Episode #98 – The 4 hour minimum
Author: Scott
Comments(9)
Comments(9)
There’s been quite a bit of discussion on minimum charges and surveillance billing. Here’s my opinion.
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Scott,
Great job with the podcasts! I enjoy listening to each and everyone one of them. I would be interested in your comments in a future podcast about the various sources for investigative forms. There are books, cds, websites, lectures offering investigative forms at nominal prices. Some PI’s list their forms on their websites, some are PI are willing to share forms. What’s the bottom line in your opinion, any recommendations short of spending mega bucks hiring an attorney. Happy Holidays!
I completely agree Scott… Your opinion is the most fair..
Vernon
Las Vegas, NV
Thanks for the comment on the podcast! I’ll see what I can put together regarding forms. It’s a good idea.
Dig the site Scott. Lots of great information. Will be licensed and up and running in the Indianapolis area very soon.
Bryan
That’s great Bryan! Best of luck with the new business.
Scott -
Where do I post suggestions for topics? I would like to find some different options for software for case management and reports etc…
JellyDonuts, you just did! I’ll look into it for a future podcast.
RE: Flat rates are great for certain types of investigations we conduct for database searches etc. Surveillance flat rates are also good especially if it is within your immediate locale. I think I would be more embarrassed that I lost the subject within the first hour or so(if it was my fault or not) and would “immediately” offer to go back out and make another attempt or two. It’s a matter of ethics and morals and things like billing for time you did not work for give our industry a bad name. Just my opinion. Be safe!
Ken, I agree that billing for time you did not work can and does give the industry a bad name. The flip side however is that we can charge $X for a service (not outcome) and if both parties agree, it’s a fair deal. Take databases for example. They aren’t that different from surveillance. We charge a flat rate for a database search that takes 1 minute of our time. There’s no comparison to our hourly rate. I think the best course of action, regardless of how you bill, is to be honest, up front and fair. Make sure the client understands the billing and agrees to it. Have signed contracts, and if there are problems, work to resolve them and make the customer happy whenever possible.