Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Paying Your Oklahoma Process Servers, Private Investigators, Mobile Notaries, Deception Experts and Other Staff Fairly Helps Your Business Grow


Paying Your Oklahoma Process Servers, Private Investigators, Mobile Notaries, Deception Experts and Other Staff Fairly Helps Your Business Grow

            We live in an age and time where shunning unions, paying lower wages, providing employees with fewer job benefits, mostly hiring those who will work for the cheapest pay, and outsourcing and mechanizing the rest have become the norm.  Too many employers seem to believe that cutting pay and maximizing profits at the expense of their employees is the best business practice.  Indeed, the amount of wealth that CEOs and other owners of large corporations have amassed is obscene, especially given the enormous poverty elsewhere in the world.  It benefits companies to generously pay those working in the fields of process serving, private investigations, notary public officials, deception experts, bail bondsmen, polygraph examiners, etc.

            The old adage “You get what you pay for” is really quite true.  Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com started with this philosophy early on, ensuring that its employees receive generous pay.  While some people will indeed work as hard or as little as they normally would regardless of how much pay they receive, earning good wages or a decent salary can help a great deal.  However, incentives, bonuses, and higher salaries can help increase retention rates, often boosts staff morale, and can also improve the retention and performance of Oklahoma private investigators, process servers, and other professionals.

Oklahoma process servers, private investigators, mobile notaries, polygraph examiners, etc., are true professionals and deserve to receive decent pay and benefits.  These fields all require training, licensing, certification, and/or additional educational requirements.  Any Oklahoma process server, private investigator, notary public, polygraph examiner, expert witness, or bodyguard can tell you just how extensive the process is and the amount of time and money he or she had to spend getting licensed/certified. 

It goes without saying that certified teachers also spend a great deal of time and effort on training and education.  However, one only has to look at how little the government in states like Oklahoma pays its teachers, to see why so many outstanding educators flock to other states like Texas, Alaska, and elsewhere.  Oklahoma currently ranks forty-ninth in the nation and the lowest in the region for teacher pay.  And some people wonder why it is hard to keep wonderful teachers in Oklahoma . . .?  Likewise, Oklahoma private investigation agencies, process server companies, etc., need to pay their staff fairly, if they want to keep qualified, motivated people on board.

An Oklahoma process server, for example, gets paid for the work he or she does and keeps clients by helping get the serve done right.  However, since this takes time, training, licensing/certification, talent, and a knowledge of the laws, it also costs money.  If private detective agencies and the clients that hire them want a private investigator in Oklahoma to put forth his or her best effort in finding out whether or not a spouse is cheating on them or to seek out the truth in a criminal investigation, then the same principle applies.  Oklahoma private investigation agencies and the clients that hire them really do get what they pay for.

So, what benefits do private investigators, process servers, mobile notaries, bodyguards, polygraph examiners, and other professional employees prefer?  Empirical data and common sense show that these individuals desire high salaries, paid vacation and holidays, retirement plans/401k plans, health/dental/vision insurance, paid maternity/paternity leave, paid sick leave and bereavement leave, scholarships, reimbursed expenses, stock options, free on-site childcare, and other such benefits.  Unfortunately, many jobs today lack many of these benefits, with unscrupulous employers like Wal-Mart leading the charge in, “Always low wages. Always.”

Having given much focus to the financial side, private detective agencies and other employers should also never underestimate the true value of non-monetary rewards such as positive praise, opportunities for growth, feedback, etc.  These also comprise a conglomerate of invaluable components that enrich the job atmosphere for any Oklahoma notary public, polygraph examiner, private investigator, bodyguard, and process server.  An experienced, outstanding private investigator making $100,000 per year who has a boss that always belittles him or her might very well decide to go elsewhere.  Needless to say, money alone often does not always keep the best employees. 

