Today’s Ask the Expert column features Dan Steward, president and CEO of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®.
Dan Steward
President and CEO
Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®
www.pillartopost.com
Q: This is certainly the most unusual of times. How is Pillar To Post Home Inspectors® handling customers and business in the wake of COVID-19?
A: This is something none of us has ever experienced, although there have been other disasters and trying times for our industry. Like every other business is likely to say, the health and safety of our customers is our highest priority. As such, we are diligently monitoring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Canada and medical professionals to ensure we are taking the necessary steps to protect our customers. During this time, wherever possible, and only with customers’ comfort and approval, Pillar To Post remains open and committed to providing a best-in-class home inspection that helps clients turn a house into a home.
Q: How do you minimize contact and keep the proper distance while conducting home inspections?
A: Fortunately, we have years and years of experience building solid relationships with REALTORS®, and, in most cases, we can use a lockbox to enter without even having to see a REALTOR® or homeowner. If the homeowner is “sheltering in place,” we follow all safety and distancing protocols and keep it to a one-person job.
Q: Why should people continue with home inspections or other semi-essential services?
A: We feel that people are going through enough, as are our home inspectors. They are all small business owners who would like to get on with a task that will bring everyone a step closer to getting back to a normal life. While following all safety guidelines, our home inspection is just one more large task that people can move forward with. At a time when many items and services have to be put on hold, it’s great to keep up with those that can be managed. This causes less stress and allows people to feel less “behind” on life.
Q: Where do you see the other side of this crisis?
A: Hopefully, we will all have learned a lot about personal distance, safety, helping others in a time of need and putting proper protocols in place for an unlikely event such as this. We at Pillar To Post Home Inspectors will certainly have lots of catching up to do, as will most companies. We are strong. We are a franchise system with a large network, and one of our strongest advantages is the support we give each other and our customers.
On behalf of both myself and the entire Pillar To Post Home Inspectors family, since the horrific death of George Floyd this past May, our thoughts have been with his family, but also on the civil unrest we are all facing in these times. Pillar To Post Home Inspectors has a reputation for diversity, and we are proud to have launched small businesses for many minorities who are among those looking for the American Dream. This dream often includes owning their first home, and, in our case, owning their own business. We want to be there to support everyone looking for a chance at these dreams. We support freedom and justice for all.
For more information, please visit www.pillartopost.com.
