How Avondale moved 90% of inspection scheduling to text with Convey

Every building inspection starts with a request. When that request depends on manual entry and staff follow-up, small delays add up fast, and some inspections slip through the cracks.

The City of Avondale, Arizona, faced exactly that. Its Development Services Department supports a community of more than 100,000 residents, with 21 inspectors completing about 450 inspections every week. Scheduling was time-intensive, and manual tasks were affecting the accuracy of the department’s inspection data.

Avondale partnered with Selectron, a Convey company, to change how customers schedule inspections.

A scheduling process that couldn’t keep up

Avondale’s scheduling processes asked a lot of staff. Routine manual tasks took hours out of each day, and some inspections were missed. The bigger cost was in the data. When requests are handled by hand, errors creep in. Inaccurate inspection data made it harder for the department to make strategic decisions and to deliver the customer service it wanted to provide.

Why inspection scheduling matters more than ever

Building departments across the country are under pressure from two directions. Development keeps moving, and every new home, addition and commercial project brings permits and inspections with it. At the same time, many departments are working with lean teams and tight budgets, and hiring experienced staff takes time.

Customer expectations have changed too. Contractors run their businesses from their phones. They expect to book, confirm and track work the same way they handle everything else, without waiting on hold or working around office hours.

When scheduling depends on manual steps, departments feel that squeeze first. Staff time goes to entering requests instead of serving customers, and every missed inspection can cost a contractor a day on the job site.

Inspection scheduling by text, 24/7

Selectron delivered a text-based scheduling solution, part of the Relay product line, that gives contractors and residents a modern way to schedule inspections at any hour.

The solution is fully integrated with the City’s backend systems, so every request lands where it belongs. No inspection requests fall through the gaps, and data stays consistent from request to result.

It was also built around Avondale’s business rules. Customers can schedule combination inspections and receive real-time results, and the experience is available in Spanish as well as English.

90% of inspections now scheduled by text

Text scheduling quickly became the dominant way Avondale customers request inspections. Today, 90% of inspections are scheduled via text.

Ease of use and Spanish language support drove full-scale community buy-in. For Benjamin Carr, Chief Building Official, the solution delivered what the department had been looking for.

“SelecTXT is what we needed to amp up our process and modernize it. It’s working fantastic for us.”

Benjamin Carr, Chief Building Official, City of Avondale

Four hours back every day

Replacing outdated processes saves the Development Services Department 4 hours per day. That is time staff can spend helping customers instead of handling routine scheduling work.

Automated scheduling also reduced human error. With fewer manual touchpoints, the department has confidence in the accuracy of its inspection data, and better data supports better decisions.

Service that works for everyone

Carr sums up the impact simply:

“SelecTXT is meeting everyone’s needs, from the customer, to the department, to the city.”

Benjamin Carr, Chief Building Official, City of Avondale

Avondale now delivers digital-forward customer service that fits the way its community already communicates.

Text as a front door for public service

Avondale’s results reflect a broader shift. Text messaging is one of the most widely used and responsive channels people have, and it works on any phone without an app or a login. That makes it a practical front door for public services that need to reach everyone.

Convey builds intelligent customer workflows around that idea. Across utilities and the public sector, Convey helps organizations meet people on the channels they already use, automate routine back-and-forth and keep data clean in the systems behind the scenes. The goal is the same in every case: less manual work for staff and a simpler, more human experience for the people they serve.

For building departments, that means scheduling that happens on the customer’s time, records that stay accurate and staff who can focus on the work only they can do.

What changed for Avondale

• Text-first scheduling: 90% of inspections are now scheduled via text.
• Time back for staff: The department saves 4 hours per day once spent on outdated processes.
• More accurate data: Integrated, automated scheduling reduced human error and keeps every request in the system.
• Built for the community: Spanish language support and ease of use drove full-scale community buy-in.
• Fits the City’s rules: Combination inspections and real-time results follow Avondale’s business rules.

For a growing city, inspection scheduling is often a customer’s first experience with the building department. Avondale made that experience faster, simpler and available around the clock.

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Frequently asked questions about text-based inspection scheduling and Convey

What is text-based inspection scheduling with Convey?

It lets contractors and residents request building inspections by text message at any time. In Avondale, requests flow directly into the City’s backend systems, so no request falls through the gaps.

What challenge was Avondale facing?

Avondale’s Development Services Department relied on time-intensive scheduling processes that sometimes led to missed inspections. Manual tasks also affected the accuracy of its inspection data.

How many Avondale inspections are scheduled by text through Convey?

90% of Avondale’s inspections are scheduled via text. The department’s 21 inspectors complete about 450 inspections each week.

How much time does Avondale save with the Convey solution?

Replacing outdated scheduling processes saves the Development Services Department 4 hours per day.

Does the solution support languages other than English?

Yes. Avondale’s text scheduling includes Spanish language support, which helped drive full-scale community buy-in.

How does Selectron fit into Convey’s solutions?

Selectron is a Convey company. Read the press release here.