A big congratulations to our friends over at Delve Information Services on the launch of their new website:

Delve's Slick New Site

Recently we received a rush assignment from one of our attorney clients in Atlanta. The attorney requested services be performed in Memphis, TN. As is usual with attorneys, this service was required “yesterday”.

Since we’re not licensed in TN yet, we reached out to a local private investigator there, name Chip Cope of Cope Investigative Services, LLC.

Chip acted quickly, efficiently and affordably to accomplish the task in record time and allowed us to provide the stellar service to our clients we are known for. Chip’s website is below:

http://www.copepi.com/

I’m always amused when I see posts such as the following on Craigslist:

Craigslist Posting For An Atlanta Private Investigator

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen this post. Previously, I’d sniggered at it and simply ignored it but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to see just what the ad was about.

There are several “red-flags” in this particular post:

• “out-of-state”   – any private investigator in Georgia is required to be licensed. It’s also Georgia law that any investigator advertising in Georgia is to display their license number on any advertisement. It could be argued this is not strictly an ad, but if I were a potential employee and I was applying for this posted position I should be sure whoever I’m talking to is licensed to operate as a private detective agency.
• “part time basis only”   – it’s true the nature of private investigation work is not typical 9-5 work (we give you an idea here) and there are busy times and slow times. A normal person, however, can’t hang a career on “part-time”. Would you hire a part-timem surgeon to operate on you? Would you hire a part-time attorney to try your case? This type of language is very telling about the type of agency we’re dealing with here. They’re willing to work your case with part-time individuals who may simply be supplementing an income and would treat your case as a hobby. They would not exhibit the kind of care and attention to your case that they should.
• “at aol dot com” – This “company” use AOL as their email provider. I’m not going to go into the lack of professionalism this exhibits.

So, I had one of our interns send them an email:

Here’s the response I got from gaprivateinvest@aol.com or “GaPrivateInvest at aol dot com”:

Seriously? “Billy William”? This clown wishes to hire licensed investigators yet he/she doesn’t even have the common courtesy to use a REAL NAME? Their grasp of the English language is also limited, and at this juncture we think they may be foreign. But that’s not the worst part of this particular email.

• The ask us upfront how much we want to get paid. They don’t ask for our experience, age, license number – nada. This is clearly an agency operated purely out of greed. They are looking for the cheapest staff and probably charging exorbitant rates.
• I offered to send my resume – they don’t care about that apparently.
• They can’t spell  - even worse they can’t use a spell checker which is standard on every email composing software today.

So, we continue the conversation:

We bait them with a low-ball hourly rate. We sent this email on February 19th. 6 days later we still didn’t have a response so we sent another email:

Another 6 days go by and we finally hear back from Billy William:

Another disjointed poorly written email. We conclude at this point we’re dealing with utter morons. They can’t compose a sentence. We decide to not bother to respond to these idiots. Our time is better served elsewhere. But, like dog-doo on your shoe, they respond again:

This is the height of mediocrity. They suggest we work part-time for multiple agencies. At Eagle we don’t allow our employees to work for anyone else. How can you expect loyalty from someone who works for multiple agencies?

At this point we sent them an email saying we were hired on by someone else and that was that.

If you are a potential private investigator employee:

Please don’t ever entertain the idea of working for someone like this. They epitomize the type of agency we are trying to put out of business. They are run by an unprofessional, and probably unlicensed private investigator wannabe. They probably drive around in retired Police Interceptors so they WILL get noticed. They most likely take retainers from clients and provide them with sub-standard services. As an employee you should worried about getting paid from the likes of this “agency”. We continue to hear, on a daily basis, stories of private investigators who were gypped by itinerants like these. It’s this kind of unprofessional behavior that gives all investigators a bad rap. Don’t fall victim to these guys and assume all agencies are the same.

If you are a potential client of a  private investigator:

Do business with a professional agency. Examine their communication with you. Ask to see their client list. Ask them what people say about them. Ask them if they offer a guarantee. Check their license – all Georgia private investigator licenses can be viewed for free here.

If you have hired gaprivateinvest@aol.com and feel you didn’t get the service you deserved:

Simply call us immediately at (800) 867-3930. We’ll be happy to assist you.

And remember, a competent private investigator is only a click away! Just click the link below to choose which of our offices you’d like to speak with:

I need a private investigator in Atlanta

I need a private investigator in Destin

I need a private investigator in Mobile

I need a private investigator in Biloxi

2011 is renewal year in Georgia for both agency licenses and employee licenses. Agency licenses expire in June, and the employee licenses expire in August. It would appear not even PI’s are exempt from scam artist attempts to lighten their wallets as the Secretary Of State in Georgia releases the following warning:

Secretary of State Kemp Reminds Professional License Holders about Potential Scams During License Renewal Period

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today reminded those who hold a professional license that is issued through the Secretary of State’s Professional Licensing Boards Division (PLB) to be aware of potential scams that can occur during the renewal period.

