What is the purpose of a return visit?
A return visit checks whether the work did what the report said it would. It tells the technician whether to continue, change or end the plan, and it gives the homeowner a written record that the result was checked.
A return visit is the only point at which a treatment or a sealing job can be judged on evidence. Without it, a treatment that worked for a week and then failed can be judged a success, and a sealing job that was pushed out by the first winter wind can be judged sound. The return looks at the same places and the same counts, so the comparison means something.
A return visit also keeps the open items moving. Many items in a report depend on the homeowner, such as a grading change, a gutter repair or a stored item moved. The return is the point at which those items are checked, and the report says which are closed and which are still open.
How is the result read?
The result is read as a change from the last record: a count that has risen or fallen, a sealed point that has held or failed, a treated place that is quiet or active. Each is recorded, and the plan follows the change.
A count that has fallen after a treatment and stayed at nothing for the monitoring period is strong evidence that the treatment has worked. A count that has fallen and then risen again is evidence that the route was not closed, or that another route has opened. The technician reads both kinds of change with the plan in front of them.
A sealed point that has failed is recorded with its place and the material, and the report recommends a fresh seal with a more durable material where one is needed. A treated place with a new trail is recorded as a new line, and the report recommends an identification or an inspection of the new line before any further product is placed.
When does a plan end?
A plan ends when the open items are closed, the counts have stayed at nothing for the agreed period and no new sign has been reported. The report says that the plan has ended and gives the last date checked, so the homeowner knows what was done.
A plan does not end because the technician has left. It ends when the evidence says the work is done, and the report says so in writing. A plan that ends with an open item is not finished, and the report should say which item is open and who is responsible for it.
After a plan ends, the homeowner should keep the report and the log with the house papers, and should report any new sign with its date and place. A new sign after the end of a plan is a new question, and it is handled as one, starting with the identification and the inspection.
What can a homeowner do before the return visit?
Before the return, the homeowner should note any new sign with its place and date, check that the open items on the report have been done, leave the monitors in place and not move them, and have the report ready.
The most useful preparation is a short note of new signs, each with a place and a date. A note that says there was a trail on the kitchen wall on a Tuesday is far more useful than a general complaint that the problem is back. The homeowner should also note any change to the house since the last visit, such as a new pet, a remodel or a stored item moved.
Leave the monitors in place and do not move them, even if they seem to be in an odd place. A monitor that has been moved breaks the record. If a monitor has been knocked or lost, tell the technician before the return, so the record can show the gap.
