In hiring a Las Vegas private detective to help you secure evidence for a civil or criminal case, a lot of work should be put into finding the right detective. You don’t go to a private eye if you don’t have some serious issues that need to be resolved discreetly — at least until the court case starts. You have to be careful about whom you rely on. By asking these seven questions, you can be confident that you’re working with a competent detective that you can rely on.
Are you skilled in cases like mine?
Degrees and diplomas don’t mean anything in the world of the private detective. When you’re talking about the ‘skill’ of a certain detective, you’re talking about: how many cases like yours has he tackled? How many has he brought to a positive close for his clients? Does he have experience on a police, paramilitary, or government agency’s force?
How are your computer skills?
Technology is becoming an ever-increasing force in all of our lives, and while some old-school detectives try to run things Dick Tracy style — with a note pad and a pen and an old-school camera — that mode of operation isn’t efficient or effective. Modern private detectives not only use computers as tools, but they’re also skilled in retrieving damning information from other’s computers legally and untraceably.
Will you be the only one working on my case?
Some private detective firms will have you interview with a senior member, and then hand your case off to a flatfoot with no real experience. On the other hand, you may actually have that senior member working on your case and assigning others to assist him, which is perfectly legitimate. Be sure you know beforehand which is which.
Do you have any referrals or testimonials?
There’s no better way to identify a crappy or inexperienced detective than to find one who is unable (or unwilling) to give you a list of referrals or show you an unaffiliated source of direct testimonials.
Do you have any complaints filed against you?
This isn’t a game-ender if they do — private detectives deal with a lot of complex and sometimes unsavory situations, and they get accused of a lot of things. What you don’t want is to be told that there are no complaints, and then ask the Better Business Bureau or do some online research and learn that they lied to you. Professionals will always be up front.
Do you require a retainer?
You want the answer to be “yes”. Be wary of agencies that tell you that they can estimate your charges up front and don’t want a retainer. A retainer is necessary in order to engage in some of the more costly and complex elements of an investigation such as travel or long stakeouts.
If you start every interview with each of Las Vegas’ private detectives with these simple questions, you’ll be well on your way to discerning for yourself which one is the best for you.
