What might an inspector risk by not adhering to the standard procedures?

By not adhering to standard procedures, an inspector risks facing disciplinary action from regulatory authorities. Compliance with established guidelines is crucial as these procedures are designed to ensure the integrity, safety, and reliability of the inspection process. Any deviation from these protocols can lead to inaccurate results, which may result in legal penalties for the inspector and potentially undermine public safety.

Regulatory authorities enforce these standards to maintain a uniform level of quality across inspections. If an inspector fails to follow these prescribed steps, they may be subject to investigations, fines, or even the suspension or revocation of their license to conduct inspections. This is significant because maintaining compliance not only protects the inspector but also upholds the trust in the smog check process as a whole.

The other options suggest positive outcomes like establishing a reputation for thorough inspections, building a loyal customer base, or increasing inspection volume, which would generally be seen as beneficial. However, these achievements are likely to be compromised if proper procedures are not followed, ultimately leading to negative consequences rather than positive ones.