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- There are many things to look for in a screening company. However; it really comes down to what you are you looking for and what will meet your needs as the client
- Customer service is an important aspect in the screening process as it could make or break your business too
- Providing exceptional customer service helps clients and applicants get the results they need in an efficient and timely manner
- Turnaround Time, TAT for short, is a huge piece of the process because essentially you need the results back asap so that you the client can decide to go through with the applicant or not
- Compliance is a another big and an important step that is in relation to the FCRA, especially when you are doing a background check on an individual, you must be in compliance at all times
Is your customer service lacking? Or what about the pricing, is it sky rocketing? Is the screening company you are currently using only conducting background checks? Have you been answering yes to all of these questions? Well then maybe it is time you think about switching to a company that can meet all of your needs. Let’s say you’ve been with the same company providing all of your background checks for years, but they have a really slow turn-around time and they’re also charging you way more than they should be. Or maybe the company is terrible on the phone and can’t answer all of the questions you have or provide you with helpful information. Have you decided to move to drug testing your employees? Does your provider provide those services or do you have to go through a separate company to do drug testing? All of these thoughts and questions come into play when we really think about the business we were once so fond of, especially one that we have encountered more problems than usual with. Background checks are hard, but they don’t have to be. Finding the right screening company that can satisfy your needs and the needs of your potential hires are two important pieces when doing a background check on an individual.
Hello, how may I help you?
Customer service is an essential part of a business and without good customer service, the business can fail. For me, when I buy something or I am using any kind of service I want to make sure that things are done right and if I were to have any issues, I know I am being taken care of. Even when things are going well, it’s nice to have someone on the other line telling me everything is good to go and providing me with updates on my order.
Is your screening provider’s customer service up to scale and are they providing you with the essential items that you need to make sure your business is running smoothly and things are getting done? Are you on the phone for an hour about a potential hire’s report and nothing is getting solved? Are you constantly trying to call and no one is answering the phone? These are questions you must ask yourself when thinking about your screening provider and whether they are right for you. If a report is wrong, if something is misspelled, entered incorrectly, it’s important that we get the correct information as soon as possible. Customer service needs to be as responsive as they can and ensure that you are in good hands and get it fixed right away as we would never want to provide incorrect information to a client or a applicant.
Are you compliant?
Did you know that a checked box isn’t fully compliant with the FCRA? You actually need a signature from the applicant to be in compliance. Do you manually have to send your Pre-Adverse Action and Adverse Action letters to the applicant? How about manually sending them their Summary of Rights? Did I lose you when I said Pre-Adverse Action, Adverse Action, and Summary of Rights? If any of these questions have resonated with you somehow, maybe it is time to re-think your compliance system as a whole and re-think the provider that is supplying this compliance portion of the background screening process.
Compliance is a huge part of a background check and I cannot stress you enough how vital it is in terms of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Finding a screening provider that can automatically send Pre-Adverse and Adverse letters to applicants as well as customizing those letters to fit your needs can save a lot of time and stress when making sure you are staying compliant. Transitioning over to an automatic and paperless compliance system or software can really help in the long run while staying compliant and saving you time.
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How much are you paying?
A background check alone can be pricey, especially if you are running multiple reports on people. With every service, there comes a price and sometimes it is not all bundled up into a fixed price. You may have to pay for the Sex Offender Registry separate from a criminal record search and so on. Whatever the pricing and services are, it can become pricey when getting a lot of background checks done. So why not find the best pricing in your area for background checks. Why not get the best for your buck? If you are going to put forth all of this money, wouldn’t you also want the best results too? Wouldn’t you want the best customer service and the best software? Personally, if I am going to spend a lot of money on anything, I want to make sure that it is the right one for me and I am happy with the results- that I am indeed getting my money’s worth.
Spending a lot of money on a service or product that isn’t meeting your needs or wants is something that you should re-consider. Have you complained about how much money you are paying for a particular service that your background screening provider has? Or what about how much money you spent on a report that wasn’t completely accurate? Again, asking these questions regarding your screening provider will help you figure out if your screening provider is the most efficient and best out there.
How long are you waiting to get something back?
Turnaround time is especially important when it comes to getting things done on time and in an orderly fashion. Services or products taking weeks to be completed can be frustrating. Especially if you are paying good money for something, you typically want it to come as fast as it can and arrive in good condition. For everything I buy or purchase, I always try to stay up to date with it in terms of it getting delivered or completed.
Turnaround time is vital in maintaining a good customer base as well as keeping your customers happy so that they will come back. When it comes to background checks, turnaround time is super important because you are potentially putting your business on hold to see whether or not you should hire the individual based on their record. If an applicant submits their information for a background check, and it is taking more than a week or so to get back to the employer, then it could potentially become a problem as well as an annoyance to many. You obviously are hiring people because there has been an opening in the company and or you are in need of some help, so you do want to get that person in as soon as you can. However; with a background check taking forever to be done, this can cause some frustration to both the applicant and the employer.
Validity’s overall turnaround time average for 2017 was 39.1 hours, which includes all services for all Clients.
Closing Thoughts
We would love to know what you think! Please leave a comment below to tell us your thoughts. To learn more, or if you have any questions, please email me at msheridan@validityscreening.com. For more great blogs and content please subscribe to our blogs here.
