Report for Critique - Jerry Simon

[hausdok]

Kurt said:

I was expecting more debate than "I've done it this way for a long time so I'm not going to mess with it".

I guess I'm just not in the mood for a debate today.

"Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't"

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Tom Raymond]

If the buyer had bothered to read the report more carefully instead of going right to the summary report, he would have seen that.

And that begs the question, why include a summary?

Or the following question.......why not structure the report in the form of a summary?

This goes to what I was saying about Katen's report.....that the form of the report is derived from the software. No matter that folks take the software and make it look different, or that they type in customer comments, it's still the same underlying engine and process, with the same result.

So, we end up with reports that are two reports, with one that the customer avoids reading by going right to the summary.

That is why I suggested that Jim delete the summary at the end of his report.

I write in Word, on a master document that I layed out using Jim's format as a guide, because it looks good and is easy to read. All of my comments are in bold and sequentially numbered, again like Jim's, so that they are easily referenced. The entire document is a summary of my findings that I work very hard to keep around 20 pages. I could easily go on for days if I don't impose a limit.

I have replaced the abridged info at the end of the report with an appendix of useful reminders about smoke and CO detectors, installing or removing tot finder stickers, changing furnace filters and such. Most if it remains the same from one report to the next, but I can easily customize it for each house. Lately I have been thinking that this too is little more than clutter and will probably axe it soon.

As was said, I can't write one of these for fun, so I refine my document with every new report. Now, if only they weren't so few and far between...[:-weepn]

[kurt]

I guess I'm just not in the mood for a debate today.

"Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't"

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

OK, be that way.......

But what am I gonna do for my daily argument?

[:-angel]

[kurt]

I have replaced the abridged info at the end of the report with an appendix of useful reminders about smoke and CO detectors, installing or removing tot finder stickers, changing furnace filters and such. Most if it remains the same from one report to the next, but I can easily customize it for each house. Lately I have been thinking that this too is little more than clutter and will probably axe it soon.

As was said, I can't write one of these for fun, so I refine my document with every new report. Now, if only they weren't so few and far between...[:-weepn]

I think that's a viable approach. A single document, with the repeated stuff (smoke/CO detectors, GFCI's, etc.) provided as reminders to the customer.

My problem with the report/summary report method is too many folks go right to the summary.

There's the inescapable component of time, which equals money. I simply can't afford to write long reports detailing things like the differences between sanitary and vent tees. They have to be complete concise reports, in as few words as possible.

It's an ongoing exercise, like you said.

[Marc]

Going on "I do it, and they like it, so it's good" is not enough.

It's more than enough, it's everything. Soliciting feedback on a client's impressions of a report is the 'research' and my secretary has standing instructions to do so after every home inspection that we do. They like hearing that we care.

Marc

[Tom Raymond]

Going on "I do it, and they like it, so it's good" is not enough.

It's more than enough, it's everything. Soliciting feedback on a client's impressions of a report is the 'research' and my secretary has standing instructions to do so after every home inspection that we do. They like hearing that we care.

Marc

That's customer service not market research. Some people like it, some don't. I'm in the latter camp. I only take my car to the dealer for service when it's warranty related, and a week or so later I'm chewing out some poor girl over the phone when all she did was make the follow up call. I think I'd shoot someone if I had to put up with a telephone survey every 3000 miles.

[Jim Katen]

. . . This goes to what I was saying about Katen's report.....that the form of the report is derived from the software. No matter that folks take the software and make it look different, or that they type in customer comments, it's still the same underlying engine and process, with the same result. . . .

That's not true. Believe it or not I *want* the summary, misguided fool that I am. The software has nothing to do with it. IR actually comes with multiple summary options that you can chose to use or not use. I actually ditched those & designed one of my own. Like everything else in the report, it was driven by what I want, not by what the software does.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Jim Katen]

. . . This is from Friday's HI:

Download Attachment: Report 9.pdf

39.16 KB

I think the layout works very well and I like the simple, direct language.

I don't like the red text. That might be just me though. For as long as I can remember, I've had a hard time reading red text. My eyeballs bouce off it like the wrong end of a magnet.

If the text is going to be a different color, my eyes like blue or green.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[kurt]

Like everything else in the report, it was driven by what I want, not by what the software does.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

I guess I'm still looking for reasons why one would want it.

[Jim Katen]

Like everything else in the report, it was driven by what I want, not by what the software does.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

I guess I'm still looking for reasons why one would want it.

It's handy. Heck, I use it myself, especially when doing reinspections. But you probably don't like those either. . .

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Nolan Kienitz]

. . . This is from Friday's HI:

Download Attachment: Report 9.pdf

39.16 KB

I think the layout works very well and I like the simple, direct language.

I don't like the red text. That might be just me though. For as long as I can remember, I've had a hard time reading red text. My eyeballs bouce off it like the wrong end of a magnet.

If the text is going to be a different color, my eyes like blue or green.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

I completed a peer review of an inspection report this weekend and that fellow also used a lot of red text. I understood where he was coming from (focus being on items needing attention), but red tends to "alert" me to a dangerous situation. From my view red text would be a "danger" flag about something, but I might also be calling people to let them know as well.

Of course the report was in our mandated Texas TREC template.

[Phillip]

I guess the reason I use a summary is because when I started almost everyone in my area was using one.

