When you are looking for a private investigator, it’s important to hire someone that will solve your problems as effectively and quickly as possible. With 94,000 private investigators employed in the U.S., it can be overwhelming to hire someone that is trustworthy, reliable, and affordable. Luckily, there are some tips for researching and finding a great private investigator (PI). After all, you don’t want to waste your time and money on someone who won’t deliver results or help solve your problem.
In last week’s article, we discussed why you need a private investigator. If you are now looking for tips to find a great investigator, keep reading.
Verify the PI’s License
Aside from a few states (Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado), most states require a private investigator to be licensed in the state they are practicing in. Thus, any professional private investigator should be willing and able to provide their license number to you.
Once you receive their license number, you can look up their number online to ensure that the license is valid, the name matches the private investigator, and to see if any complaints have been filed against them by clients.
This useful information shows that the PI is honest, professional, and takes their job seriously as your potential PI.
Find Client Reviews
After verifying their license, it’s a good idea to find reviews and recommendations from past clients. This can give you further insight into how a PI handles cases, treats their clients, and maintains professionalism and confidentiality.
Your problems are important, so this is a key tip when searching for a PI. It may seem like a waste of time, but it is not. No one wants to hire an unprofessional investigator that fails to deliver results, wastes their clients’ money, and obtains information illegally. This not only doesn’t solve your case, but can cause more problems than you started out with.
Past clients will be honest with you about their experiences with their private investigator. Good or bad, the truth can be an eye opener when deciding who to hire.
You can find reviews on major platforms, such as BBB, Yelp, Google, and Facebook. Take advantage of the wealth of online resources available for free.
Ask About their Experience
When taking on your case, you need a private investigator that has enough experience to get your case solved as efficiently and quickly as possible. A less-experienced PI may be cheaper, but this may cost you extra time and money if your problems aren’t solved.
A private investigator should be more than willing to share their experience with investigative work, as well as their education and work history that led them to this profession. This knowledge will give you a better understanding as to how qualified they are to do business with.
Research their Online Presence
Like any business today, you should be able to research their online presence. Private investigators typically have an informational website that includes their services, experience, contact details, and hours of operation. Their website should be professional and updated with current contact information. If the website is outdated and looks unprofessional, this may negatively reflect their business image.
Aside from a website, most PI’s also have a social media presence. This may include platforms, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Like their website, the private investigator should care about maintaining a professional reputation online. This shows that they care about their business and are committed to maintaining a positive relationship with their clients and the public.
If they are passionate about their work, you may also find an active blog presence on their site. The PI will stay-up-to-date on industry news, technology, and other content. This is a good indicator that they are continually learning how to be better investigators and provide the best services to their clients.
Evaluate their Personality
When you meet-in-person, over the phone, or on a video, it’s beneficial to take note of their personality traits. This isn’t a psychology assessment, but there are key traits that make great investigators.
For example, a private investigator should be:
- Polite
- Trustworthy
- Dedicated
- Creative
- A problem solver
This type of work is not easy as it requires PI’s to work long hours, search for information that’s difficult to locate, overcome work challenges, and utilize their resources to solve a variety of cases.
Additionally, you should feel comfortable when talking with a PI and feel like they are actively listening to your needs. If you feel uneasy about someone and get the feeling they may not fully understand or care about your problems, it’s time to look elsewhere.
I hope you found this article helpful. It’s not easy when looking for a private investigator, so hopefully these tips can help guide you on your journey. When you find a great PI, it will save you time, money, and potential frustration. If you are looking for licensed private investigators in South Florida, check out the experts at PATRIOT Backgrounds and Investigations with years of experience as former police officers.
