News  6 Useful Steps from the Old School of Skip Tracing    By Ron Cooper Skip tracing is a lot like baking a cake. You don’t just throw flour in a bowl and say, here is your cake. No. You add all of the necessary ingredients then you complete the mixing, cooking, and decorating steps. Skip tracing is the same way. There can be many steps. One of the first steps is to access a reliable database. But, if you don’t get the answer you need then continue on with the process. I guess this is the old school part of me coming out. I believe we can do more. I believe that we are not a group of people that give up easily. I believe we like to grab both horns and say “give me your best”. Here is an old school way: STEP 1. Make sure you are working with GOOD information. * Make sure the name is spelled correctly. Is it a Jr. or a Sr.? * Does the address include a lot or apartment number? * Is the telephone number a landline, cellular or VOIP? You get the idea. STEP 2. Scrub that puppy. This step, if done correctly, can greatly increase your find rate. There are several subscription database companies that will search a combination of deceased, bankrupt, incarcerated and possibly some military records. This can weed out un-workable accounts. STEP 3. Initial Search. Everyone moves a little different on the next two steps but here is an example of what can be done. Talk to folks in the last known address. Talk to neighbors. Talk to the landlord. Hopefully, you will find the following free websites useful: netronline.com argali.com and pretrieve.com. STEP 4. Full search. In addition to the step 3 searches add these as well: Talk to the co-workers, supervisor and references. Do they have a parole officer? There are many other Websites to access information, such as publicrecordfinder.com. STEP 5. Verify the new information. Follow this rule of thumb. “Verify all information at least twice.” If you are getting information directly from the debtor by way of telephone interview, if possible, have someone else check the information WHILE you are still speaking to the debtor. Contact the employer, speak to the human resources department, supervisor or a co-worker to confirm the information. Contact the landlord, neighbors or others in the residence. Provide as much documentation as possible for the debtors file. STEP 6. Eliminate the “repeats.” If your company collects the accounts once they are located, make sure that it is part of your policy to “update your records” every time that contact is made with the debtor. Always, always, always record everything in the notes. Keep records of everything that you do. Not only does this help should you have to locate the debtor again, but if someone else takes over in the middle of the search process the will know what has been done. Ron Cooper specializes in providing skip trace education. He can be reached at rcinfoservices@excite.com