Based on some of my recent posts about reviews I was contacted by ServiceMagic. They explained their process and quality control for reviews (they claim 500K consumer reviews). Here are some verbatim excerpts from the email I received:
Only homeowners who were matched to a contractor through ServiceMagic are allowed to submit a review, so the “legitimacy” issue is taken care of at the onset.
We have a team of 25 people who spend much of their time reviewing each R&R before it’s posted. We do this to identify any unsatisfied homeowner (rating score of three or lower). That score triggers customer service outreach to the parties involved. In roughly nine out of ten instances the negative rating is the result of a misunderstanding or a lack of communication between the homeowner and service professional. Consequently, our staff is trained to mediate and help the parties reach a resolution. In most cases, the consumer retracts their negative rating after the situation was rectified by the service professional and both parties are happy as a result.
We also give service professionals the opportunity to respond to ratings posted about them. We know there are two sides to every story, and do not wish to leave one side without a voice. That’s especially the case when a negative rating gets posted.
We’ve added the ability for consumer-reviewers to reach out to one another. Someone posting a review can indicate that they’re willing to be contacted by other consumers in the event they have a specific question about what’s been written, or in a general sense, the performance of the contractor they’ve been matched to.
Angie’s List does something similar with dispute resolution.
I especially like the final point about consumers contacting one another. That obviously doesn’t apply in a category like restaurants, but it’s very useful and valuable in “high consideration” categories such as remodeling and home repair.
October 10, 2008 at 7:02 am |
[...] ServiceMagic’s Reviews Quality Control « Screenwerk [...]
February 25, 2009 at 3:49 pm |
I used to be a Service Magic Contractor. I had great reviews and earned them. I am saddened but not surprised that I am reading about Service magic doing unethical things. They abuse the contractors in a big way financially. Basically they are a huge ripoff to small contractors even if they are good ones such as myself. Repeat leads, people who have no intention of doing any work, people who ask for returnvisits for new estimates on the same work, people who do not return phone calls and emails….and an absolutely horrible system for making good on bad or mistaken leads.
Service Magic stinks all the way around.
March 3, 2009 at 10:14 pm |
Ouch, sorry to hear that you had such horrible results with ServiceMagic George. Myabe I should have read this review prior to signing up – which I just did today. I’m an architect in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I figured that $33 per lead was pretty fair, if you land one in 5 or 6. But if only one in 20 leads to a contract, this will not work for us.
July 4, 2009 at 6:54 pm |
I signed on with Service Magic back in 2001. Paid for and received about two dozen leads. I found that most consumers were looking for the cheapest price and not quality. In 02/03/04 did complete three jobs off Service Magic leads but with very little profit margin.
Recently in 2009 receivced e-mail from Service Magic inquiring about joining Service? Checked my Service Magic profile only to find all previous history/reviews with them had been deleted .
August 18, 2009 at 2:59 pm |
I have had a few of your contractors contact me but I have no way of evaluating them. In the past there was a five star rating that was easy to access to help me decide which contractor to use.Now?
December 5, 2009 at 6:56 pm |
We had three boilers and a chimney liner installed. The workmanship was excellent. All Phases Mechanical is a company we would feel good about recommending.
We would like to give All Phases Mechanical a five star rating.