Those Money Grubbing Database Providers and Information Brokers!
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I read the following post today:
“I have read all the Tracers bashing for raising their monthly usage fee; but I am curious why this group did not express the same outrage when IRB DOUBLED their rates across the board. In fact I only saw one posting and even he did not get a response… Correct me if I am wrong but doesn’t IRB also charge a monthly usage fee? Don’t get me wrong I am not a fan of either site. But, IRB is about to dig deeper into our pockets than the executives at Tracers ever dreamed of.”
I always chuckle when I read posts from other investigators that describe industry service providers as “digging deeper into our pockets,” “money grubbers” or any of the other negative and quasi-fraudster descriptions that one might cast out there in their moment of disdain. (I especially love the descriptions some investigators attribute to PI continuing education service providers.)
When the price of gas shot through the roof last year, how did most investigative agencies respond?
They raised their mileage rates or added a fuel surcharge; they passed the cost onto the consumer.
Sounds reasonable doesn’t it?
Is the investigative agency to be chastised for maintaining their fiscal health so that they can continue to employ their staff, pay their bills and maybe take a little home at the end of the day?
Hardly.
Now, let’s consider for a moment that leasing data or purchasing fresh data for resale actually costs the “retail” data providers (like IRBSearch or Tracers Info) money… IRB, Tracers, Merlin, Microbilt, etc, etc, are all buying and leasing data from suppliers too.
GASP!!! YOU MEAN THAT UNLIMITED AMOUNTS OF FREE DATA DOESN’T JUST COME WAFTING INTO THEIR BUSINESSES ON GENTLE OCEAN BREEZES??? OMG!
So… what happens when the “wholesale” data provider raises their rates across the board to the retail providers? (Here’s a hint: most of them are buying or leasing their *core datasets* from the same source.)
Yep, they pass their increased costs onto the consumer as well.
Why would anyone expect anything less? Do you honestly think for one moment that IRBSearch, Tracers Info, and Merlin Information Services actually looked forward to client backlash or enjoyed telling their customers that they were raising their rates?
Why then would anyone call them names or cast aspersions into the court of public opinion because of something so fundamental?
I am a fan of both Tracers and IRBsearch; their products help me do my job in many respects and data is another tool we use to provide great investigative services to my clients. I take price hikes with a grain of salt and will adjust my prices accordingly where appropriate- but let’s all be honest, if an investigator is complaining about a $4 or $5 increase in monthly fees and a $1 or $2 increase in the cost of a name search, address update or an SSN search then they probably have more important things they should be doing with their down time… like MARKETING.
I think that the problem many investigators have in situations like these (rate hikes) is the inability to differentiate poor customer service from the cost of doing business in a free market economy.
Have a great Easter!
-Scott Harrell
Scott,
The point concerning the Tracers increase was not so much what they did, although a 50% increase across the board in the current economy is,in my humble opinion, price gouging. More to the point was the way it was done. They sent emails out on the Friday telling users their prices would increase on the Sunday.
Furthermore, considering they are reputedly the bees knees when it comes to information providers, they even sent my email to an email address that had been discontinued 18 months previously.
I just feel the whole exercise could have have been handled better from a customer service point of view and still achieved the same end result eventually but it’s their business and they must live with the consequences of their decision. In my own business i have dropped then from being a primary source to being a secondary or third source.
They really dropped the ball from their usual excellent customer service standpoint and I am sure many investigators are being more circumspect with their usage as a result in order to cut costs.
In closing i want to congratulate you on your excellent magazine. keep it going i look forward to receiving my copy.
Scott,
The point concerning the Tracers increase was not so much what they did, although a 50% increase across the board in the current economy is,in my humble opinion, price gouging. More to the point was the way it was done. They sent emails out on the Friday telling users their prices would increase on the Sunday.
Furthermore, considering they are reputedly the bees knees when it comes to information providers, they even sent my email to an email address that had been discontinued 18 months previously.
I just feel the whole exercise could have have been handled better from a customer service point of view and still achieved the same end result eventually but it’s their business and they must live with the consequences of their decision. In my own business i have dropped then from being a primary source to being a secondary or third source.
They really dropped the ball from their usual excellent customer service standpoint and I am sure many investigators are being more circumspect with their usage as a result in order to cut costs.
In closing i want to congratulate you on your excellent magazine. keep it going i look forward to receiving my copy.
Things can be changed. Everyone can stop using them as long as we put our heads
together and come up with something different. If you don’t like what we see then there is always some king of alternative. If we have to make it happen then we have to make it, so it can happen.I for one am tired of passing more and more costs on to the customer.
Things can be changed. Everyone can stop using them as long as we put our heads
together and come up with something different. If you don’t like what we see then there is always some king of alternative. If we have to make it happen then we have to make it, so it can happen.I for one am tired of passing more and more costs on to the customer.