A nice combination of both tangible and intangible rewards can help employers improve retention, hire the best staff, and create a positive environment.  Excellent companies often know that happy workers tend to produce more, utilize fewer sick days, and keep the experience they have gained each year working for their company instead of the organizations’ competition.  Treating each Oklahoma notary public, process server, private investigator, polygraph examiner, bodyguard, etc., right increases the likelihood that they will likely stay loyal for a long time to come.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

What Many Private Investigation Companies Look for When Hiring Oklahoma Private Investigators


What Many Private Investigation Companies Look for When Hiring Oklahoma Private Investigators

Oklahoma Private investigation agencies often look for a broad range of skills and backgrounds when hiring private investigators to work with them.  Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com has outlined a few of the numerous items that are very important to our firm when hiring private investigators in Oklahoma.  There are many factors to consider, and we value all of them.  These factors and the importance that each company places on them may, of course, vary from one private investigation agency to the next.

One value that is really important not only as a civil rights issue, but also as a matter of business, is diversity.  Having a diverse workforce is important in that it helps keeps Oklahoma private detective agencies from becoming stagnant and too homogeneous.  Valuing people based upon their different races, religions or lack thereof, sexual orientations, genders, ages, height, weight, nationalities, political affiliations, transgendered status, etc., can definitely work to a private investigation company’s advantage!

All too often private detective agencies in Oklahoma tend to hire in staff who are a lot like they are.  If the owner or hiring manager of a private detective agency is a middle-aged, white, conservative, Christian male, then he is likely to hire in other people who are like he is.  Of course, the same can hold true for females, those who are black, Hispanic, more liberal, Muslim, Buddhist, female, etc.  Unfortunately, this happens all too often across all backgrounds, countries, etc.  This often unfairly excludes private investigators who are otherwise very qualified candidates from the job market. 

It is noteworthy to mention that this may not apply if the guy is heterosexual wants to hire in what he considers to be hot young females.  Likewise, this general principal may not apply if the person is trying to hire in the cheapest labor possible, which may include undocumented workers.  Of course, some private investigation agency owners actively try to hire those from diverse backgrounds, and this is very helpful, too. 

            One of the problems with Oklahoma private detective agencies that mostly or exclusively hire those who are “too similar”, is that that this can lead to homogeneous thinking and functioning.  This can cause stagnation and can reduce the effectiveness of Oklahoma private investigators.  However, hiring a diverse range of Oklahoma private investigators has numerous benefits, not the least of which includes making one’s Oklahoma private detective agency more effective.

Let us assume that the individual an Oklahoma private investigator is trying to monitor and track happens to be gay.  Well, if the Oklahoma private detective agency employs private investigators who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc., then it has an enormous advantage!  An Oklahoma private investigator who is gay or lesbian is, on average, much more likely to feel more comfortable going into a bar that those who are gay, lesbian, etc., may possibly frequent.  In addition, someone who is gay or lesbian, on average, is much more likely to feel have some greater insights into certain other activities and the general mindset of someone else who is gay or lesbian.   

This same principal, while it is very important not to overgeneralize, is also applicable to those who are older.  A private investigation agency who hires in Oklahoma private investigators who are in their sixties or seventies is probably going to find that, all other things being equal, they are not always suspected as much as younger private investigators.  This can make it easier for them to blend in with a variety of situations, and that is good for both the company and the client! 

The aforementioned concept applies to those of different races, genders, etc.  The more that Oklahoma private investigators can blend in to their surroundings, the better the chances are that an Oklahoma private investigator will successfully gather the intelligence he or she is seeking.  This is one reason why diversity is such a wonderful thing for private investigators.

Diversity comes in a variety of forms, and Oklahoma private investigation agencies also look for private investigators with a broad range of work and education backgrounds.  Indeed, private investigation agencies like Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers also highly values applicants for Oklahoma private investigators with previous or current military experience, law enforcement backgrounds, and those with advanced degrees in job-related areas such as criminal justice, sociology, psychology, etc.  Having the right work background and skill set is especially important!

