As a client for over 2,500 miles of pipeline inspection work, I can tell you that I have awarded millions of dollars of work based on two primary qualities in subcontractors. Price isn't one of them.

So, what are these two primary qualities? The overall quality of the experience with the contractor, and the quality of the data received. In order to be successful, you will need both of these qualities. A great experience with poor data, or great data and a bad experience, will not generate repeat business.

I had a subcontractor who was very good at potholing with air excavation. He decided to get into the CCTV business and purchased a van. Based on our experience with his potholing services, we contracted with him for some CCTV work. He then complained about his equipment, the pricing we negotiated and the difficulty of the work ... and then he complained that we weren't giving him any more work. The inspection work he provided was top-notch, but I didn't want to work with him because he clearly had not mastered the two primary qualities.

These primary qualities are the sum total of a myriad of smaller details, the Seven Powerful Tools for Inspection Perfection outlined below.

Use good business sense

Be honest and straightforward in all of your dealings. This takes effort, but beneficial, long-term relationships are built on trust. Honesty does not come naturally to many people – you have to continually work at it, but the work is worth it. As an example, one of the crews got a camera stuck in a line. Rather than calling for help, they tried to use a forklift to yank it out. The result was the destruction of a $30,000 camera and several weeks of downtime. Another inspector backed the truck into a brick mailbox structure – this thing was like the Taj Mahal of mailboxes. Rather than trying to hide the damage, he called his supervisor. They worked with the owner to repair the damage, and what could have been a public relations nightmare turned into a positive situation.

Be client-centric

Understand your client and what decisions will be made from these videos. Review all inspections prior to delivering them to the client. Make sure the inspections and accompanying data are complete and review the quality. Everyone is responsible for quality from top to bottom.

Personal presentation prevails

Your interview for follow-on work begins at first contact and continues through the life of the relationship with the client.

We were working on a large project with multiple CCTV contractors. All but one showed up to the weekly meetings in company shirts, hats and Dickies. The other showed up in shorts, a T-shirt, a do-rag and a jacket tied around his waist. He was a fantastic data collector, but the client lost trust in him because of his appearance. From that point on, his work was under higher scrutiny than other less capable inspectors.

Problem solving

Maps provided by the client do not always match field conditions. Since the client is not out in the field observing and noting discrepancies, be sure to provide the alignment information. Understanding the actual alignment of the pipeline is paramount for providing good inspections. Document any discrepancies in the database, video and map to provide the client with the proper information to ensure that the inspections are complete and correct.

Not all access points are easy to find or get to. Whether they are located in a backyard or an airport, there are likely obstacles between you and the manhole or clean-out you are looking for. Simply noting "no access" does not give you permission to abandon the pursuit of the inspection. Going above and beyond to find a way to access the facility displays dedication and determination to provide the best product possible. Access can always be gained through coordination with the local and/or controlling agencies.

While it is important to solve problems to help the client understand the field conditions, do not make engineering judgments for the client. One of our contractors came upon a broken section of pipe. He noted the cracks and root intrusion as he should have. He then went on to say that the pipe was "structurally ... bad." It is the client's job to make the determination of structural integrity or any other engineering-related analysis. The actual condition assessment of the facility is a problem for the client to solve, not the inspector.

Microphone etiquette

A clear narrative voice is another important piece of a quality inspection. Be sure to include sufficient detail. It's also important that you're comfortable speaking into the microphone. Don't get too close to the microphone; no one wants to hear you breathing. Don't speak too softly or too loudly, and don't use inappropriate language.

Camera work/database work

If you stop and look at something during the inspection, explain what you're looking at. Explain your observations and include perspective and detail. Provide depth information if you are using PACP or any coding system that does not quantify sags. Take a look around at the start and finish manholes. This provides a view of the manhole that is not available above grade.

To produce quality video, it's also important that you don't move the camera with the screen text up and that you don't pan while driving.

Before and after inspection

Preparation prior to the inspection and preparation of the data after the inspection is vital to providing a quality product to the client. It is important to locate the upstream and downstream manholes prior to the pipe inspection to ensure that both are accessible. If one can't be located, turn off the light on the camera upon entering the structure and look for light entering through the pickhole. If there is light, the manhole is at grade and can be located and inspected. If not, the manhole is likely buried or paved over.

It's also wise to review your inspection videos prior to leaving the site. Check the beginning, middle and end of the video to make sure the sound and lighting are good.

There is far more that can be said about each of these seven tools, but this gives you a good overview of how to give your clients quality results and a quality experience. That should lead to happy customers and more business for you, which is well worth the effort.