Lack of support from HIP Providers, Panels and DEAs
Alyson, of Property Reports Network (PRNet) - a business network of Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs) and property professionals based in the Northwest -, has been raising a few interesting threads lately at the Home Inspector Forum.
In one thread that caught my eye, she highlights some of the problems experienced by estate agents that are essentially acting as the interface between HIP providers (HIPP), Panels, DEAs, and their home-owning clients.
Scruffy DEAs
She reveals how one estate agent - who had never met any of the DEAs sent by their HIPP - decided to go and visit a property whilst an assessment was taking place only to be horrified to "...meet a bloke in scruffy jeans and a T shirt.".
On another occasion, a DEA called in to pick up a key who was, she writes, "...so scruffy and incoherent (a strong accent from another area, but all it takes for communication to be difficult) that they [the staff] pretended they could not find the key and played for time until they could verify who he was."
With competition for EPC work so high, it's astonishing that DEAs would let themselves down on such a basic expectation.
Problems dumped onto estate agents
Standards of attire aside, other problems "dumped" onto estate agents include the hassles of:
"Arranging to obtain credit card details, cheque's and deferred payment forms on behalf of some Pack Providers
Dealing with an additional layer of T&Cs (possibly on behalf of the DEA)
Arranging access for the DEA
Dealing with the complaints from seller when a DEA is late or does not show up
Dealing with the queries from the seller regarding the HIP or the EPC (prior to being done)
Dealing with the angry seller who gets a single figure EPC rating
Dealing with an angry seller who's HIP has taken far longer than expected - or has cost more than they expected due to title or tenure issues, which were not explained at the start
Dealing with the DEA who comes back to the branch 3 months later to tell them the bunch of @*$@ing cowboys that do their HIPs have not paid him yet"
Opening the eyes of EAs - The Home Inspector Forum
A chain is as strong as its weakest link
Whether a HIPP, independent DEA or panel, maybe it's time to ask: when was the last time you spoke to all those engaged in the process of your service (not just the estate agency proprietor)?
If you're trying to win clients, pay attention to all the above for you have seen the Achilles Heel of those you compete with, as Alyson herself, suggests.
Tags: Domestic-Energy-Assessor
