Client Interaction…

In this field, other than the advancement, unity and understanding of the paranormal, the only thing that matters is the client. Some groups I have seen recently seem to have forgotten this. Maybe not so much groups, but individuals within the group, which in turn, make all of the others look badly. One thing that all paranormal investigators have to keep in mind is the clients called you into their home, into their sanctuary, into their privacy.

When you are performing an investigation at a client’s home, you must above all else, keep everything fully confidential, and treat them with the respect they deserve. In my honest opinion, if you enter into a client investigation and your team provokes, that is very unprofessional. Some people seem to forget when you provoke; it is the client that has to deal with the repercussions, not you or your team. Yes, if you do provoke, there is always a chance of the entity attaching itself to you and following you; however, most of the time, this is not the case.

When performing an investigation at a client’s home, set up the equipment as you would in a museum or your mother’s home. Always make sure to tape down any wires, cameras, etc. for safety’s sake. Not only do loose wires look unprofessional, but they are also a trip hazard when you go lights out. Also, if you do not have your equipment taped or set firmly on a tripod of solid level surface, it may fall and damage the equipment itself or a piece of the location or even may cause injury to the client or one of your team members.

As a paranormal investigator, you must always keep in mind that the client has called you into their home in a time of crisis. It has been my experience when a client calls a paranormal group into their home; they are dealing with something that they do not understand and at times frighten them. Throughout the entire process, the client’s wishes should be respected. If they do not give you permission to include the results from the investigation on your website, do not simply hand their case off to someone else. If you do this, please leave this field now. You are not welcome. The clients are still in a situation that they feel is out of their control. It is your duty to help them cope as best as is possible.

I have seen some groups in the past fake evidence in order to call a location haunted. If you are doing this, please leave this field now. You are not welcome. When a client calls you in, it is your duty to find out what is happening at the location, be it paranormal or of natural explanation. There are logical explanations for most of the reports that you will find. For example, a feeling of paranoia, or being watched, can be caused by high electromagnetic fields within the location. If you find that there is a logical explanation for the occurrences, tell the client. It will put them at ease about being in their own home. Just because they call in a paranormal group, doesn’t always mean that there are spirits at work.

Orbs. In my experience, I have found that 99.999% of “orbs” are either dust particles reflecting off the light emitted by your IR diodes in your IR lights, insects, or have other logical explanations. If you present “orbs” as evidence to the client, you have to make certain that there are no other logical explanations for their occurrence first. Make sure you have exhausted all possibilities before coming to the conclusion that an “orb” is of a paranormal nature.

Charging for investigations. I know I have mentioned this before, but I want to reiterate that charging for your paranormal investigations is not only extremely frowned upon in this field, but also makes your team look unprofessional. Now, with the economy the way it is, I can see how people think that it would be ok for charging for them, but it is not. In my opinion, if you charge for your investigations you are taking advantage of the client. They called in your group in a time of crisis. You have to understand, that when a client calls in a paranormal group, they are dealing with something they do not understand. Most do not know what an EMF is, what infrared is, or even what EVP is. They do not know the majority of what paranormal investigators take for granted. That is why I entered into this field and hope you did too. The ultimate goal, aside from obtaining evidence of the paranormal, is to help the clients understand and inform them as to what is happening in their home.

If you are only involved in this field for the “thrill” factor, please leave now. If you are only doing this for the way it makes you feel when something happens when you’re in the dark, please leave this field. You are not welcome. Stay home and go lights out. Something will happen to you, I guarantee it. If you are not in this field with the client’s feelings and interest in the forefront of your mind, you are not welcome. Please leave now.

So this is my plea: If you are a paranormal investigation group, please be responsible and professional. Always keep the client in mind. If your main objective is not to help the client, please leave this field now. You are not welcome.