Promoting ASHI

ASHI Inspectors, chapters and the national organization promote ASHI by catching the attention of the media.

Rooney on the radio
ASHI Director Jim Rooney was the featured guest on the “Loansum Lou Show,” WBIS business radio (1190 AM) in Annapolis, Md.  Rooney said he talked about home inspections and the real estate purchasing process, and “I plugged ASHI and its Web site shamelessly and unmercifully.”

Casey on .com
Michael Casey, ASHI past president, was quoted in the article “The virtue of independence,” by Don McGonagil, published on nashvillecitypaper.com, September 23, 2005.

He said, “At least two states (Florida and Wisconsin) have declared preferred vendor programs illegal. Furthermore, generally accepted home inspection industry standards forbid such relationships.”

Chapleski shares news from Coeur d’Alene
Dan Chapleski, True North Inspection Services, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, saw “How to hire a domicile detective” in a Sunday edition of the Coeur d’Alene Press. The article stated, “Many experts also encourage consumers to choose inspectors who are members of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI),” and suggested visiting ASHI’s Web site “to locate an ASHI inspector in your area or to take a virtual home inspection online.”

Chapleski said, “I love this type of publicity; it impresses upon me the importance of being associated with the best home inspection organization. We have no licensing in this state, so I’m always encouraging homebuyers to do their homework prior to choosing their inspector and, of course I implore them to hire only ASHI Members.

Cory quoted
The Macon Telegraph addressed the licensing issue in the article “Move Afoot to Regulate Home Inspection Industry,” introducing ASHI as follows.

“A group called The American Society of Home Inspectors wants to get laws passed which would create certain standards and licensing requirements of home inspectors.”

Shannon Cory, Georgia Chapter president, said of the legislation under consideration, “We are going to be actively trying to promote this for our state.”

Mitbenbuler, Corbett make the “homeowner’s grapevine”

Angie’s List, Chicago, calls itself “the homeowners grapevine” because it lists companies recommended by customers. “Disaster Detectives. Why home inspectors are key to guarding your biggest investment,” was the cover story in its July 2005 newsletter. In addition to quoting ASHI President Don Norman and publicizing the ASHI Web site, the article identified Tom Corbett’s (Tomacor Inc.) and Kurt Mitbenbuler’s companies as highly rated. Both are ASHI Members.

In print, on the air and on the road

ASHI figured prominently when do! Magazine published “What it Takes: The road to becoming a home inspector” in the September issue.  

During October, the ASHI public service announcement (PSA) returned to televisions in Wal-Mart stores across the country. This is the second time the retail giant chose to air ASHI’s PSA for the benefit of its customers.

Also during October, ASHI President Don Norman and PR Counsel Lisa Gunggoll took the ASHI message to Washington, D.C. During the media tour, Norman and Gunggoll presented Hanley-Wood editors with details of the 2005 Home Inspection Business Operations Study results, as well as current housing trends as they relate to the home inspection industry. They also met with the Hanley-Wood group publisher to discuss partnership potential between ASHI and Hanley-Wood.

Building Relationships

Members of the ASHI Public Relations Committee have been invited to share success stories with readers. Committee member Stan A. Garnet relates how he succeeded in building a relationship with a local media maven that was beneficial to ASHI and to his chapter. 

Success can take many different forms. Money. Recognition. Self-satisfaction of a job well done. Or simply the ability to complete a task at hand.  Each of us conjures up our own perception of success. To me, success is best measured by the results achieved and the “thank you” presented by the recipient. About two years ago, I was marketing ASHI Georgia to the media. I contacted The Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine. This was a natural affiliation for ASHI inspectors. The magazine literally owns this market, the Home Show, Garden and Patio Show and the remodelers industry. I had an opportunity to meet the owner of the magazine and from time to time our paths crossed. Recently, I got a call from her. She was already familiar with ASHI and the Standards of Practice, but she asked me about my home inspection process. After we talked, she hired me to inspect her new home purchase. Well, nearly new. The house was a remodeled 32-year-old ranch in the heart of Atlanta. My associate and I inspected the house and provided her with the information she needed to make an informed decision.

Her response: “Stan, what an incredible job you guys did on my home inspection! I am extremely impressed…WOW! Thank you so much for the thorough job, quick turnaround, comprehensive and extremely organized presentation, and your professionalism. Sincerely, Sherri.” 

That in itself was success, and I was thrilled to receive this acknowledgment. Several days later, she invited me to her office to meet with her and her assistant editor. What resulted was clearly a success situation worth sharing. She requested that I work with her assistant editor to provide information on
happenings in the ASHI Georgia Chapter, present educational listings of our classes for her magazine to publish, and to submit articles of interest to her readers. This became an overnight success that started two years ago. This relationship will help promote ASHI Inspectors in our market, while publicizing the chapter’s training programs.

—Stan A. Garnet, Inspectors Associates, Inc., Atlanta Ga.