the closet shelf. With the Little Giant I won't have to lean it, it will be self-supporting. It will make a 5 ft to 10 ft A-frame with one foot intervals.
I have the Type 2 ladder in the 22 foot length, but they do also make 2 smaller versions. If you are interested in purchasing one, I would recommend that you check around because every place that I have found is overpriced. The type 2 models are rated for 225 lbs. The type 1's are heavier, but are rated for 300 lbs. The type 2's have a suggested retail of $315 for the 13 ft, $355 for the 17 ft, and $395 for the 22 ft like mine. As to be expected, Professional Equipments "Prices" are exactly the same except for a $3 savings on the 17 ft ladder.
Now the good news. I received the flier from my client for the specials that they offer to Home Inspectors at trade shows. The 13 ft ladder is $229, the 17 ft is $249, and the 22 ft is $269. This includes the freight to your home. If you are interested, call my client, Kenyan Allen, at 800-542-9464 at Wing Enterprises. Tell him that you heard about it from me in this MMM.
LITTLE GIANT LETTERINGMy Little Giant ladder is quite an impressive unit, but using it in wet weather is just as inconvenient as any other ladder. Back in December 1997 I shared the following wet weather tip when dealing with wet ladders........
INSPECTOR'S TIP #1 -- I made a custom waterproof cover for my six foot ladder. This allows for me to carry it on my roof rack in all of the elements. At the inspection, I bring it into the garage or carport first, uncover it and bring a nice dry ladder inside the house to gain attic access. The clients really appreciate the extra effort and they tell the agents involved about the extra care that was taken to keep the home clean.
Now that I owned this
new Little Giant ladder that would be come prime pickings for
thiefs, and the fact that my newer van is unlettered, I opted
to make the best of both worlds. I resolved two issues simultaneously
by making a custom lettered ladder case. This ladder case is lettered
with 6" high white letters and logos running along each side
of the ladder so that it can be easily read from either side of
the vehicle. The white lettering is a sharp contrast from the
black case and says quite boldly THE
HOME INSPECTOR.
If you wanted to make a custom case I would have no idea where you can get one. I created it on my own sewing machine, but that is my own special little talent. It is a great marketing tool, and one day when the snow thaws I will still take the time to letter this vehicle too.
RACING
PULSEAll of today's talk about ladders is to set the stage for the following experience. Think back to the most recent experience that left you in a cold sweat with your heart pounding out of your chest. This past Thursday left me to recover from a near-heart failing situation (A day before David Letterman's heart ordeal).
I finished my morning inspection and was loading up my equipment when the client showed up for the walkthrough. I was distracted and stopped what I was doing long enough to make introductions and break the ice with my clients who spoke only a little English. This is always a challenge, but my fluency in Portuguese helps to ease the difficulty. We then immediately started walking and talking about the conditions of the home. Having a language barrier it took a little longer and by the time we were done I was about 20 minutes behind for a firm commitment.
There
are times when you can be late to your next appointment and other
times that you just cannot. If the home is vacant and there is
no walkthrough, then it doesn't matter when you arrive or when
you finish. Then there are times, like Thursday, when I had to
leave the County out of cell phone range so that I could perform
a re-inspection and make it back into cell phone range. I have
the ability to connect my cell phone to my laptop and transfer
information and files over a special cellular data-only line via
the internet.
I had to get back into range, transfer the file electronically to the lender so that the re-inspect report could be Fed Ex'd to the underwriter in New Jersey and the closing could happen on Friday. If I was late, then the closing would not occur. This meant that my client would lose the interest rate lock and would lose her place in the lending line and the deal that was 3 months in the making would be dead. I assured all the interested parties that I would not let them down.
Now with that preface, you can understand my anxiety when I looked at my watch at the conclusion of my morning inspection walkthrough and realized that I was behind schedule. I quickly accepted the money order payment and hopped into my van. Driving cautiously but efficiently, I quickly made my way to the Interstate heading south. The speed limit is 75 mph in rural Utah and I was ready to take advantage to it. As I made it up to full speed I heard an unusual thud and the sound of the hooks on my ladder tie down straps banging on my rooftop....... My heart stopped!!!
