How does the average consumer, looking for a qualified investigative vendor, know which one to choose? Is the answer found in the price, marketing materials or the sales person? The truth is you have to become the investigator, do your homework and ask some tough questions. There are good and bad investigators and investigative agencies across the country and across the globe. There are unscrupulous investigative and surveillance companies that will tell you anything you want to hear to get your case.

The agency owner or license holder might have a stellar resume, published numerous books on an investigative topic, or claim to have vast investigative and surveillance experience at the "local", "federal" or "global" level. Most of this "hype" marketing has no direct bearing on the quality and craftsmanship of the agency's video, reports or personnel. Promises of low prices, official looking paperwork, profound statements, quotes from "satisfied customers" and expensive ad campaigns to get your business, are used car sales tactics at its best.

Keep in mind, having a fully trained diversified staff, proper covert video equipment, a fleet of surveillance vehicles and mandatory high premium insurance coverage, is extremely costly. Difficulties in finding and retaining trustworthy, quality employees have also put a burden on many national and local agencies. This combined with other operating expenses make the temptation to cut corners monumental. Two places where investigation agencies cut corners are in their equipment and personnel.

Cutting corners in places that would not readily be seen by clients is not uncommon in this industry. Investigation agencies are spending big dollars on marketing campaigns and sales forces to increase business and name recognition. Although not seen in the fancy brochures or openly discussed by the sales staff, these procedures free up funds for sales costs, company growth, additional marketing efforts and "client retention" meetings. Marketing is seen as too "valuable" to cut corners. The sales staff, which is sometimes larger than the investigations staff, keeps calling for new clients, to make up for any lost clientele due to sub par video quality, little or no results or broken promises.

Money savings are every business's ultimate concern. Cost cutting in this industry could include employing an individual with no investigative experience, no background, and no credentials, employed at minimum wage and with little or no training to work your file. Anyone who holds a detective license in most states can hire virtually anyone off the street as long as they do not have a "serious" criminal conviction. In most states the law only requires an investigative agency to inform them who is employed to conduct investigations or surveillance. This "investigator" is placed on the street with little or no training and is now ready to put you and your case in serious risk or legal liability. A minimum wage, untrained, unmotivated individual, will miss numerous unseen and unknown opportunities during the course of your investigation, resulting in the potential loss of hundreds of thousand of dollars.

Cutting corners also include no continuing education, no vital legal updates, low supervision ratios, outdated or non-existent equipment and numerous other hidden issues. The fact is there are low or non-existent standards in the investigative and surveillance industry, worldwide.

Numerous investigation agencies employ individuals with absolutely no investigative background or surveillance experience to sell their services. Some "sales representatives" are hired due to sales savvy, people skills or on "door appeal". In most cases these individuals have no criminal justice experience, background or education. In every profession across America, corporations preach professionalism, knowledge, honesty and integrity. Our belief has always been to set our standard higher and the results will show. Our customer service representatives have conducted thousands of hours of surveillance and investigations to ensure all your questions can be answered immediately.

The majority of insurance companies, corporations, law firms, self-insured's, governmental agencies and the general public still get caught in the marketing trap. Smooth talking sales people, great ad campaigns and a seemingly low advertised price don't equal good results, professionalism or quality video documentation. The results fall short of expectations and you leave the investigative experience with more questions than answers.

Please do not be discouraged. Not all investigative agencies employ these standards. We have had the pleasure, and honor, of talking to some other outstanding investigative companies in our Midwest area, the North American continent and even overseas. There are truly companies in the industry that are fighting to raise the standards and restore the investigative industry's good name.

The Internet is fast becoming one of the best ways to find a qualified vendor for your investigation surveillance needs. Although any company or individual can have a website, you can do your homework on that agency, its beliefs, their field of expertise and set up a meeting with a representative at their facility, all before employing them. The web is a good starting point for names of investigations companies, descriptions of their services and contact numbers.

If you know your vendor has a good track record and you or your company have done your homework, you can trust the company you are dealing with. The most productive way for any person or agency to see investigative results is to choose a limited number of carefully pre-qualified investigation providers by coverage area and compare the performances in a systematic manner. If you only need an occasional request, ask tough detailed questions. Make sure the criteria are uniform and methodical.

Bauer Risk Management offers our Corporate, Legal & Insurance industry clientele a unique service to assist in locating the proper investigator and investigative agency for their needs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job demand for private detectives and investigators will grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2008. In a time where degrees are available by mail and over the Internet and state licensing and investigative requirements are minimal, more detailed attention must be paid to selecting the most qualified and trusted provider.

Time is a valuable resource and marketing information is sometimes unreliable at face value. Bauer Risk Management is the Special Investigation Unit for numerous insurance companies, law firms, corporations and third party administrators. We are currently the only known agency that offer "Investigator Investigations" SIU support services Nationwide. Our SIU services include a detailed and comprehensive approved vendor listing by specific coverage areas. Many corporations and insurance companies have Bauer Risk Management conduct in-depth verification of state licensing, insurance coverage, company background verification, staff background and education verification, on-site facility inspection and equipment. Please contact us if you would like more information on our Special Investigation support services.

Our professional advice: Investigate your investigator! First do your homework. Most investigators are professionals. Ask tough questions. As in any business, if you don't trust the individuals or company you are dealing with, the answer is simple: don't deal with them.