Another very valuable quality Oklahoma private detective agencies often look for in applicants may include the private investigator’s work history, his or her ability to get along well with others, one’s attitude, promptness, dedication, honesty, dependability, etc.  You can be a black, lesbian, Muslim female with a splendid background in law enforcement and a doctoral degree in criminal justice.  However, if that person cannot get along well with others at the company and is always steeped in conflict and turmoil, then it is unlikely he or she will stay for very long.

These are just a few of the many things that various owners of Oklahoma private investigation agencies look for when hiring Oklahoma private investigators.  It is important to note that these principles and their effects cannot be overgeneralized, and that each employer may value different qualities and backgrounds.  This is why it is important for private investigators to thoroughly conduct research into the companies they are going to apply to work with beforehand.    

Friday, January 25, 2013

Why Oklahoma Process Servers, Oklahoma Private Investigators, and Notary Public Officials Should Carry Professional Liability Insurance


Why Oklahoma Process Servers, Oklahoma Private Investigators, and Notary Public Officials Should Carry Professional Liability Insurance

It goes without saying that process servers, private investigators, and mobile notaries alike should carry various types of insurance.  These professional fields can come with a variety of risks, and having outstanding life insurance, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and short and long term disability policies is something all of those serving as professional Oklahoma process servers, notary public officials, and private investigators should have.  This type of insurance helps to ensure that if something ever happens to the Oklahoma notary public, process server, or Oklahoma private investigator, that these professionals and/or their families can get the needed financial assistance.  However, many individuals overlook one very important aspect of insurance that all professional private investigators, notaries, and process servers should have.

            Process servers, Oklahoma mobile notaries, and private investigators alike in the State of Oklahoma and elsewhere are often working on a legal case of some sort.  Knowing how litigious the general population in the United States of America tends to be, it goes without saying that any Oklahoma process server, notary public, and private investigator is equally open to lawsuits and other litigation, with or without merit.  Indeed, process servers, private investigators, and Oklahoma notaries public can make mistakes, too, and these mistakes can cost their clients money.  Of course, this legal liability in the courts does not extend only to Oklahoma mobile notaries, process servers, and Oklahoma private investigators. 

Medical doctors and teachers, among others, often face the same legal risks, and they carry professional liability insurance policies.  In this case, if someone sues them, they have money to help pay or their defense and, if they lose the case or have to settle it, will be less likely to lose their house, cars, retirement, and other personal property.  This way such incidents, while they will likely raise the doctors’ premiums and might cost them their medical licenses, will hopefully not affect their personal finances, too.

Most states require process servers, private investigators, and notary public officials to carry some type of a bond.  Many Oklahoma private investigators, mobile notaries, and Oklahoma process servers might unknowingly assume that a bond covers them in all ways.  This is simply not true, as bonds only serve to help protect their respective states from liability.

Oklahoma private investigation companies and detective agencies that hire other individuals are required by the State of Oklahoma to carry at least $100,000 of liability insurance.  A notary public in Oklahoma is not required to do so, but most of the major signing companies will not contact them and utilize their services unless they carry anywhere between $25,000-$100,000 of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance.  However, when considering whether or not to carry professional liability insurance, there are several factors to consider:

v What happens if a private investigation company is sued for more than $100,000?  Where will this money come from?

v How badly do notary public officials want to get service requests from signing agents?

v What if a notary public accidentally makes a mistake on a home loan closing that costs the client quite a bit of money?  Who will pay for it?

v What if a process server, who is not required to have any professional liability insurance whatsoever, ends up in hand-to-hand combat with a dangerous person and someone who is not at fault ends up getting hurt?

It is true that many private investigators, process servers, and notary public officials would be more likely to shy away from professional liability insurance, given its costs.  However, this type of insurance is relatively inexpensive for Oklahoma mobile notaries and an Oklahoma notary public can often acquire it through the National Notary Association (NNA).  Though a bit more expensive for process servers and private investigators, is also worth the costs. 

