Client Communication Skills for Home Inspectors
Last Updated August 6, 2024
As a home inspector, client communication skills aren’t a nice-to-have; they’re a need-to-have. Fail to have effective communication with customers, and you are more likely to face insurance claims, like this home inspector:
While installing a new HVAC system in a duplex, a contractor noticed widespread charred rafters and evidence of repairs in the attic. When the contractor reported his observations, the clients reviewed their four-month-old inspection report only to find no mention of the rafters or repairs.
As an insured of ours, the home inspector forwarded us the email. Upon reviewing the inspector’s report, we found his description of the attic sparse. He said he inspected “from the attic access and with thermal imaging,” but there were no photos of the attic in the report or in the inspector’s personal archives. While he mentioned the framing and sheathing types, he made no notes of damage or repairs.
Upon our request, the inspector returned to the duplex to re-inspect. There was evidence that the attic access hatch had been painted shut previously, then opened for the contractor. The inspector guessed he hadn’t opened the hatch or seen the damage during the original inspection because he deemed the attic inaccessible. However, he didn’t say so in his report. He didn’t tell the client, either. The claim against him settled for a refund of his inspection fee.
The Importance of Client Communication Skills
Effective communication with customers answers these questions and more, going beyond providing services to keep clients informed and anticipate their needs, explains SaaS company FuseBase. In the inspection industry, you and your clients communicate over key information, like logistics, scope, and findings. Clients of home inspectors want to know what services you offer, what will happen during your inspection, and what the reported defects mean.
Every form of client communication—from the emails you send to what you say on the phone—tells your clients something. But are you saying what you want to say?
Psychologists like James V. Cordova of Clark University argue we miscommunicate more often than not. You may neglect to say something important, like the inspector at the beginning of this article who didn’t tell his clients the attic was inaccessible. Or you may use technical jargon your clients don’t understand. Perhaps you didn’t use effective communication to identify client needs and expectations at the onset, so your client ends up dissatisfied with the inspection you perform.
There are lots of ways to communicate poorly. And poor communication can create serious consequences for your business, says William Chandler of Property 360 in Florida.
“Communication, reporting—that’s where the rubber meets the road,” Chandler said. “You can be an excellent inspector, but if you’re not competent in verbal and written communication, you’ll struggle to grow your business, or you’ll find yourself on the wrong end of a claim.”
But the good news: Professional communication with clients isn’t a guessing game. Good communication with clients happens when you develop the customer service and interpersonal skills necessary to tell your clients what they need and want to know. In this article, we explore common client communication problems and the client communication skills you need to combat them.
Common Client Communication Problems
How to communicate risk to clients is no easy feat. On one hand, communicating bad news to customers can be awkward and frustrating when buyers’ and sellers’ hopes conflict with your reporting obligations. Such headaches become even more complicated when communicating with difficult customers, like clients who feel entitled to certain outcomes. Frequent client communication missteps among home inspectors include:
- Failing to articulate what happens during the inspection so clients understand what you do or how long it takes.
- Not underscoring exclusions, leading clients to assume a basic inspection covers more than it does.
- Using technical words clients don’t understand.
- Being inconsistent with what you say in-person or on the phone and what you write in your inspection report.
- Under or over-emphasizing issues during defect classification, leading clients to misunderstand the severity of a problem.
(For more examples of client communication problems, check out our infographic 5 Things to Better Explain to Your Home Inspection Clients, which includes quotes from recent home buyers.)
Here are some essential communication techniques for dealing with difficult clients and tough situations. Employing these client communication best practices will improve client communication, provide better customer service, and mitigate potential claims.
6 Client Communication Tips for Home Inspectors
1. Cater to your clients.
Some of your clients will be general contractors. Others will be hairstylists. Some will be buying their fourth home. Others will be shopping for their first. How to communicate with business clients varies based on their background. To identify the best way to communicate with clients, you need to get to know them.
For client-centered communication, begin by determining their familiarity with inspections and homes. While clients with backgrounds in construction or contracting may understand inspection jargon, others may need more explanation.
Knowing where they’re from and their age can also provide different ways to communicate with customers. For Justin Simmons of Home Scope Home Inspections in Georgia, age and tech savviness play a huge role in the ways he communicates with clients. While he uses multiple forms of client communication for every customer, he knows younger clients will typically respond better to texts than the older ones, who tend to prefer phone calls. Regional differences, too, require Simmons to change how he speaks.
“What you say to people and how you say it are two different things,” Simmons said. “I’m from the North where people talk a little faster. I’ve learned to just slow down.”
2. Tell them what to expect at every stage.
We’ve harped on the importance of effective communication to identify client needs and expectations for years. But do you know what expectations you’re setting?