The RE agents would call asking for one if there was not one in the report. Of course they only wanted a one page summary which is not going to happen.

When I use IR, i put photos in the summary not the report. I have had a few summary's that where longer that the body of the report.

One agent call after I had sent here the summary and said she wanted to know when she would be getting the one page summary and just would not believe it when I told her that that was the summary. It was 28 pages long.

[Marc]

I think the layout works very well and I like the simple, direct language.

I don't like the red text. That might be just me though. For as long as I can remember, I've had a hard time reading red text. My eyeballs bouce off it like the wrong end of a magnet.

If the text is going to be a different color, my eyes like blue or green.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

You like the layout? It's new. It's the first one with the 'Katen & Mitunbuler' influence. If I can get 3d to do it, the 'descriptions' twin column is next. Blue is sounding pretty good right now.

Thanks, Marc

[kurt]

It's handy. Heck, I use it myself, especially when doing reinspections. But you probably don't like those either. . .

- Jim Katen, Oregon

I hate doing reinspections; it's hard to charge enough, and there's always the question of what did the contractor do that I can't see?

My thoughts about the two report format isn't a hate relationship; it's a question of why the report has to be in a form complicated enough to require a second report that explains the first report, and why the layout of the first report requires a second report so folks can have an easy checklist to follow.

I think it goes to very basic questions about communication and task objectives.

[kurt]

I guess the reason I use a summary is because when I started almost everyone in my area was using one.

Phillip, this goes to the heart of soooo many things in the HI world.

I like your comments about photos in the summary, and how your summary ends up being longer than the report. You are intuitively working toward the thing I'm trying to describe.

A single report where all the info is in one place.

And of course the realtors want a "summary", meaning one page. Screw them.

[kurt]

Marc, that's basically what I'm talking about. Simple, direct. Go page by page, there's the report/summary all in one.

Is there a way to number the stuff that's in red, or number your comments?

I've never liked the red print thing......I used to do it that way years ago. I think red markers or icons is effective at getting folks to see the critical stuff, but not red print.

[gtblum]

In black

Several junction boxes in the attic are missing cover plates.

If left in this condition, grandma could be seriously killed while getting Christmas ornaments blah blah.... fix it.

No, I don't really write the grandma stuff.

In red.

"Any electrical defect described in this report, should be considered a safety hazard that should be corrected by an electrician as soon as possible."

I'm hoping it makes them focus harder. That usually gets dropped below at least one of the descriptions. You need to take action.

I stopped using a summary. I spend too much time adding arrows and circles to my pretty pics to have them be ignored. I'd rather they read the report and looked at the evidence. Mine are already too long because of the number of pictures included.

[Tom Raymond]

And of course the realtors want a "summary", meaning one page. Screw them.

Amen. If 20 pages of text and pictures is too much for them, perhaps they could get CEUs for remedial reading classes. Does NAR have a suggestion box?[:-dev3]

[Marc]

Marc, that's basically what I'm talking about. Simple, direct. Go page by page, there's the report/summary all in one.

Is there a way to number the stuff that's in red, or number your comments?

I've never liked the red print thing......I used to do it that way years ago. I think red markers or icons is effective at getting folks to see the critical stuff, but not red print.

I'll change it to a bold, black font, like Jim's. As for the numbers, I need to check if my software can do it. I guess that might end up proving your theory of 'software driven formats' as opposed to 'inspector driven formats'. I would likely consider replacing 3d with something else if the 3d were to put up too many walls in front of me.

Marc

[Marc]

In black

Several junction boxes in the attic are missing cover plates.

If left in this condition, grandma could be seriously killed while getting Christmas ornaments blah blah.... fix it.

No, I don't really write the grandma stuff.

In red.

"Any electrical defect described in this report, should be considered a safety hazard that should be corrected by an electrician as soon as possible."

I'm hoping it makes them focus harder. That usually gets dropped below at least one of the descriptions. You need to take action.

I stopped using a summary. I spend too much time adding arrows and circles to my pretty pics to have them be ignored. I'd rather they read the report and looked at the evidence. Mine are already too long because of the number of pictures included.

I don't care much for 'rainbow' reports.[:-bigmout

Marc

[gtblum]

I don't care much for 'rainbow' reports.[:-bigmout

Marc

I don't get the joke. Damn it.

I may change that little drop in from red to bold black too.

[Tom Raymond]

I think he just outted you[:-dev3]

[gtblum]

I think he just outted you[:-dev3]

Better talk to his sister first. []

[charlieb]

Marc, that's basically what I'm talking about. Simple, direct. Go page by page, there's the report/summary all in one.

Is there a way to number the stuff that's in red, or number your comments?

I've never liked the red print thing......I used to do it that way years ago. I think red markers or icons is effective at getting folks to see the critical stuff, but not red print.

I'll change it to a bold, black font, like Jim's. As for the numbers, I need to check if my software can do it. I guess that might end up proving your theory of 'software driven formats' as opposed to 'inspector driven formats'. I would likely consider replacing 3d with something else if the 3d were to put up too many walls in front of me.

Marc

It will but you won't like it. It numbers by subheadings not lines. At least that is the the way my version is. I have not updated in a while. Dom is working on a converter to extract my boilerplate and drop it into his software.