Making a small initial investment of $100, $650, or even $1,000 up front would be far better than having to end up paying $100,000 or even $1,000,000 in the future.  Besides, the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows these professional to write this type of insurance off as a business expense.  The professionals at Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomJudicialProcessServers.com always make sure to carry professional liability insurance.  It is much better to be safe than sorry!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

How Oklahoma Process Servers Can Successfully Handle Misguided Blame From Attorneys and Other Clients


How Oklahoma Process Servers Can Successfully Handle Misguided Blame From Attorneys and Other Clients

            It goes without saying that everyone makes mistakes.  This applies no matter whether someone is a doctor, lawyer, process server, teacher, or even the president of a country.  Mistakes are an inherent part of our human nature.  While it is true that Oklahoma process servers can certainly make their fair share of mistakes, sometimes it is the clients (i.e., attorneys, businesses, private individuals, etc.) who place misguided blame onto hardworking process servers.  There are many ways in which a process server can handle the situation, and how an Oklahoma process server does so can make a huge difference for everyone involved.

            Let us assume that a process server has received a set of papers to serve on an individual.  After taking all of the necessary steps, he or she serves the papers on the person.  After filing out the return of service and sending it back to the client with a copy of the papers served, the Oklahoma City process server gets a phone call.  The attorney on the other end asks, “Why did you deliver those documents to the individual?  I never gave you those documents.  Why didn’t you serve the documents I gave you?”  Of course, the attorney says this despite the fact that the papers the process server delivered were the exact same ones he or she received from the law firm, and they even had the person’s name on them. 

How else could the process server have acquired those documents?  Which process server goes around searching out other documents in a case to serve on a defendant/respondent that the process server does not need to serve?  Obviously, an Oklahoma process server would have no need to serve unnecessary documents.

What has most likely happened in this situation is quite obvious: the lawyer did not give the process server the right papers and/or changed her mind about having the services performed.  Then the attorney wanted to unnecessarily project the blame onto the process server and thus deflect it from herself.  Perhaps the attorney works for a large firm and is afraid of getting into trouble for her mistake.  Thus, by saying the process server was at fault, she can try to circumvent the blame and minimize the damage done to her career.

There are many ways to successfully and diplomatically handle this matter.   One of them involves having the process server calmly explain to the client that he or she had no access to any other papers, and only served what the attorney provided.  Besides, why would Oklahoma process servers want to serve unnecessary papers?  However, if the attorney is determined to deflect the blame from herself, this is unlikely to yield satisfactory long term results.

Another approach the Oklahoma process server can try involves offering to redo the serve.  This, while it requires extra work on the part of the process server, may help the client save face and thus use the same process server’s services again.  This approach also eliminates any arguments.  Of course, this method also comes with numerous drawbacks.

Doing the serve again for free might also affirm in the client’s mind that she was right to initially make such an assertion.  In addition, it will cost the Oklahoma process server more time and effort.  This time and effort could prove to be especially taxing if the serve took a long time to complete, and the process server may resent having to redo it for free.  Indeed, no process server wants to have to continually redo serves he or she already successfully completed over and over again for the same client.  Depending upon the client, perhaps another approach might prove to be more suitable.

A combination of these two approaches can also prove to be effective.  The process server in Edmond, Oklahoma can diplomatically explain that he or she served the correct papers in a timely fashion.  Then, without allowing the situation to turn into an argument, he or she could simply offer to serve the papers the attorney or other client wants one more time.  Provided the case did not take an exceptionally long time to serve, this allows the attorney to save face, eliminates harmful debates and arguments, and might help the process server keep the client for future business.  However, some process servers will undoubtedly strongly disagree with this approach.

A process server could easily contend that he or she is a licensed professional who deserves to receive pay for the work he or she did.  After all, the attorney made the mistake, so why should the Oklahoma process server have to pay for it by doing extra work for free?  Does the attorney perform services for free?  Additionally, who is to say that the client will even use the same process server again?  These are all excellent contentions, and they deserve serious consideration.

