|
Why Should I
choose CRS Inspector Training?
Our instructors are not only certified and trained
in the field of Carpet Inspection; they also bring
over 50 years of successful carpet cleaning
experience to the classroom. In addition to
this, our founder began his career, becoming an
expert in color matching and is respected by carpet
mills across the country for his expert knowledge of
color and fabric care for all leading carpets
installed today. By getting your certification from
CRS Inspector Training, you can be sure that you
have received the very best and latest information
available in the industry today.
Top of
Page
What do I need to do to prepare for
the Senior Carpet Inspector Course?
You will need to make sure that you have fulfilled
the requirements for the prerequisites for the
class, which are the
CCT and the
RRT. There are
qualifying substitutes for the RRT and this
information is contained on the registration page.
You will need to have a laptop to take this course,
as there are at least 4 reports that need to be
written during the course, using the electronic
software that the IICRC requires for submitting
reports, and for learning the software that is
provided with the CRS Senior Carpet Inspector
Course. And lastly, as in all new learning
experiences, come with an open mind and an eagerness
to learn something new!
Top of
Page
Is it better to receive the course
materials beforehand in order to better prepare
myself for take the SCI course and the exam?
Most of
the course materials are reference type documents,
with the exception of the report writing manual. The
main course manual is very well organized and is
easily navigated to find needed technical
information. This manual will serve as a future
reference document for your career as a Carpet
Inspector, and is not necessary to memorize any of
the information, but simply being able to reference
it is what’s important. All of the answers relating
to the IICRC exam questions are contained within
this manual, and since the exam is an “OPEN BOOK”
exam, the important issue is just being able to find
the answers to the question that you don’t know, and
is not a difficult task with our main course manual.
Since report writing is a learned skill that is best
taught by a professional, having the report writing
manual in advance would be of little help.
Top of
Page
Does the CRS Senior Inspector Course
include a carpet mill tour or testing facility tour?
In
the past, we have taught the class in southern
California or in the Dalton Georgia area in order to
accommodate carpet mill tours and testing facility
tours. We had found this to be very expensive to
transport class materials, extra lodging and airfare
for the instructors, and conference room rentals. I
have elected to significantly lower the cost of the
class and just teach the class in Portland, since we
already have our own classroom. I have videos that
depict the manufacturing process quite well, and
while not as good as a live carpet mill tour, it is
adequately sufficient for the course objectives. I
do encourage students to plan a visit to a carpet
mill or testing facility in the future, and this can
be done simply by calling the facility that you wish
to visit. Tours of these facilities are free and
are conducted on a regular basis. The other benefit
to eliminating the carpet mill tour and testing
facilities tour is that it allows me to teach the
class and administer the exam in just 4 days, rather
than six.
Top of
Page
Why do you have the days of
instruction starting at 9am and lasting until 7:00pm
in the evening?
Yes, these long days of instruction are quite
tiring, but student polls in the past have
overwhelmingly been in favor of this type of
schedule in order to eliminate an entire day from
the course of instruction. The IICRC requires at
least 34 hours of classroom instruction for the
Senior Carpet Inspector Course, and our class
schedule exceeds this requirement by at least 4
hours for at total of 38 hours(not including exam
time). This allows the student from out of town to
return home as early as the evening of the last day
of the course.
Top of
Page
Is there transportation to and from
the CRS training facility and the hotel?
Yes, we will make sure each student that needs
transportation from one of the designated hotels has
transportation. If you are staying someplace other
than one of the designated hotels, then you will be
responsible for your own transportation.
Top of
Page
How do I get from the primary hotel to
the class location?
Click
here for driving directions to the class location
from the primary hotel.
Top of
Page
When will I be contacted with the
details of where and when I will be picked up from
the hotel on the first day of class?
Each student will be contacted with any additional
information regarding the first day of class
approximately one week before the scheduled class
date. For those that need transportation, it is our
regular protocol to pick up students from the hotel
lobby at 8:30 am on the first day of class. For
those transporting themselves to the class location,
please plan on being in the classroom by 9am sharp
on the first day of class.
Top of
Page
Is there transportation from the CRS
training facility directly to the Portland airport
if I want to fly out on the evening of the last day
after the test?
Yes, there is transportation available, but you will
be responsible for the cost of the trip. We can
arrange for having a taxi pick you up at a
designated time if you desire, for your trip to the
airport.
Top of
Page
You have listed “catered lunch” and
“refreshments/snacks” in your course agenda so does
this mean that I will not have to incur expenses for
these items?
Yes, that is correct! We have elected to include
the cost for this in the class tuition fees.
Providing all of the lunches, refreshments, and
snacks allows us to keep our tight schedule intact,
while at the same time providing adequate food and
refreshments throughout the long instruction days.
Top of
Page
Will I have any free time while I am
in Portland taking the course?
You will not have any free time during the 5 days of
instruction. Portland is a beautiful city with some
of the most beautiful ocean beaches to the west, and
world famous Columbia Gorge and mountains to the
east. You should plan extra days here apart from
the days of the course for exploring our wonderful
area.
Top of
Page
If I bring my spouse or significant
other, are there interesting things to do for that
person while I am attending the course?
If
you are staying at the designated hotel, there is
easy access to a large shopping mall to the south,
about 5 minutes by taxi. There are many
restaurants, shopping, and a multiplex cinema
available at the mall. There is easy access to the
light rail system from the hotel to visit downtown
Portland, which is full of shopping opportunities,
restaurants, and much more!
