Several years ago we heard a respected business advisor say, "Figure out something that customers want, but which everybody in your industry says is impossible to provide -- figure out a way to provide it -- and then  guarantee to provide it!"

We knew that our clients wanted "results". When they retained us, they committed to spending a certain amount of money -- not just for us to investigate  --  for their money they wanted "results". The big question came in defining "results". Were "results" in this context, synonymous with "success"?

Most of our investigations accomplished their objectives, but some did not -- most often because is was impossible to achieve the goal. For example, if we are retained to locate $1 million in assets and the debtor has only  half  of that, there is no way we can achieve the goal. What if we found the debtor's $500 thousand? What if we found only $50 thousand? What if we found only $5,000? At what point could we and the client agree that the investigation had been a "success"? Clearly, if we could not agree as to whether or not an investigation had succeeded, there was no way to guarantee results!

We needed to focus our intent to guarantee results, on other types of investigations -- matters with clear and absolute goals -- matters wherein  the success or failure was an easily defined, black or white issue. One category of case that would fill the bill was what we call "locates". That is, finding people that the client needs to find or wants to find. Here we could easily define success or failure. It did not matter if the SUBJECT of our investigation had dropped out of sight 5 days before or 50 years before. We either found the individual, or we did not. Now, we could guarantee results!

From that evolved our contingency locate contract. You pay us a flat, fixed fee in advance -- usually $500. We will either find the person for whom you are looking, within an agreed upon period of time, or we refund every penny of your advance fee! If we fail, it costs you nothing! If we succeed, you pay exactly what you committed to pay for success! It is important to note that we are not trying to "buy in" with a low, unrealistic fee, and then, "nickel and dime you to death" with additional charges. If someone claims to provide this same service for a lower price, insist on a written money-back guarantee