Oklahoma process servers who find themselves in this situation should consider several things, which are noted as follow:

Ø  How much other work does this client give the process server?
Ø  Is this client a referral from another big client?
Ø  Is this lawyer likely to go and tell many others about the “poor service” he or she received?
Ø  Is it better to receive the pay in the short run and possibly risk isolating the client in the long run?

Obviously, process servers have to consider many different things when deciding which approach to take.  Either way, the process server should, at the very least, receive pay for the successful serve he or she already did.  That should be non-negotiable, unless those serving as Oklahoma process servers believe it is better to simply forego the money altogether. 

Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com takes great pride in helping clients from around the world.  Our staff has, on very rare occasions, faced situations similar to this one, and the client is not always right.  However, if a process server want to find success in the long term, taking a polite, diplomatic approach is always best.  After all, clients are only humans, and they, too, are just as vulnerable to making mistakes as other human beings who serve as process servers.
 


Monday, January 21, 2013

Cheating Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends Keep Oklahoma Private Investigators Extremely Busy


Cheating Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends Keep Oklahoma Private Investigators Extremely Busy

            Oklahoma City private investigators, much like their counterparts in Edmond, Piedmont, Norman, Moore, Guthrie, Yukon, Mustang, Midwest City, Del City, El Reno, Bethany, Tulsa, Stillwater, Owasso, are plenty busy these days!  Any Oklahoma private investigator, such as those who work at Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com, can tell you that private investigators get calls for all kinds of cases.  These Oklahoma detective agencies receive calls ranging from requests for background reports, missing child cases, insurance fraud, and much more.  However, one type of case tends to stand out among some Oklahoma private investigators’ line of work, while a few other private investigators will not dabble in the area much.

Oklahoma private investigation customers often call to inquire about ways to find out whether or not their girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, or wife has been cheating on them.  Yes, too many couples in America and indeed around the world, all too often have experienced a bad case of infidelity or have even encountered it multiple times.  Many girlfriends cheat on their boyfriends and girlfriends, while quite a few boyfriends cheat on their girlfriends and boyfriends.  Quite a few spouses do not seem to fare much better, with temptations such as Facebook, sexting, special “massage” parlors, and online dating sites, just to name a few, filling up the divorce court dockets with regularity.

When the calls come pouring in, private investigators spread out onto the scene all throughout Oklahoma to track down cheating spouses.  From conducting surveillance from a distance to placing tracking devices on cars, there are lots of ways for Edmond, Oklahoma private investigators to find cheating girlfriends, boyfriends, and spouses.  Indeed, some private detectives often conduct their investigations via the use of special cameras that they place inside of the person’s home. 

Of course, all private investigators in Oklahoma have to follow special regulations whenever tracking a spouse who might be guilty of infidelity.  If, for example, the car that the private detective places a tracking device on does not belong to the other spouse in any way, shape, or form, then an Oklahoma private investigator cannot put it on there.  Likewise, Oklahoma private investigators cannot place discreetly disguised cameras or other recording devices into a home or other area that the spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend requesting help does not also rent or own.

There are a plethora of ways for Oklahoma private investigators to catch spouses who are guilty of infidelity.  This “industry” per se, while a sad reflection on the shortcomings of human nature, also makes for a booming business for process servers, attorneys, and counselors.  It goes without saying that infidelity helps keep some professionals in business. 

Perhaps the time will come when boyfriends, girlfriends, and spouses no longer call upon Oklahoma private investigators for help.  However, given the track record of humanity as a whole, it is unlikely that private investigation firms in Oklahoma will run out of business anytime soon.  As much as many people here claim to be faithful servants of God, they are still and will always be subject to battling the darker side of their own human tendencies.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Oklahoma Private Investigators Should Join the Oklahoma Private Investigator Association (OPIA)


Oklahoma Private Investigators Should Join the Oklahoma Private Investigator Association (OPIA)

Oklahoma City private investigators and private investigators all throughout Oklahoma should give strong consideration to joining a professional Oklahoma private investigator organization.  Professional associations are a convenient, fun, and often inexpensive way to network with others in the private investigation field, gain additional in-service training, benefits which may include insurance, and more.  Teachers, medical doctors, dentists, process servers, and numerous others have also joined together in this same endeavor. 