Words do not do my feelings justice as I share with you that time stopped. I remember looking in my rear view mirror to see if there were any major crashes behind me...... I couldn't see anybody in my mirror. Next, I rolled down my window and my worst fear was realized...... My ladder was gone. I flashed back to remember if I actually loaded it on the rooftop..... I thought that I did. I looked again in my mirrors and couldn't see the ladder on the roadside. I decided to continue driving until I found one of those rural Interstate turnarounds so that I could go back and see.
I knew that there were two options......
As I turned around
heading back I saw a beautiful site. There on the shoulder was
a black case with huge white letters that said "Here
is the Bozo Home Inspector's ladder that he forgot to strap down
to his roof racks!" I never thought that I would
forget to strap a ladder down, but all evidence shows that it
was my fault. Once I got the ladder and positioned it back on
the rack I did not find any damage to the straps or the securing
hooks, so it must have been my own oversight..... That's right.....
the arrival of my clients distracted me from strapping the ladder.....
Ooops!
Driving over my extension ladder 2 years prior felt nothing like losing my ladder on the freeway. I was amazed that it happened with nobody driving behind me. Can you imagine the liability of sending your ladder through the front windshield of a car following you??? Can you imagine the guilt that would follow knowing that somebody was injured or killed by your oversight??? I was lucky!!! I was really lucky!!! I can't believe how lucky I was!!!
As for damages...... Surely my pride was shattered. My expensive Little Giant ladder was protected from real damage by my custom Home Inspector cover. The cover suffered 6 tear and abrasion points. The ladder suffered 2 separate abrasion scrapes, but was otherwise uninjured and it still working well. I'm not sure what the moral to this experience is, but accidents do happen. I suppose that each takeoff should have a pre-flight check to prevent this type of mishap. I have done well in the hundreds of inspections before last Thursday and had yet to lose a ladder. It only takes one time, so let my experience be your one time so that you never have to experience my horror firsthand.
CE
HOT TIP - CEKeyboardThe most recent issue of Handheld PC shared the following Quick Tip,
A big, usable, external keyboard - for free!
You already have it! It's attached to your desktop PC computer and it's easier and less expensive to use than any of the smaller, customized solutions. All you need is CEKeyboard, a free program from Foliage.
I know that the word "free"
is the big come on, but you need to understand that importance
of the shared solution goes way beyond the fact that it is "free."
Newton & pen users out there know how hard it can be to input
large quantities of information into a computer via a stylus only.
Sure there are handwriting recognition programs out there and
all pen-driven computers include a pen pecking keyboard on the
screen.
I have been researching the topic to discover what options there are on the market. I remember the $80 keyboard that Macintosh made for their Newton and thought that maybe Casio provided the same..... I was wrong. Casio does not make an external keyboard for their devices. I found a neat folding keyboard for Palmtops, but it turned out that they were strictly for Palm units. Then I came upon the above mentioned Quick Tip in a magazine that I highly recommend to anybody considering the purchase of a handheld Palmtop CE running machine. Handheld PC can be found at Comp USA or found online at: www.hpcmag.com
The CEKeyboard solution can be found for free at: http://www.foliage.com/ce/indexnew.html and it really works. When I have my little CE machine in the synchronizing/charging cradle I simply click an icon on my laptop machine. Anything that I then type on my laptop will be sent over to my little CE machine. This eliminates the need to send the file from the CE to the laptop to add the comment and then send it back to the CE again. It is a nifty little CE solution that is currently free while it is still in its Beta stage. I recommend that you download the free file to your laptop for use later once you get the CE device. If you wait, then you may just have to pay for it.
The following excerpts from the Foliage press release say....
Foliage Software Systems' CEKeyboard v1.01
About CEKeyboard:
Operation:
Remuneration:
Foliage encourages you to establish
a dialog with us. Please tell us about issues you have with Foliage's
products, commercial Windows CE applications, commercial Windows
CE systems and Windows CE in general. Suggestions and ideas are
always welcome.
We enjoy hearing from you. Regards, Foliage Software Systems
QUOTABLE QUOTES: "Here
is the Bozo Home Inspector's ladder that he forgot to strap down
to his roof racks!"[Michael Leavitt's Home Page | Back Issues of the MMM | Current Issue of the MMM]
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