Should You Train with a PI Agency or a Security Company?

Have you always wanted to become a private investigator? Maybe it’s something you just started thinking about, and you’re excited to be a part of. You wonder, “how to become a private investigator?” or “how to become a licensed private investigator?”

Look no further: we are here to guide you to making the right choice. Private investigations is a great industry, and you will surely love it. But the process of finding a company to do your private investigator course with can be difficult. Allow us to help you make the right choice in becoming a private investigator.

Although the private investigative services industry now has several companies offering training, the majority are brand new to the industry and not only lack the experience and skills investigators require, but their courses will leave you without the proper information to pass the Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services exam.

Did you know if you fail the Ministry exam, the cost is out of your pocket? We recently had a student take their training with a security company who had ads everywhere, but they failed their exam four times because the course they had taken did not have the information they needed to successfully pass the exam.

The student ended up spending $300.00 + to retake the exams. We ended up offering this student access to our course to take our mock tests, and the student scheduled their exam a few days later and only missed one question on the exam.

The student was thrilled at the fact that our course gave him the information he needed to not only pass the test but to get an exceptional mark on the exam. Our private investigator courses prepare our students correctly.

Our private detective course (some people call it a detective course, although it’s investigator training) is one of the first investigation training courses made for the Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services and our course meets and exceeds the expectations and requirements of the MCSCS. As we have been the longest-running PI course, we have all the necessary information, skills, and knowledge in the private investigative industry.

Is the training provider a security guard company?

Many security companies are offering online private investigator training now. However, this could be a career-ending move. Private investigations, although licensed under the same umbrella as the Private Security & Investigative Services Branch, the two industries are not the same.

Companies who are hiring private investigators who find out training was done through a security company will likely not hire you. Think about it this way: if you wanted to be a doctor, would you go to medical school or auto mechanics school? Naturally, you would go to medical school, so why would you train with a company that has nothing to do with the industry you are looking to work in?

How can you tell if a company is worthy or not?

Do they have a professional website? You can almost immediately spot a company that is new or inexperienced by a low-quality website. A company that expects and demands quality does not have a poorly designed and built website.

Were they easy to find?

If you have to actually search for the company, then it’s likely they are brand new, and you happened to stumble upon a paid ad versus being found organically.

Ask them how long they have been in the business both personally and professionally!

If you take your training with someone with less than five years of business or personal experience you could be wasting your time as they likely do not possess the skills you need to learn in training.

You get what you pay for!

We have set our course pricing after a significant amount of market research and focus group testing. Being that we are the largest online private investigator training provider in Ontario, we often have companies copying off of us and trying and lower prices. If you see a company other than ours lowering its price, be cautious as you may find yourself with a brand new business who cannot give you the information you need in their detective courses to pass the exam.

Do they have any rewards, certificates or accreditations?

We are not only accredited by the Better Business Bureau; but we also hold all necessary certificates, licenses, and training to offer PI training. As well we have been issued the best private investigator course two years in a row, and we are about it make it three!

What if something happens during my training?

Technical difficulties can occur, and small companies that have unqualified training platforms do not have the ability to fix an issue quickly. Our team of experts at our training facility is available 24/7 via phone or live chat. You will never experience a lack of contact with our platform; it’s the best.

Reviews!

Reading reviews from customers is the best way to determine who can provide you with the results you expect. If the company has no reviews take that as a sign, as companies with the good products get reviews as people want to share their happy experiences. No reviews = BAD!

Customer service

If you email them, does it take them the entire day to answer your questions? Customer service is one of our top priorities in addition to having the best private detective course in Ontario. We have never received a poor response, in fact, our customers have always loved our prompt responses. Want us to prove it? See a few review examples below:

“I found the course to be very comprehensive and easy to follow, it definitely gave me the necessary tools to successfully pass the private investigations exam the first time. Considering that you need 77% to pass the exam and the fact that I have not been in school for a few years makes it easy for me to conclude that it is one of the better courses out there. The live assistance was extremely efficient, and I found the instructors to be very pleasant. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone who wants to pass the P.I. Exam the first time with confidence.” – Richard W. (Better Business Bureau Review)

“The Smith Investigation Agency posted a job listing for my area also offering full courses for the jobs they were hiring with potential hire upon completion of said courses. I looked into customer reviews and the quality of the Agency, comparing prices with other companies and at the time I applied for the course, they were the best reviewed and least costly Agency readily available to me. I found the course to meet my expectations and to be structured in a way to maximize actual learning.” – Matthew M. (BBB Review)

“The course is well presented and thorough. I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent communication from Smith Agency. I enrolled on a holiday and finished the course late on a Saturday. Still all emails were responded to within a few minutes. Two hours later I had all the information required to book my test. Great service! Would definitely recommend.” -Marcelo S. (Google Review)

Want to see the rest of our reviews? Google our company!

We trust that we have answered any questions you may have had about the Private investigator classes. If you have any questions or concerns regarding who to take your Online Private Investigator Training with, give us a call or email us 24/7!

Visit our private investigator training tab on the website to view more information about the course and to purchase the course.

Remember, who you take your investigation training with is critical! If you train with a security company, it could prevent you from obtaining a job as a private investigator.

The Best Private Investigator Training Course in Ontario! from Whitney Joy Smith on Vimeo.