Meet ‘Em Up Close and Personal

During the interview, you should be asking a lot of questions.

Now that you have completed the background work, it is time to start meeting with some investigators personally.

The first step in this phase can be completed by a simple phone call. Go through your list of remaining investigators and ask each one if he has an area of specialty. You’re looking for the best investigator your money can buy. Therefore, an investigator who might do a great job specializing in missing people still might not be the best choice for you if you are looking to gain information about your family inheritance.

If an investigator you contact says he specializes in an area that is unrelated to your need, of if he says he is just a general investigator, thank him for his time and move on. When looking for the best investigator, you want someone with a wealth of experience in the area of investigation you need.

For those investigators who do specialize in your area of need, ask to set up an interview. During the interview, you should be asking a lot of questions. The best private investigators, however, will ask you an abundance of questions, too. This is the sign of a seasoned professional who takes his job seriously. By asking you questions, he is already beginning the investigation and trying to determine if you are a legitimate client whose needs he can meet.

During the interview, you should feel comfortable with the investigator and you should feel as if he is interested in your case. If you don’t feel this way, move on to the next investigator on your list.

At the interview, ask the investigator to go into greater detail about his professional experience. In general, the best investigators are the ones who have been in the field for a number of years and who have worked on cases similar to yours. Ask him how he goes about solving these cases and ask him his success rate in solving them.

At this meeting, the investigator should also make his hourly rates and expenses clear to you. Expenses can include travel costs, equipment, and hiring of additional investigators. He should be able to give you an idea of how long the investigation will take, depending on the type of investigation. An investigator who is not upfront about the costs involved in the investigation, or one who includes unreasonable expenses, should be avoided.