March into Residential Electrical Inspections with Purpose

Imagine calling your doctor’s office about a health concern, scheduling an appointment, counting the days (or weeks) until your appointment, and driving to the doctor’s office — only to sit in the waiting room for what seems like hours. When you’re finally called into the exam room, the nurse doesn’t bother to check your weight, temperature, blood pressure, or pulse. The doctor arrives, and you tell him that you’ve been having headaches. Instead of examining you, he writes you a prescription and sends you on your way. A week later, you are rushed to the hospital emergency room with symptoms of a stroke. You are probably thinking, “I just went to the doctor last week! Why in the world didn’t he see this coming?”

Unfortunately, this is exactly what a lot of technicians do when they go to a client’s house to address a problem. Some techs hear one problem, write a prescription (invoice) for a quick fix, and move on to the next call. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone back to a client’s home only to find a slew of electrical problems overlooked by the previous tech. To provide the type of service your clients deserve, an inspection must be done the right way. Here are seven tips on how to perform a proper electrical inspection.

1. Make sure your technicians are “always investigating.” This means looking for hidden problems that may or may not be related to the service call. Failing to do this leaves you open to liability, not to mention potential lost sales.

2. Always carry a printed checklist of items that must be inspected. It’s easy to forget to perform certain tasks if you don’t have something to go by.

3. Train technicians to open electrical boxes and outlets to get a good look at the items they are going to be inspecting. If they don’t remove the covers, they may miss some important discoveries, such as faulty wiring, worn circuit breakers, and improper electrical connections.

4. Make sure you have the correct tools to perform a thorough electrical inspection. An infrared scanner, meters, and properly insulated screwdrivers and side-cutters are must-haves.

5. Take your time when doing inspections. Rushing through and pencil-whipping an inspection checklist helps no one. When you offer solutions to your inspection findings, it builds the value of the repair as well as your reputation as an electrician.

6. Practice safety at all times. Wear all required PPE and arc flash gear when working with electrical systems. Just because you’re not getting your hands “dirty” doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt or even killed.

7. Be polite and ask permission to enter certain parts of the home. This engages conversation and helps build trust with the client.

By following these seven tips to properly prepare your technicians for electrical inspections, you will likely generate more revenue and gain satisfied clients.

Talbot is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 19 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he oversees a team of technicians. In his spare time, he plays with his kids, volunteers, and enjoys flipping houses. He can be reached at [email protected].