When you're serious about finding a lost or missing friend, family member or loved one, the last thing you can afford to do is squander your resources. A poor quality people finder service costs you money and wastes valuable time. A good people finder maximizes your chances of success by making the most of your resources.

If you've spent some time researching people finder services, you may have reached a point of final decision making in the process. You've eliminated potential scams by checking backgrounds and obtaining references. The candidates that remain charge similar fees. You want to choose the people finder service that will provide cost-effective results. How can you determine which people finder is right for you?

There are several things to consider in the final selection of a people finder. If you haven't already done so speak with a representative of each service. Evaluate each candidate according to the following five criteria:

1. Mission statement: Look below the surface at what motivates each people finder service by evaluating their mission statement.

Is the foundation of their business just words that sound impressive, or are they well thought out expressions of guiding principles, goals and practices? Does there mission statement reflect an ethical approach and are clients their top priority?

2. Professional associations: What professional or industry associations do they belong to? How did they become members and what does membership really mean?

Check with the associations each people finder belongs to. Verify not only their membership but that the associations have genuine merits.

3. Licenses and training: Are the people finder investigators licensed as appropriate per their locale? Where was their training completed? Can this be verified? What ongoing training do they receive?

4. Experience and expertise: Do they have experience dealing with cases similar to your own? How many times has a similar case been successfully resolved? What measures did they take to successfully locate missing persons in similar situations?

Although each missing person's case is bound to be unique, be wary of failures to locate individuals under circumstances similar to your own.

5. Approach: Ask each people finder service what steps they will take in the location attempt. Professionals should be able to detail the steps they will take in your particular case.

They should also be able to reasonably predict what might or might not happen at each milestone. A quality people finder that is honest will outline a realistic approach without making empty promises. Look for details that address specific aspects of your case instead of generalizations.

Unfortunately there is no guarantee a people finder will produce results regardless of their level of expertise, experience and commitment. But you can increase the odds of finding a lost person by choosing the best option you have. Look to hire a professional in the locale where you believe the search will be most productive. If you think someone is hiding in Australia, hire an Australian people finder service.

Be wary of any people finder that cannot talk to you professionally about each of these five evaluation criteria. Don't waste time and money best spent locating the person you're looking for.

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Article by John Dobson of OZpeopletrace. OZpeopletrace is a professional people finder service specializing in locating individuals in Australia. To learn more about OZpeopletrace visit www.OZpeopletrace.com.au.