Charge A Fee For Weeks Of Contact Flaking?

[DTB]

I like your idea. **** happens, I get it - but I was definitely miffed after the second time.

Eh, then my employer is the sucker - I know he would have wanted me to "bend over", but that didn't sit well with me. I'm basically a glorified secretary/preliminary researcher - I call a lot of the shots with orders and things, but when it comes to client interaction, he wants us to be nice. Everyone's "a good client". It was more of a "principal of the matter" sort of thing for me... it affected my time/stress levels more than anyone else's, but it certainly shaved off a couple hundred bucks from the company's earnings.

When you're the employee, that's what it takes.

I have never been able to turn off my thinking cap, thus never was an employee.

 

[straight-outta-compin']

I agree--cost of business. Do other business with them? Hope to do more in the future? If 'yes' to either, no fee. Doesn't really take much time to make appointments.

Well, that's the problem... in this case, it did.

I spent a couple of hours every day... for five days a week... for an entire month on this. Forty hours. I spent a week at a full-time job on trying to schedule this inspection.

I spent a lot of extra time calling other contacts to rearrange their scheduled inspections, as well as the appraisers' schedules and mapping their locations/driving distances, all to shuffle the board around for what was always "her only available time all week" because she "had an executive in town" or "a presentation", etc.

I would then update the client about the new inspection and give a TAT. Client always says, "great!" and changes the due date. Then, (five times, mind you) she would cancel under 24 hours before inspection and not respond to any contact for nearly a week thereafter, during which time I would be asked by the client multiple times a day (which I did after each attempt) to update them as to whether or not I had been able to reach the contact and to provide an inspection time/due date if I had, which I could not do.

Again, it's... in that grey area. I would normally never charge for a rescheduling, or for a tricky contact if we never went out to the property. But this... was something else.

 

[Walter Kirk]

Ask yourself how much you like this client. If its a good client don't charge anything.

 

[straight-outta-compin']

When you're the employee, that's what it takes.

I have never been able to turn off my thinking cap, thus never was an employee.

No need to be so salty; I came to ask a question, as I'm relatively new to this specific industry (only two months in). I use "employee" as more of a loose term to get the point across - I'm an independent contractor, but my work affects the time/money/etc. of the appraisers in the office.

 

[DTB]

Well, that's the problem... in this case, it did.

I spent a couple of hours every day... for five days a week... for an entire month on this. Forty hours. I spent a week at a full-time job on trying to schedule this inspection.

.

Either you are doing something wrong or this is a horrible client. It sounds like the latter from your most recent post.

Again, you were getting your hourly pay so why worry about it? Your boss has stated his position on client relations.

 

[DTB]

No need to be so salty; I came to ask a question, as I'm relatively new to this specific industry (only two months in). I use "employee" as more of a loose term to get the point across - I'm an independent contractor, but my work affects the time/money/etc. of the appraisers in the office.

Not salty at all.

FYI, I would never spend this much time on that assignment. After the first short notice cancellation, the borrower/agent gets to pick one of 2 offered time slots. Can't make either one? Send them back to the client to be straightened out. Do NOT contact me until you are positive about an appointment time.

Then move them to the bottom of the pile.

BTW we have no idea of your pay structure.

 

[Elliott]

SOC said, I spent a couple of hours every day... for five days a week... for an entire month on this. Forty hours. I spent a week at a full-time job on trying to schedule this inspection.

I wouldn't have spent more than 5 minutes a week on arranging an appointment. If someone can't make an appointment around my other appointments, its, 'sorry, catch you next week.' Why would you want to fit a square peg in a round hole?

 

[J Grant]

Ask yourself how much you like this client. If its a good client don't charge anything.

If they are a good client they are happy to pay a modest charge for an extensive time consuming cancellation. Lender clients are funded in the tens of millions do you think they notice the $? Especially when they offer to pay. It looks unprofessional not to charge, like an appraiser is desperate not to lose them..short term they thank you but long term it puts a sliver of doubt in their mind...

 

[Gobears81]

Highest and best use isn't just an appraisal process issue, it is a concept we can apply to the way we work. In this case, if you've already been cancelled on twice, the highest and best use of your time is spent elsewhere. After the second cancellation, you put it back on the borrower and on the client to figure out how this is going to get scheduled. You can't expect a fee for your time spent because 99% of appraisers would have put the onus on the borrower/client at that point and not wasted time rescheduling appointments, etc

 

[J Grant]

Highest and best use isn't just an appraisal process issue, it is a concept we can apply to the way we work. In this case, if you've already been cancelled on twice, the highest and best use of your time is spent elsewhere. After the second cancellation, you put it back on the borrower and on the client to figure out how this is going to get scheduled. You can't expect a fee for your time spent because 99% of appraisers would have put the onus on the borrower/client at that point and not wasted time rescheduling appointments, etc

Good point. That is how I tend to handle it After a cancellation and/or difficult borrower I contact the client, explain my efforts and ask them to handle it from that point forward and let me know if order is settled with the borrower and ready to be re activated. Sometimes a few weeks out it gets cancelled, other times they straighten out the problem with the borrower.