OnSource Photo Inspections Guide

Transcription

1 OnSource Photo Inspections Guide

2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Greeting the Customer 3. Gathering Visual Information 4. Completing the Inspection 5. Next Steps Introduction Hello and welcome to OnSource. You are well on your way to becoming part of the OnSource Photo Inspection Network. This document is a guide to taking photo inspections. We ll recommend best practices and tips for you to consider on every inspection. After your application is approved, you will receive an online welcome packet which contains your OnSource Photo Inspector credentials badge as well as complete property description best practices, training video, and other materials (property indicates the type of asset; an auto, home or construction equipment, etc.) As an OnSource Photo Inspector, you will be working with properties ranging from vehicles, to homes, to construction equipment. The most common types of property you will be working with can be categorized into the following groups: Vehicles Vehicles consist of properties that can be driven and operated on and off road, primarily automobiles, recreational vehicles (mobile homes, campers, boats, ATV, jet skis, motorcycles), trucks, semis, transport vehicles, etc. Items such as trailers, engines, or axles are also part of the vehicles group.

3 Real Estate Properties that are considered Real Estate are residential homes, apartments, condominiums, office spaces, commercial property, stores, etc. Other components related to a particular property such as appliances, cabinets, pools, furnaces, garages, etc. are also part of the Real Estate group. Equipment Equipment property types can include construction equipment, farming equipment, utility support (fences & poles), containers, etc. The property for your inspection may be at a commercial or residential location. Depending on the location, the property owner or a representative servicing the property may or may not be present. At the time of your appointment, OnSource will notify you if the property owner is scheduled to be present. The following section provides tips and best practices on how to greet and interact with the property owners or representatives that are present during an OnSource photo inspection. Greeting the Customer Providing quality work with excellent customer service is an essential part of the responsibilities of any Photo Inspector. Here are a number of tips and best practices for becoming a successful photo inspector. Tip 1: When arriving to the property location, politely introduce yourself and inform the owner/representative that you are there to takes photos and video of their property. Tip 2: To put the client at ease, display your OnSource credentials.

4 Tip 3: This is a professional inspection, dress appropriately for the occasion. Recommendations includes the following: A collared, solid colored shirt Khakis/Jeans Appropriate jacket/coat with no visible logos The following are examples of Photo Inspectors that are dressed in accordance with OnSource s Photo Inspection recommendations:

5 Tip 4: As you interact with the property owner while gathering Visual Information, you may be asked about the property, its condition, or your opinion. Do not offer any comments or opinions about their property, its condition, or what they should do about repairs, etc. Your task is to take photos. Tip 5: The proper way to answer a customer s question about their property would be to refer them to their case representative at the institution where they are doing business. The following dialogue depicts a suggested response by an OnSource Photo Inspector when asked by the property owner a question about their claim. Customer: Do you think that my car is beyond repair? OnSource Inspector: The information that I am gathering today will be sent to and reviewed by your case manager. You will need to verify the status of your car with them directly. Gathering Visual Information Whether the photo and videos you gather are used to assess damages, write estimates, or just to add to the record books, the Visual Information you gather is important. The businesses that request this information depends on the quality

6 and consistency of your work. This section of the guide will provide you with the core recommendations on how to gather Visual Information. Tip 1: Taking the appropriate amount/length of photos/video is a requirement for successfully completing an inspection. Tip 2: Review the images on your smartphone to ensure that you captured a clear, crisp image. Tip 3: If the image contains serial numbers or odometer readings, record them separately as numbers within the Inspector App, as numbers do not always display clearly on a screen. Tip 4: After capturing a photo or video clip, check in the OnSource Inspector app that the image is clear. Capture additional images as you see fit to ensure that the Visual Information that you are submitting is quality. Focused: Example of a clear control panel with a legible serial number. Out of Focus: Example of a blurry control panel with an illegible serial number. Separately record all license plate, VIN, and serial numbers within the OnSource Inspector app. Tip 5: As part of gathering photos and video, ask the customer or location representative to provide you with any details about the property and any incidents/damages that it may have been involved with. Document these comments either verbally while recording video or type/record them in the mobile application.

7 Tip 6: When providing your commentary, state in your words only facts about the property and refrain from submitting personal opinions or suggestions about the property or any of the property s components. Tip 7: Here are a few examples of property conditions that you should include when capturing Visual Information commentary. Sounds (grinding, squeaking, etc.) Conditions (wet, dry, rusty, etc.) Damage details that may be difficult to see on screen (light scratches, stains, broken components, etc.) Tip 8: When capturing Visual Information for photos and video, the panel or portion that you are capturing should fit just inside of the view finder on your smartphone. Position yourself appropriately depending on the type of property. When capturing images for an automobile, stand approximately 5-6 away from the vehicle. For close up damaged items, your smartphone camera lens would be approximately 4-6 away from the damaged component. Each photo inspection on the OnSource Inspection app includes a checklist and any special instructions, as well as a link to a short video showing the proper method for capturing the required images. The checklist will indicate which images or what sections of a property you will need to document. Please follow the special instructions and dispatch guide. Both sections should be reviewed before arriving at the property location to make sure you understand requirements and have the proper resources (such as a tape measure and flashlight) to complete the service.

8 Before capturing any Visual Information, familiarize yourself with the property type. This will help to make sure that you have captured all required visual information. The following are examples of some best practices for property preparations: Equipment: walk around the property to identify serial plates, connection points, etc. Real Estate: a good practice is to turn on any lights or unlock doors in advance. Vehicles: make sure the odometer reading is displayed, unlock doors, and check for existing damages. If present, defer to the customer or shop representative to unlock property doors/entrances or turn on lights.

9 If after arriving on scene, you recognize that some required items from your checklist are missing, contact the OnSource hotline at (855) for further instructions. Completing the OnSource Inspection Once all the images have been captured you re ready to complete the inspection. Images can be automatically uploaded via the OnSource Inspector app, but within 3 hours of the appointment time completion. At any given time, you may have captured images for several assignments on your phone. Before uploading the images, please verify that the content matches the case. Failure to capture and upload all required images will delay payment and may result in having to re-complete the inspection. Next Steps We hope this OnSource Visual Information guide, gives you the necessary resources to conduct an inspection.