How many years has your company been in business?
We have been in business as Advantage Surveillance, Inc since July
11, 1998.
[back to top]
Can you provide a certificate of insurance for $5,000,000 for
general liability?
Yes, we will provide
the amount prescribed above. In addition, we also carry $1,000,000
for auto liability for all vehicles utilized in the field.
[back to top]
How do you determine customer satisfaction for your products and services?
For our major Clients we provide a periodic report (monthly or quarterly) that summarizes all the cases we have completed for that time frame. We consider this our "report card".. The report furnishes the following information for all cases given:
- Date Received
- Date Completed
- Amt Billed
- Claimant Name
- Claim Number
- Video Obtained (yes or no)
- Amount of minutes of video
- Summary
What is your record on early and late deliveries to your major customers? Cite customer measurements on these parameters.
We feel that our record is very strong in delivering our services
to our Clients on a timely basis. We do have a rare occasion that
may be a catalyst for us to be late in delivery, but when this happens
we will make every effort to notify the Client of the issues we
are facing as quickly as we are aware of it. This empowers the Client
to make the appropriate judgments regarding the assigning of the
case from the beginning. We will always communicate all hardships
to the Client so that they are fully aware of the situation that
lies ahead.
[back to top]
Describe in detail your company's experience in serving major customers in the southeast region.
Much of the assignments we currently receive are from major Insurance Companies, Third Party Administrators and Large Self Insured Entities. One common thread lies among all of our major Clients. They want the service we provide to be conducted under their specific guidelines and they want consistently high-quality services to be provided. Many of these Clients require a periodic consolidated report for analysis of overall performance regarding that specific date range. As described earlier many of our Clients utilize this reporting as our "report card".
On many instances when
we commence a relationship with a major Client we meet with them
to discuss their specific needs and make detailed notes as to their
directions. We make all those responsible aware of the requirements,
and we make every possible effort to meet those needs on each and
every case we are assigned.
[back to top]
Describe how your company ensures availability of staffing for your customer's needs.
As a company we are committed to hiring professional investigators that are able to produce the quality service that our clients have come to expect. Our goal is to recruit, train and retain only the finest employees in the industry. Our employee turnover rate is extremely low in an industry where turnover is considered one of the largest reasons for quality problems.
We are also constantly recruiting new employees. Our regional service territory covering only the Southeastern United States gives us a distinct management advantage. We feel the size of our territory is very manageable opposed to managing a territory the size of some of our counterparts that have a national program covering the entire United States. At the same time, the size and territory we have allows for career growth potential for prospective employees that our smaller competitors might not be able to offer.
State licensing laws for Private Investigators also plays another
major issue in staffing needs. We make every effort to ensure that
our investigators are not only licensed in the State they reside
but also but also cross-licensed in nearby states.
If we have an unusual influx of business in a certain location we
are in position to deploy the necessary resources to complete all
tasks on a timely basis.
[back to top]
How frequently are you in touch with your major customers to assess their changing expectations and to obtain feedback on their satisfaction with your company?
Many of our Clients
have set periods where a review is conducted to ensure that all
efforts are directed in a direction that is beneficial to the Client.
Quarterly reviews have been the most beneficial to our current Clients.
Of course, this is predicated on the level of any issue that needs
to be addressed. On any occasion the Client may feel free to contact
any representative of ASI to inform us of their specific needs.
[back to top]
How do you interact with diverse cultures?
Our investigative staff is made up of a diverse set of individuals
with various cultural ties. We make every effort to ensure that
the right investigator is placed on the assignment to ensure maximum
results.
[back to top]
Do you have investigators in the areas that you cover?
Yes, we have investigators strategically located throughout each
State that we service to insure proper coverage for our clients.
[back to top]
Do you bill a flat fee or hourly?
We prefer to bill a flat rate. However, we will make accommodations
for those Clients who require an hourly rate fee.
[back to top]
For surveillance, can you provide verbal daily reports at the end of each day?
Yes, we can provide a verbal, and / or email report at the close
of each business day.
[back to top]
In what timeframe can you provide written reports for surveillance?
We typically provide a completed written report within 14 days
of the assignment.
[back to top]
In your written reports for surveillance, can you provide a detailed
chronological summary of activity?
Yes, our
written reports will contain a "Timeline" break down of
what took place during that day of surveillance, and, in addition,
there will be video captures of activity observed.
[back to top]
What medium do you use for video and pictures?
Our surveillance vehicles are equipped with state of the art Digital
Video Recorders. Therefore, the original video is contained on CD
or DVD. We can supply our Clients with their choice of VHS tape,
compact disk that can be played on any personal computer or DVD
that can be played on any DVD player. All video is also on our secure streaming video server and can be viewed online.
[back to top]
What kind of performance guarantees do you provide?
We have established our Advantage Guarantee, which simply states:
"If,
for any reason, you are not satisfied with the method of an investigation
conducted on your behalf, or if the level of service did not meet
your expectations we will make the necessary changes to ensure your
satisfaction. If our efforts continue to fall below your expectations
we will gladly refund or credit any proceeds charged to you regarding
that case, or we will rework the case at no additional expense."
[back to top]
How are performance and invoicing issues resolved?
Invoicing
and performance issues are resolved on a case-by-case basis between
the VP of Operations and the Client. If, for any reason, you are
not completely satisfied with the performance of a certain case,
we encourage you to contact us to discuss the issue.
[back to top]
What level of training and education will your company provide
to your Clients?
We are always
glad to provide our Clients with annual presentations regarding
issues in the Insurance Investigations Industry. We currently conduct
these type of presentations for Clients throughout our territory.
[back to top]
Are your Investigators or field personnel, full time, part time, or contractors?
All of the
investigators at ASI are full time employees and work solely for
the company. We do not employ any independent contractors, nor do
we vend out any surveillance to any other firm. All cases assigned
to Advantage are worked by a full time Advantage investigator.
[back to top]
How do you stay informed of current legal issues (i.e. privacy issues) for your business and the business of your customers?
We attend meetings and functions specifically addressing these issues annually. There are several States that require continuing education credits. In those States, we attend seminars that deal directly with legal issues.
We also make every effort to discuss new issues with defense attorneys
where we have established working relationships.
[back to top]
What is your company's policy for surveillance in regards to law enforcement?
We treat local and state law enforcement with the utmost respect and consideration. In return, we enjoy the respect and consideration from most law enforcement officials.
In most cases, we do not inform local law enforcement of our presence at the onset of surveillance. We do this to ensure the integrity of the surveillance. There have been many instances in the past where local law enforcement personnel have tipped the claimant of the presence of a surveillance operative.
In cases where law enforcement personnel have approached us during
surveillance, we identify ourselves immediately. It is our policy
to never allow the officer to know whom our target for surveillance
is. We also make every possible effort to ensure that the officer
allows us to continue the surveillance if possible and that our
actual purpose not be disclosed to anyone.
[back to top]
What is the minimal notice required by your company in order to make an assignment?
In most cases, we can
accommodate an assignment the day prior to it needing to be completed.
However, to ensure proper pre-investigation procedures are handled,
we ask that we be given 10 days to complete the assignment.
[back to top]
What is your average delivery time from assignment to completion?
14 days is the average delivery time from assignment to reception
of final report.
[back to top]
What standard reports do you provide to other customers?
For those clients that request it, we provide them with a monthly
or quarterly report of the cases that we have conducted for them
to include their case information, the date assigned, the date it
was completed, how much video was obtained, and the final cost.
[back to top]
What is your policy in reference to firearms and/or dangerous weapons?
We do not allow any investigators
to carry a weapon of any kind while working cases.
[back to top]