You can avoid surprises and complaints by explaining what’s going to happen (and when). For example, set expectations by anticipating and answering these common questions:
- What communication will you send before the inspection? How and when?
- When and how should they sign your pre-inspection agreement? (Hint: It’s before you start inspecting!)
- How long will your inspection take?
- What will you do during your inspection? What’s included? Excluded?
- Can clients attend? When should they show up?
- When will you send the inspection report? What will be in it?
- If clients have questions or concerns, how should they contact you?
3. Keep client communication consistent across mediums and time.
Few things will confuse clients more than contradictions. As Barry Wong of Building Specs Hawaii, LLC told us in our article on writing reports clients understand, inconsistency can arouse suspicion and lead to claims.
“You talk differently than you actually write. But the physical message going across has to be consistent,” Wong said. “Inconsistencies like, ‘Well, he told me this, but that’s not what it says in the report’ are going to get the client concerned, especially if a problem occurs with the inspection later on.”
So if you say something, say the same thing every time. Whether it’s verbal—on the phone or in person—or written—in a text, email, contract, or report—keep your client communication cohesive. Furthermore,strive for uniformity across clients, too. In your technical field, good communication with clients can boost your credibility in a lawsuit and satisfy clients.
4. Give your findings context.
In his self-published article “What a Real Estate Agent Wants From a Home Inspector,” Bill Gassett, Realtor at RE/MAX Executive Realty in Massachusetts, argued the primary difference between good and bad inspectors is information delivery.
“Good delivery would be someone who takes the time and actually explains exactly what the problem is,” Gassett said.
Gassett said inspectors shouldn’t omit information, but rather give clients the context to make reasonable decisions. Since typical clients don’t understand their significance, knowing if the issue is common or easily fixed may help them determine next steps. (Check out our article on defect classification for further help.)
For Chandler, providing context in client communication is only possible if you know your stuff and have honed your delivery.
“You have to, first of all, have knowledge of what you’re reporting so you can competently explain why this is deficient or needs replacement or repair,” Chandler said. “You have to practice that. It’s a learned behavior. You have to be matter-of-fact and let people know if it’s a routine component which, based on age or lack of maintenance, is going to need work.”
5. Don’t drown yourself out.
While maximalist interior design is trending, maximalist report writing is not. (And will not be.) Inspectors seeking to mitigate risk should avoid the temptation to create a laundry list of imperfections just to fill the report. Effective communication with customers is to-the-point, not bogged down by unnecessary details. The more unnecessary information, the more likely you are to confuse your clients.
Jim Brown of Final Word Home Inspection in Georgia suggests inspectors let the house determine the inspection results.
“I’ve gone into houses that’ve been remodeled and, whoever did the remodel job did a tremendous job. And I found very little wrong in this house,” Brown said. “There was a time in my past when I would’ve felt the need to fill up my report with something. I’ve just come to a place where, if there’s nothing or very little wrong in the house, then I don’t put it down on the report.”
David Kile of Texas Dependable Home Inspections agrees, arguing the best way to communicate with clients is without an ego that may motivate you to over-communicate.
“We’re not trying to prove how good you are as an inspector. We’re not trying to prove to the world how vast your knowledge is about something. What we’re trying to do is convey the information to the client,” Kile said.
6. Provide facts without judgment.
As you keep your client communication fact-focused, you respect your clients as the decision-makers and avoid potentially inflammatory comments that can lead to claims, says Linda J. Page, National Association of Realtors (NAR) Former Region 2 Vice President.
“Inspectors need to be what I like to call non-inflammatory—very level, very balanced in their approach and the way they address deficiencies in a home” Page said. “We don’t want clients to overlook deficiencies, but we also don’t want them to make a mountain out of a molehill.”
For Kile, it helps to remember his place in the real estate transaction. He said his goal is to make clients feel more confident about the choices and decisions they make.
“Whether or not it’s a good house or a bad house, I don’t get involved in that,” Kile said. “I’m trying to bridge the distance between what they do know and what they don’t know. With understanding and knowledge, there’s less fear.”
When client communication skills aren’t enough, lean on us.
You’re in a profession where most inspectors face at least one claim during their careers. That’s why home inspectors need to educate their clients and use client communication best practices to prevent pitfalls. Through thoughtful and clear communication, clients are more likely to understand your inspection findings. And with that understanding comes customer satisfaction and a decreased chance of future claims.
But even the most refined client communication can’t deter every complaint. That’s where home inspector E&O insurance and general liability coverage come in.
Here at InspectorPro, our claims team has mastered communicating with difficult customers. Whether you’re already facing a lawsuit or you’re nervous a client gripe might turn into one, our pre-claims and claims resources have the experience and expertise to help. Click here to apply for a quote.
