Role Guide: Photo QC Specialist
For Photo QC Specialists on both vendor-side and company-side campaigns. After this page you will know what you own, how to plan your shift, how you are measured, and how to give feedback that makes field crews better instead of angry.
Track: Property Preservation · Role: Photo QC Specialist · Time to complete: 30 min
What you own
You are the last set of eyes before work leaves the desk. On Side A you protect the vendor from rejections. On Side B you protect the preservation company from sending weak work to the servicer. You own:
- Photo intake: downloading, culling, rotating, ordering and labeling photos
- The QC decision: pass, fix and pass, or fail, using the Photo QC Standard scorecard
- Missing item requests: one clear list to the crew (or vendor), sent fast
- Copy detection: checking recurring orders against previous cycles
- Answer cross-checks: making sure the update's answers agree with the photos
- Rejection analysis: recording why orders were rejected and spotting patterns
- Crew and vendor feedback: short, specific coaching notes
Your handoffs
| You receive from | What | You pass to | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor or Coordinator | Order folder with photos and draft answers | Processor | "QC passed" with initials, or a fix list |
| Field crews or vendors | Photos (and missing photos after your request) | Bid Writer | Damage photos sorted and captioned |
| Client rejection queue | Rejection reasons | Team Lead | Weekly rejection analysis |
| Team Lead | Client-specific photo rules | Crews or vendors | Coaching notes and updated photo checklists |
Daily rhythm
| Time in shift | Focus |
|---|---|
| First 15 min | Check in. Read handover notes. Note any new client photo rules. |
| 15 to 45 min | Sort the QC queue by due date. Start with orders due today. |
| Core hours | QC orders in due date order. Send fix lists the moment you find gaps. |
| Every 2 hours | Check for photos that came back from crews. Re-QC those orders first. |
| Mid shift | Review today's client rejections. Log reason codes. |
| Last 30 min | Clear any half-done QC. Write the handover: orders on hold and what each is waiting for. |
| Weekly | Rejection pattern report and crew scorecard to Team Lead. |
Coach's note: speed matters most in the first hours after the crew leaves the property. A missing photo found in 30 minutes means the crew might still be nearby. Found tomorrow, it means a second trip that nobody pays for.
KPIs
Narqix starting targets. Adjust with your Team Lead after the first month.
| KPI | Narqix starting target |
|---|---|
| Photos processed (sort, label, check) per shift | 300 to 600, depending on the client's labeling standard |
| Orders QC'd per shift (mixed types) | 40 to 70 |
| Time from photos received to QC decision | 2 hours or less for due-today orders |
| Client rejections for photo reasons on orders you passed | 2 percent or less |
| Fix lists sent as one message (not several) | 95 percent or more |
| Copy checks done on recurring orders | 100 percent |
How to give a fix list
The crew is outside, busy and tired. Make your request easy to act on.
Rules:
- One message per order, with a numbered list.
- Say exactly what is missing and where.
- Say what the photo must show (yardstick, tape, same angle).
- Give a time you need it by.
- Thank them.
"Hi (CREW NAME), order (ORDER NUMBER) at (PROPERTY ADDRESS). Three photos needed today by (TIME) please:
- Street sign at the corner.
- Rear yard BEFORE with yardstick (same spot as your rear AFTER).
- Kitchen sink AFTER antifreeze, close enough to see the colour. Thank you, this gets the order approved first time."
If the missing photo can no longer be taken (for example a "before" after the grass is already cut), do not request it. Tell the Processor and Team Lead so the update is honest about what is missing.
Spotting reused or altered photos
Recurring orders (grass, inspections) are where copies happen. Check:
- Same car, same position in the driveway as last cycle
- Same shadows at the same angle (sun moves daily and seasonally)
- Same clouds, same leaves on the ground, same trash can position
- Season mismatch: green trees in a winter order, snow in a summer order
- Date stamp style different from the rest of the set
- File data that does not match the visit date
- Identical framing to a photo from a previous order, down to the pixel
If you suspect a copy, do not accuse anyone. Hold the order and tell your Team Lead with both photos side by side. The Team Lead handles it with the vendor or client.
Never do this: never pass an order you suspect contains a reused or altered photo, even if the due date is today. A late order costs a little. A fraud finding can cost the whole account.
Quality checklist (your own work)
- I started from the order instructions, not the crew's list
- I counted expected photos (tasks, rooms, fixtures, openings) before checking
- I checked date stamps on a sample across the set
- I checked before and after angles on every task
- I confirmed proof items are visible
- I cross-checked every answer against the photos
- I ran the copy check on recurring orders
- I labeled and captioned to the standard
- I marked the decision and my initials in the tracker
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Passing because "every slot is full" | Check the content of each slot |
| Long, angry or vague messages to crews | Numbered, specific, polite, one message |
| QC by arrival order | QC by due date |
| Ignoring answers in the update | Answers are part of QC |
| Not logging rejection reasons | Every rejection gets a reason code |
| Letting a "good crew" skip checks | Every order, every crew, same standard |
Escalation rules
| Situation | Escalate to | When |
|---|---|---|
| Suspected reused, altered or borrowed photo | Team Lead | Immediately, with evidence |
| Crew refuses to return for missing critical photos | Team Lead | Same shift |
| Photos show a safety hazard or possible occupant | Processor and Team Lead | Immediately |
| Client rule unclear or conflicting | Team Lead | Before passing the order |
| Same crew fails QC three times in a week | Team Lead | Weekly report or sooner |
Check yourself
1. A grass re-cut set looks perfect, but the same blue car is parked in exactly the same spot as last cycle and the shadows match. What do you do?
Hold the order. Put both sets side by side and tell your Team Lead. Do not accuse the crew yourself and do not submit.
2. You find four missing photos. How many messages do you send the crew?
One message with a numbered list of all four, a deadline and a thank you.
3. What is your Narqix starting target for time from photos received to QC decision on due-today orders?
Two hours or less.
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