Customers have told us that other reference checking companies have a second website as a cover when contacting the client's former employees. Do you have such a site and is it really needed?

ANSWER 1

Until we were asked this question we really hadn't thought about it, as it had never come up. However, yes we do, though it really wasn't intended for that purpose, but if an employer asks we can send them to employer-references.com. However, no employer we have spoken with ever cared enough to ask for our web site. It is possible that when we are forced to leave a message, they might check us out before calling back.

What do you say when you call my former employer?

ANSWER 2

First, we do not lie. Dan or another caller will identify themselves with their real name. We will say we are with Blue Planet Human Resources or Employer Reference Service, both of which are true. We explain we are a third party reference checking service and we are calling on behalf of a client. Again completely true. The former employer assumes our client is another employer. If they ask for the name of the employer, we explain one of the reasons a third party is used is privacy and due to our contract agreement, we can not reveal our client.

How long will my reference check take?

ANSWER 3

This is the 64 million dollar question. In many cases it is completed within three days, but there are exceptions.

Some reference checks are complicated and time consuming. For instance, reference checks are typically completed within 3 days and a written report is emailed to you. However, 3 days is not guaranteed and we are not responsible for delays.

Please keep in mind that we can not and will not deliver the report by telephone. Do not call us for that purpose.

If we are calling a medium to large company and they have a HR department, then it goes relatively quickly. If the company is smaller with only one HR person and that person is available it can go fairly quickly. Often times that person is doing other jobs in addition to HR and is difficult to reach. It can be very hit or miss.

We will call at least 3 times and often 6. If we have to call more than that we will switch people, otherwise we get secretaries and operators insisting on us leaving voice mail. We also can use different outgoing lines in several different area codes if necessary. In addition to 305 which is parts of Miami as well as the Florida Keys, we have 786 which is Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, and we can call out of the state capital at Tallahassee, area code 850. For some of the other services we offer, we can actually originate and terminate calls in any area code and local calling area we want, right down to the particular exchange/central office.

There are times when it is difficult reaching the proper people. We will wait and call back. People in HR are often busy in meetings or away from their desk. Sometimes people are out sick, on leave, or on vacation.

Our policy is not to be a pest. We can only call so many times before we have to leave a message. We do not like leaving messages as we prefer to talk to people without warning or preparation as we get much more candid and complete information that way.

If we leave a message that is very general, we seldom get a call back. If we provide a specific message, we might get a callback, but the person is forewarned and generally is not as forthcoming. If the employer doesn't like the employee they are generally not very forthcoming, though some provide all sorts of info, or at least enough to really know how they will respond to other reference calls.

Small businesses are the worst. There are businesses that NEVER answer the phone. We have no choice but to leave a message. We are at their mercy for the callback. If the employer is too busy, not reliable, or dislikes the person we are calling about, we might never get a callback. If we leave too many messages, the employer will hate us and certainly not call back, so we have to do our job with a sensitive balance.

If you were employed by a very small business, it would be good if you also have an email address or fax number for them that we can use.

One of the purposes of our reference check which most people don't think of, is to find out if the reference is even going to work. What they might say is the second part. If you worked for some small company that doesn't answer the phone or won't return our telephone calls, what do you think is going to happen when a real potential employer tries to contact them. That company certainly isn't going to spend as much time as we do trying.

No, they won't try much. They will simply discard your application or resume and go to the next one in the pile. And in this economy, you can be sure it is a big pile.

How much information can I expect to get in the report?

ANSWER 4

This question directly relates to Question 3.

Some employers provide name, rank and serial number as a matter of policy. Bigger companies will have formal policies and they won't give out much information. Any company that has been sued or has had labor problems is likely to provide only the basic confirmations of employment. Sometimes we can get around that by talking with supervisors. Sometimes we get people that love to talk and provide all sorts of information.

There is no guarantee either how long it takes or how much information we will be able to obtain. Please allow up to two weeks for the entire process to run its course.

If we are unable to complete any reference check within two weeks, you will have the option of receiving a refund for that particular reference check (if we have not expended any significant time on it) or allowing us to continue to try. If you order multiple reference checks and we are unable to complete them all, your refund will be prorated on a percentage basis to the check(s) we were unable to complete. Any refund is at our discretion.

You will receive a written report by email.

How many people can I ask you to call on one reference order?

