Our internal scheduling tool offers a variety of options to help meet your scheduling needs. Below is a detailed breakdown of each section of the internal scheduling form, including descriptions of the different features available and guidance on how to use them effectively.
Inspector(s)
Inspector(s)
The Inspector(s) option will always be filled in when you start scheduling an inspection. You can assign a different inspector, add additional inspectors, remove the inspector altogether, and indicate whether the inspector was specifically requested to perform this inspection by clicking on the drop-down menu and checking/unchecking the boxes beside each available inspector.
For multi-inspector companies, the order of inspectors in the drop-down follows the same order as your Team page.
Date/Time
Date/Time
The Date/Time field will initially be populated with the date of the following day and the default inspection start time. Clicking on the field will launch a calendar interface.
The month can be adjusted by utilizing the left and right arrows to navigate through the months sequentially or by clicking on the month name and selecting the desired month from the drop-down menu.
Both the year and the inspection time can be modified by utilizing the scroll arrows or by typing in the preferred year/time manually.
While selecting the date and time, some warning messages may pop up in the lower left corner.
If you receive a message that reads "FYI: This is outside (Inspector)'s regular schedule of (timeframe) on (day of week)" or "FYI: This is not a regular time slot for (Inspector)," a time has been selected during the process that isn't part of the inspector's set availability. This is seen most frequently when selecting time options through scrolling instead of typing them manually, or when the company's default start time does not match the inspector's first availability of the day.
This message will not automatically close after the time is corrected. You can click the X in the upper right corner to dismiss it.
Learn where to update your company's default start time in the FAQ section of this article.
Location
Location
The default option when filling in an address is our Address Search which will start to search for addresses near you that match the information you're providing. If the address appears on the list, clicking on it will automatically fill in any property details available in our database.
🔴 Note: 🔴
Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that the automatic square footage will be the same as the online listing for a home.
There isn't currently a database that offers the square footage of homes without any margin for error. Some include the basement sqft, some don't have the most recent additions to the house, etc.!
You can always edit the square footage or pricing after the inspection is created, or turn off the square footage auto-calculation entirely.
This can be done in Settings > Scheduling Options > Uncheck Enable Sqft/Age of Home Data. By turning off the automatic square footage, your client or agent will need to fill in that field using the listing information.
If the address you're looking for does not come up in the search, you can press the Address Form button to fill in the property details manually.
⚠️ All lines of the address form must be completed including square feet and year built in order to schedule the inspection! ⚠️
Once the address has been entered, a box will appear underneath the address with the assigned inspector's photo, name, travel distance, travel time, and whether this location exceeds their travel range as set in their profile.
Additionally, an informational box will appear on the right side of your screen. This box contains a photo of the property captured from Google Street View, additional property information including the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the number of floors, the lot size, and more; an option to view the property on Zillow in a new window; and a Map tab to see the property's location. There is also a button to discard the additional information and close this informational window if these details are not correct.
Client
Client
By default, the Client section presents a full form that can be filled out manually. If this inspection is for a recurring client, you can use the client search button to auto-fill their information from your contacts.
At the top of the client form, you'll find an option labeled "Enable Client CC email for this inspection." This feature allows you to control whether CC email addresses are included in communications. This is enabled by default to maintain your current experience without disruption. If you disable this feature, it will prevent CC email addresses associated with client accounts from being included in future inspection communications, ensuring that only the intended parties receive sensitive information
Right below that is a checkbox to indicate whether the client is a company or organization, which is useful for inspections being completed for businesses or do not require a person's first and last name.
You will see there are two fields for notes: a Notes field and a Private Notes field. The Notes field is for notes that will be visible to all members of your team, while Private Notes are restricted to visibility by company admins. Neither of these fields are visible to clients or agents.
At the very bottom of the client form, there’s an "Add Additional Client" button. You can have up to two clients on an inspection, and each client can have one CC email address as well as their standard email address.
Need to add more than two clients? Check out Spectora Advanced!
No client information is mandatory for scheduling an inspection when using the internal scheduler; therefore, bookings can be made with incomplete client information or without it entirely.
Services
Services
The services section features several dropdown menus where you can select the desired services for the inspection as set up in your Services & Fees. This includes any add-ons that may be applicable, as well as the option to apply your pre-set discount codes.
To the right of the dropdown menus, there is a Charges box that tallies the total costs for the selected services and add-ons including any pricing modifiers and taxes. This box also displays the duration of the inspection, the templates that will be used, and any agreements that will be included.
Inside the Charges box, you'll find a "Manual Edit" button. This allows you to manually select templates, agreements, and fees; and set a custom duration for the inspection. There is only one line item present by default, but more can be added by pressing the blue "+Fee" button.
Payment
Payment
Under the payment section, there’s an option labeled "Require payment before release report(s)." This feature is checked by default, ensuring that clients must pay for their inspections before they're able to see their reports. Unchecking this box will allow them to view their reports without submitting payment.
Payment Notes are designated for internal notes related to payment and they remain private, visible only to you and your team.
Client's Agent/Listing Agent
Client's Agent/Listing Agent
Both agent fields default to a search option, allowing you to search for agents you've worked with in the past and auto-fill their information from your contacts. If this is an agent you're working with for the first time, you can use the Agent Form option to manually enter the agent's details, upload their photo, and add notes.
You will see there are two fields for notes: a Notes field and a Private Notes field. The Notes field is for notes that will be visible to all members of your team, while Private Notes are restricted to visibility by company admins. Neither of these fields are visible to clients or agents.
You can have one client's agent and one listing agent per inspection. Each agent can have an unlimited number of CC email addresses, separated by commas, in addition to their standard email address.
Need to add more than one client's agent or listing agent? Check out Spectora Advanced!
No agent information is mandatory for scheduling an inspection when using the internal scheduler; therefore, bookings can be made with incomplete agent information or without it entirely.
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
In the miscellaneous section of the internal scheduler, you can set up or change the inspection's Order ID, select a referral source from the dropdown menu, choose whether to schedule the inspection as confirmed or unconfirmed, and disable an inspection's notifications.
This is also where you'll find any custom scheduling fields you've created.
The miscellaneous section has an Internal Notes field. Internal Notes are private and visible only to you and your team. This feature can be used for access notes, entry codes, personal reminders, and more, ensuring that you have all pertinent information at your fingertips.
Beta
Beta
The beta option at the end of the internal scheduler can be checked to schedule your inspection to be completed in our new V10 app.
Please make sure you have downloaded our V10 app before scheduling an inspection with the beta option! If you are using our V9 app and schedule an inspection with the beta option, you will not be able to see or access the inspection in your app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable the warning messages that indicate when an inspection is being scheduled outside of an inspector's availability?
Currently, there is no way to do this. However, we have a feature request where you can add your vote if you would like to see this possibility in the future.
If you have any questions or feedback, write into our chat bubble or email support@spectora.com!