Why I Will Not Compromise Integrity & Jeopardize Business’s Reputation
By: Kim Letus
I have always insisted that process servers doing work for my business adhere to certain standards of professionalism. I’ve lost count of how many prospective servers I’ve interviewed over the years who have questioned me as to what disguises they should have available in order to be most effective in this job, where they should buy their empty pizza boxes or what ruses work the best. Television and movies have, for the most part, done a very poor job of portraying process servers realistically. I’ve seen very few depictions of process servers that are not highly fictionalized (“Serving Sara” and “Pineapple Express” come immediately to mind).
Maintaining credibility and professionalism in our industry is more challenging now than it has ever been. The American Legal Services debacle and the resultant Attorney General involvement and criminal prosecutions, not to mention the 90,000+ judgments that were vacated as a result, have occasioned a great deal of negative publicity for our industry. It is truly a case of ‘one bad apple’; but we, as an industry, are currently being subjected to intense scrutiny, and it is our duty to perform in a way that removes the tarnish this situation has created.
Increased effort is required on the part of principals of process serving businesses to maintain quality control as their businesses grow and process servers are added. Servers who do work for my business are instructed before they serve a single paper that they must conduct themselves professionally, treat the persons they deal with in a courteous manner, and refrain from overtly deceptive practices. I also inform them that there is zero tolerance for embellishment or fabrication. This has, thus far, worked very well for me. Even so, checks and balances must be put into place. I trust my process servers. They would not be doing work for me if I didn’t. The fact remains, however, that when you entrust subcontracted process servers with work for your business, you need to monitor the work closely and proactively address questions and discrepancies. If it becomes apparent that the activities of a server do not comply with your standards or the requirements of the law, the situation should be immediately and conclusively addressed.
As most of us in this industry are aware, keeping a balance between high standards and profitable business operations can be a challenge. I understand bottom lines and business decisions and the need to negotiate and work with clients, but I came to the conclusion long ago that no amount of money is worth compromising my integrity and jeopardizing my reputation and that of my business.