ANSWER 5

For several years we didn't worry about this or address it. However, some people really get carried away. Thus, our policy is that we call one person or the HR department. If you want us to call your supervisor, your foreman, or whatever, that is considered another reference check. Keep in mind that a potential employer is going to call HR and is not going to call around searching for people you mention.

If this service is taking too long, can I get a refund?

ANSWER 6

If for some reason we are at fault and have not been diligently working on your order, we will give you a refund for any portions of your order (orders for more than one reference) that we have not been able to complete.

Services generally can NOT be cancelled if we have starting working on the order.

In rare situations the company will not talk to us or provide any information. Sometimes the company is no longer in business. We are not responsible for the response of third parties and as we have done what we can, refunds will not be given.

In many cases we spend considerable amounts of time trying to contact the people listed in your order form. If we are not successful, it is not for lack of trying. This will tell you that former employer is not going to do you much good when you list them on an application. Finding out if it is easy or difficult to get a reference out of a business is part of our job.

In the difficult cases, we spend far more time on the client's case then they have paid for. We do not do this for free. If you are unhappy with the amount of information we were able to obtain, we apologize, but there are no refunds.

Keep in mind that the reason you are using us is because you already know or suspect you are getting a bad reference. They might not be nice to us or very cooperative either when they hear your name. Chances are you were fired or there were other issues with the employer.

For example, one client had a long list of questions about teamwork, performance, promotions, reliability, and so forth. The employer told us, virtually off the bat, that they hated the guy's guts. They were flabbergasted he was even using them as a reference. Asking that list of questions was not going to work and was pointless.

How many questions do you ask and
how do I let you know what I want asked?

ANSWER 7

After you pay for your order, you will be taken to the order confirmation page. If for any reason it does not come up or you need to return to it, simply click on CLIENT HELP at the bottom of the yellow portion of the page on the Home page.

The order confirmation page will instruct you on how to enter the Secure Client Folder. You will find a number of forms there. Use the one for the service you ordered. If you ordered one or more reference checks, it will be the first form.

The form provides plenty of room to enter questions you would like us to ask, areas of concern and so forth. There is plenty of room. Some people enter lots of questions, and frankly, few HR persons or employers will sit through them all. Also, answers to the first few questions might well make the other questions irrelevant.

Regardless, nobody knows how the reference check is going to go, so ask away, but don't expect the person on the other end of the line to sit still for it long.

Also, keep in mind, if you ask too many questions or phrase them strangely, or if they are too personal or reveal too much information, this will be a clue to an experienced HR person that the caller might well be calling for you. We try to avoid that impression.

I see in the Client Folder you have written releases to download. Should I download these and return them completed to you?

ANSWER 8

The forms are there if needed. However, you do not need to worry about them.

There are companies, often in specific industries, that require a signed release for them to give us any information. These forms are available in the Client area of the site for download. Do NOT provide us with the form unless we request it. It is a very rare event that an employer asks for it.

If you do not want to complete the form for a particular employment check where the employer required the form, we do not provide a refund.

What happens to the form with all of my information after you are done with my checks?

ANSWER 9

First, the information is treated as completely confidential. Only the CEO has access to all of the forms. Anyone else employed only has the forms for the clients he/she will be working on that hour. Cases not completed are collected and go into a priority pile held in a secure area and then go back to case consultants to make more calls. Depending on the reason a particular check was not completed, the case may be worked again that day or held to the next day. Cases that are delayed because of a person on vacation or the like will go to the CEO who will write the client informing them of the delay. As we worked on the case, it can't be canceled or refunded.

Cases that are completed go back to the CEO. The person conducting the case might write the report, or the CEO will write the report. After the report is emailed to you, the printed form is immediately shredded in a cross-cut shredder. The form information is deleted from the file it is contained in personally by the CEO.

The report we send you by email is our property and is maintained for 90 days in event a client attempts to do a chargeback against us unfairly. We will file a response and defend ourselves against the chargeback.

Your information is not used for any other purpose and is treated with complete confidentiality. Even with our safeguards, you will note on the form that we ask only for the last 4 digits of your social security for privacy reasons.

Can you tell me more about that and is there a time you need my entire social security number?

ANSWER 10

There are times when the employer's HR records are only accessible with a full social security number. Names don't work, dates of birth don't work. Some industries, such as trucking, usually use third party websites to provide reference information and these sites only work with the social security number. Most of these sites charge a fee. PLEASE, if you are checking on trucking or related employment and have already checked your employer's third party service, LET US KNOW.

In these cases, if you do not provide us with the full social security number, the reference check can not be completed. There will be no refund.