One such organization in Oklahoma for private investigators is the Oklahoma Private Investigator Association (OPIA).  One can easily find the website for the organization on www.opia.com.  The men and women who spend their professional careers conducting surveillance, investigating crimes, civil cases, finding out whether a spouse has been cheating, etc., have a wonderful time.  At the monthly meetings, an Oklahoma private investigator gets to enjoy a nice lunch with colleagues, listen to guest speakers, share new ideas, and much more.  Sometimes a private investigator in Oklahoma even wins a pretty intriguing door prize.

Another great thing about the OPIA is how it brings private investigators from Oklahoma City, Edmond, Moore, Norman, Tulsa, Piedmont, Guthrie, Bethany, Yukon, Mustang, Midwest City, Del City, Stillwater, Owasso, Lawton, El Reno, and counties such as Tulsa County, Oklahoma County, Canadian County, Cleveland County – basically all throughout the state – together!  Great minds share fantastic ideas, and self-improvement is always a goal.  The chance that private investigators have to collaborate and refer clients from cities and counties that are far away from their office is an added and appreciated bonus!

The chief executive officer of Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers (www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com), Dr. John Keefe II, is a proud member of the Oklahoma Private Investigator Association.  Always a strong supporter of professional organizations, Dr. Keefe encourages his staff to join the Oklahoma Private Investigator Association.  The more Oklahoma private investigators that the OPIA has, the better they can work together to help serve the clients (i.e., attorneys, governmental agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals).  While it is true that private investigators often compete against one another for business, private investigators who collaborate through the Oklahoma Private Investigator Association also help bring the word “professional” into their chosen profession.   

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The Benefits of Armed Versus Unarmed Security Guards Who Serve in the State of Oklahoma


The Benefits of Armed Versus Unarmed Security Guards Who Serve in the State of Oklahoma

When companies, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies are debating whether to hire unarmed security guards or armed security guards to serve in Oklahoma, which should they choose?  The matter is really an important decision that deserves great consideration.  Employers have many factors to consider, and their ultimate decisions often greatly affects both their corporate pocketbooks and the safety of their facilities. 

One obvious point of consideration is the cost factor.  It goes without saying that Oklahoma’s employers are always seeking to cut costs and increase their profit margin.  Since unarmed security guards tend to cost less than armed security guards, hiring an unarmed Oklahoma security guard might seem to make better sense.  However, such a decision, while sometimes well-intentioned and necessary, is not always the best one.

Unarmed security guards are not licensed to carry firearms in Oklahoma.  If someone starts shooting others at an event, school, at a business, etc., who is going to stop them?  While it is possible that an unarmed security guard might try to tackle the armed gunman, is it likely?  Not many unarmed people would consider going toe-to-toe with some crazy guy or girl who is opening fire.  Thus, while hiring a private security guard who is unarmed might save money in the short run, it could potentially cost employers and others hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in lawsuits in the long run.

Employers must also review the potential risk levels and security threats of the areas they want secured.  If a business or other area is generally a very low risk area with very little crime, then an unarmed security guard might be the best route to take.  On the other hand, if a particular firm is in need of a stronger security presence and/or is located in a high risk area, an armed security guard might prove to be the better choice.

The ultimate decision as to which type of security guard to hire ultimately rests with the company, nonprofit organization, or governmental agency.  Both unarmed and armed Oklahoma private security guards can suffice, depending on the situation. Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com has an outstanding private security guard agency division which proudly serves all throughout Oklahoma and will help businesses, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and private individuals meet their needs.