A commonly attempted scam occurs when a license holder receives a phone call from an individual who claims to work for the PLB. The caller will remind the license holder of an upcoming renewal deadline, and offer to process the renewal if the license holder provides personal information such as their Social Security Number, bank account numbers and related passwords.

The PLB offers license holders these important reminders:

• PLB employees will never call you to renew your professional license.
• PLB employees will never call you to “verify” personal information.
• Never give your Social Security Number or any bank account information to a phone solicitor who offers to renew your professional license.
• The most secure and convenient method to renew a professional license is on the PLB website at http://sos.georgia.gov/plb.

The full press release can be viewed here.

Eagle Investigative Services has teamed up with the Alpharetta Lions Club to host a special pancake breakfast in order to raise money for sight conservation and benefit those who have seeing difficulties.

A press article appeared in the Alpharetta, Roswell and John’s Creek Neighbor newspapers.

Here’s a copy of the article – just click it with your mouse to see it:

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And remember, a competent private investigator is only a click away! Just click the link below to choose which of our offices you’d like to speak with:

I need a private investigator in Atlanta

I need a private investigator in Destin

I need a private investigator in Mobile

I need a private investigator in Biloxi

As promised, here is the contact information for all of our offices:

Atlanta, Georgia Office

Destin, Florida Office

Mobile, Alabama Office

Biloxi, Mississippi Office

Feel free to contact any of our offices at any time for any assistance you might need from a private investigator in Atlanta, Mobile, Destin or Biloxi

There are some new exciting developments afoot at Eagle!

First, we’d like to welcome back an old employee of Eagle, Mr. Michael Engle. Michael worked as a licensed surveillance investigator at Eagle starting back in 2004 and proved his prowess as a competent and creative investigator. Life took him on trip to the Gulf Coast area of Florida and Michael has been settled there for the past few years, working as an investigator and honing his already sharp skills.

We’ve always kept in touch with Michael – we love to see our investigators move on and become successful. Last year after watching our YouTube channel, Michael contacted us again. This time he was concerned. He told us about the level of professionalism (or more appropriately, the lack of) of private investigation companies in the Gulf Coast area. After sharing some horror stories with us, we decided it was time to bring some of the Eagle magic to the Gulf Coast area.

And so, Eagle’s Mobile, Alabama private investigation office was launched with Michael at the helm.  You can visit the Mobile Eagle site here.

Not long afterwards, Michael noticed an alarming similar trend in Biloxi. There were just no decent, ethical private investigation companies in Biloxi, MS. A quick chat with a few of the local prominent attorneys in the area confirmed this to be true. And so Eagle’s Biloxi, Mississippi  private detective office was born.

Michael had lived in the Pensacola area pretty much since moving to the Gulf Coast. Eagle checked it’s client base and found that quite a number of our already established Florida Clients were located right in the Gulf Coast! So, we opened our Destin, Florida office after we received notice of our licensing approval from The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. They issued us our license number A 1000284 and it can be verified here.

So, exciting times at Eagle! We’re thrilled to be in the Gulf Coast and the response thus far has been nothing short of overwhelmingly favorable.

In the next post we’ll list all of the contact information for each office so you’ll have all the phone numbers etc as a handy reference.

A Red, White and Blue Cloud sails past

As private investigators, we’re trained to spot things that are unusual or out of the oridinary. Often, we observe oddities in what most people would perceive as normal. When we spot these things we must be prepared to photograph it, or otherwise document it. Things can happen in a split second. So it was with the picture below.

There weren’t any planes in the area but it was slightly windy, so I can only assume this red, white and blue cloud blew in from far away. I’m not an American, but it does seem rather patriotic.

A career as private investigator will have you working with many different individuals. Most people find the work exciting indeed. Lawyers, companies and different types of individuals will be seeking your services. That is the extent of the versatility of private investigation.

You can embark on the exciting world of being a private investigator. All you need to do is find a good private investigation school in your area. Before you know it, you will be among those who are being sought for so that a case or a crime can be solved.

Training to be a private investigator.

Before enrolling in a private investigation school or program, you first have to know what sort of a private investigator you will become. You need to have a specialized field that you can focus on. The list of specialization is endless so you have to be certain what you will choose.

