Many individuals come across the need to hire a private investigator for a multitude of reasons. These can vary from wanting to conduct background checks on a potential employee before hiring, to running an investigation on someone before marriage, or to conduct a due diligence on a company before an M&A transaction. Many insurance claims too require thorough examination, to throw light on the entire incident and verify it.
One will find a slew of investigation agencies on the internet. However, individuals and organisations should carefully consider their options before going ahead with one.
A private investigator has to be trusted with a lot of personal or sensitive information. So, how does one ensure the right choice when selecting a P.I.?
5 Factors to Consider While Choosing the Right Agency
Professionalism and Confidentiality:
Professionalism speaks volumes! Take time to choose a thorough professional in one’s region. Also, pick an independent agency rather than a franchise. The agency should guarantee 100% discretion towards its client. For example, in a post-marital investigation, the client has to reveal a considerable amount of personal information with respect to their marriage. Hence, they would want full privacy and ensure none of their confidential information is leaked out.. So, it is recommended to pick the agency that offers total confidentiality. Globe Detective Agency is a pioneer in various investigative services and works with full discretion with the best interests of their client.
Pricing:
Not all investigation agencies are upfront and transparent about expenses incurred or potential additional costs
For example, while verifying someone’s activities, he/she may enter a hotel or club, which might involve some unforeseen expenses for the P.I.. Such unpredictable events should be pre-mentioned to the client and the pricing arrangement should be agreed upon in advance. Also, the agency one chooses should neither be too expensive, nor too modestly priced. A good balance is to find an agency that is cost-effective and reputed for offering services equivalent to its charges.
Subcontracting/Outsourcing:
The investigation agency that one approaches should preferably be independent. There are many reasons for this. One cannot be sure or get any guarantee about the discretionary practices of an outsourced agency. Given that the information involved is sensitive, one must take action to ensure that this stays confidential. Additionally, working with an outsourced agency could result in the contract being too tight to accommodate changes. There could also be a delay in service delivery or a mismatch in expectations and outcome. Lastly, while one can verify the legitimacy of the agency they get into business with, one cannot know much about the people they might contract the work to. In private and sensitive matters, this is not advisable.
Globe Detective Agency is India’s first country-wide security solutions provider and 100% independent. We do not work with any outsourced service providers ensuring high quality personalised service and total confidentiality on client matters.
Excellent communication is of paramount importance to be a successful P.I.. While interviewing clients, one has to ask clear questions and attentively listen to the answers, so that no details are missed. Agents must also look for inconsistencies or gaps in the subject’s story. Reading body language too is another important aspect of effective communication, and helps determine if the subject is being truthful or not.
Communication:
Excellent communication is of paramount importance to be a successful P.I.. While interviewing clients, one has to ask clear questions and attentively listen to the answers, so that no details are missed. Agents must also look for inconsistencies or gaps in the subject’s story. Reading body language too is another important aspect of effective communication, and helps determine if the subject is being truthful or not.
A good way to validate the above while choosing an agency is getting references of agencies through known connections or via thorough online searches. A reputed setup will always have many satisfied clients. While their information is kept confidential, such former clients are happy to recommend the services to others.
Explore Globe Detective Agency’s services here.