Top of
Page
How long does the IICRC examination
take?
Information about the exam can be found at the
bottom of the “Registration” page.
Click Here for more
information about the IICRC Exam.
Top of
Page
Will I have tie to fly out of Portland
after taking the IICRC exam on Friday?
The time that it
takes for each student to take the exam is
approximately 4 hours. Some students finish in
less time, some take as long as 6 hours. I have
not seen any students take longer than 6 hours
to take the exam while attending our course. I
think most individuals know their test taking
ability, and it will be up to each one of you to
determine the amount of time you need to allow
yourself if you need to plan for departure on
the day of the exam.
We start the exam
on Friday at approximately 1pm and you should
also know that it will take approximately 20-30
minutes to arrive to the airport by taxi
directly from the class location.
What
will happen if I fail to pass the IICRC
Certification Examination?
If for some reason a
student does not pass the Senior exam, the exam may
be retaken by arrangement with your local library or
other approved agency. The student must call the
IICRC to arrange to retake the exam.
Top of
Page
Will I have time to fly out of Portland
after taking the IICRC exam on Friday?
The time that it
takes for each student to take the exam is
approximately 4 hours. Some students finish in less
time, some take as long as 6 hours. I have not seen
any students take longer than 6 hours to take the
exam while attending our course. I think most
individuals know their test taking ability, and it
will be up to each one of you to determine the
amount of time you need to allow yourself if you
need to plan for departure on the day of the exam.
We start the exam on
Friday at approximately 1pm and you should also
know that it will take approximately 20-30 minutes
to arrive to the airport by taxi directly from the
class location.
How much should I expect to spend on
the necessary tools for conducting carpet
inspections?
This will vary depending upon the quality of the
camera you choose, and how many of the inspector
tools you want to purchase ahead of time. The
camera is absolutely critical and if you don’t
already have a good digital camera, you will need to
purchase one. I would suggest you refrain from
purchasing a new camera until after you have taken
the course, because I will have some specific
recommendations. You should plan to spend at least
$500 and as much as $1000 for the camera that you
will need. As far as tools are concerned, I think
you will need a minimum of $300 to get started. You
can purchase the entire list of tools necessary
along with a case right after the class, or
accumulate them as you see necessary and you can
purchase specialty tools directly from our site.
Top of
Page
Does CRS provide any follow-up
support for the students that take the Senior Carpet
Inspector Course?
Yes, I will help you review the first 10 reports
that are required for each prospective inspector to
submit to the IICRC, and if you ever have a question
regarding a particular problem, I will be glad to
help. Email is the best way to receive my
assistance.
Top of
Page
Will I be an “IICRC Certified
Inspector” when I pass the IICRC exam?
No, you will be listed as a “Probationary Inspector”
upon successfully passing the IICRC exam. You will
be signing a “Probationary Inspector Agreement” with
the IICRC that requires submission of at least 10
reports to the IICRC within a year of passing the
examination. The schedule for submitting the
reports are as follows:
-
Submit 3 full
reports and do not submit any others until you
receive notice back from the IICRC that you can
submit the next batch.
-
Submit the next 7 full reports and wait for
further instructions from the IICRC. You may be
required to submit additional reports or you
will receive your final certification from the
IICRC for Senior Carpet Inspector.
Top of Page
How do I market myself as a carpet
inspector if I am in the “probationary status” with
the IICRC?
While you cannot market yourself as an “IICRC
Certified Senior Carpet Inspector” until you receive
that certification from the IICRC, you can refer to
yourself as a “Certified Carpet Inspector”, as long
as you fulfill the requirements from the CRS course
of instruction. CRS will issue a certificate of
“Certification” to each student completing the CRS
Senior Carpet Inspector Course on the last day of
instruction.
Top of
Page
What is the cost for taking the IICRC
test at the end of the Senior Inspector Course?
The test fee is $150.00 and is payable directly to
the IICRC. You may use a credit card or write a
check, but this fee must be sent to the IICRC with
the completed test. The instructor is responsible
for forwarding all payments and completed tests to
the IICRC.
Top of
Page
Is there room for more inspectors in my
area?
As with any new business venture, you must conduct
your own market study that is focused on your market
area. You can do a search for inspectors from the
IICRC web site and
determine how many active inspectors there are in or
around your area. Keep in mind that some of the
inspectors listed may or may not be active. The
biggest problem that the inspection industry has is
timeliness for inspection services. Many areas have
several inspectors, but they are not able to provide
inspection services in a timely manner for the
person requesting inspection services. This is a
big problem for the carpet mills, and they are
constantly searching for qualified inspectors that
can serve their inspection requests promptly.
Top of
Page
How much can you make as an inspector?
I
am finding that the average residential inspection
in different parts of the country starts at a
minimum of $150.00, to a high of $250.00 for a very
basic inspection. Sometimes travel fees are the
reason for the spread between the low and the high.
A simple residential inspection takes about 20
minutes, and writing the report will take another 15
to 20 minutes, as long as some type of inspection
writing software is being used (NOTE: There is
inspection writing software included in the CRS
Inspector course materials). Commercial inspections
normally start at around $300.00 and increase
depending upon complexity and travel requirements.
Additional services for corrective work also can be
very profitable for the carpet inspector.
Top of
Page |