You can still practice your present career while studying to be a private investigator. But it is advised that you do the training full time so that they will not conflict with your other schedule.

If you cannot leave your work or travel to and from the training school, an online course is your best option. You can enroll in the varying courses that are offered by some private investigation schools online and train from home.

All you have to do is find an online school that you will cater to what you want. Be sure that you check out if that certain school is accredited by authentic organizations. If you do an intensive search, you can find one that will suit your needs as well as your budget.

How expensive a private investigation school is does not really matter. What matters is how well they can teach you to become an effective private investigator and the connections that they have.

Enrolling in a private investigation school can provide many advantages. Not only will it teach you how to go about your work as a private investigator, you will also pick up many things that will benefit your chosen career.

Your research and investigation skills are developed. You are also taught about tools and devices that will form a vital part of your investigation. Analytical thinking is also enhanced by activities and possible situations that you are given during the training.

Private investigation schools do not only teach you to become good private investigators. They will also teach you how to manage your own private investigation business in case you want to set up one in the future.

On being a private investigator.

There are two options given to you once you finish your private investigation course.

One is to become part of a private investigation agency. You will need a private investigation license and a good resume in order to get a sound position. If you find yourself affiliated with a big agency, then you can expect advancement in career and high salary in as you progressed.

The other option is being self-employed. Private investigators that do this are those that have other jobs on the side. They can do private investigation on a part-time basis and only when they are not busy with other things.

In private investigation, you have a lot of choices. You can make the most of these opportunities by enrolling in a private investigation school and becoming one a part of the exciting world of private investigation.

The Private Investigation industry is no different than any other; the barrel brimming with both bad and brilliant apples. There is nothing worse than being desperate for help, hiring a private investigator to do their job, and then finding out the PI has made things even worse.

Believe me, it happens!

In the real world, a private investigator must earn the trust of his clients over time by building solid relationships, no different than we do with our friends. However, when you are looking to hire an investigator with immediacy, then chances are you don’t have this luxury. The last thing you want is to be left shooting blanks into the dark.

The following tips and tricks are designed to help you navigate through the pivotal process of screening your potential private investigator. Think of it as a checklist to protect your best interests. Remember, the list is a gathered set of guidelines to follow, but nothing is set in stone and reality can always drift in any direction.

1. Finding the right investigator is essential to the success of your case. Treat your pursuit for the proper PI as if you were hiring an employee to whom you would divulge your most important confidential information. Request that the investigator sign a confidentiality agreement (link our confidentiality agreement here) that will protect the information you are going to disclose.

2. References are important! Request reputable references and never hesitate to verify them once in your possession. Every successful PI firm should have a laundry list of clients who would gladly share their positive experiences with the company.

3. Verify credentials. Along the same line as checking references, you must be willing to verify the credentials of your potential PI as well. Just because someone claims to be private investigator doesn’t mean they are. In California for example, you can look up a reputable PI company’s name, verify the validity of their license, and see whether or not there have been complaints or actions filed against it by the state registrar.

4. Dig deep. Ask for information about the private investigator’s background. A PI with a significant law enforcement background can benefit you and your case in many ways. They have most likely received extensive legal and investigative training. This is invaluable when compared to a PI who hasn’t. They have probably made significant networking contacts in their years of experience, invaluable and off limits to those outside the industry.

They have held a trusted position within our government. This does not happen without having to pass rigorous background checks.
5. Be leery of false promises. Private investigators can rarely promise definitive results. The PI industry is not in any way like the retail industry, where you can make a payment in exchange for something tangible. Investigations take time, patience, and ample skills to properly develop even basic results. If a PI is willing to give you a guarantee from the beginning (unless the services rendered are remarkably straightforward), you might want to consider it as a red flag being waved.

6. Trust your instincts. Listen to (and follow) your instincts. Take in the totality of your search; the name of the PI firm, as well as their website, advertising, office location, and personality. Though these don’t always denote success, those private investigators who have experienced the most success are also the mostly likely to have reinvested their profits into a professional package for potential customers. PI’s who are sloppy in the details might also be sloppy with your case.

7. Make sure you’re covered. Verify that your potential PI is insured and request a copy of their policy. What are the policy’s limits? Does the policy’s coverage extend through to the entire length of your investigation?

8. Know the limits. What is your private investigator capable of doing? If your investigation might need to continually expand, will your PI be capable of performing the additional tasks?

Hiring a private investigator can be a daunting experience. Arm yourself with the essential information and don’t be afraid to ask the right questions. The process of hiring a PI can be over fairly quickly, but the aftermath might last you a lifetime.