Or Completely Arbitrary? The stakes tend to be highest for the small companies that have just a few reports.
For example, on the Chicago Angie’s List, 32 kitchen and bath remodelers were rated ‘D’ or ‘F’ based on one or two reports. Complaints reflect a gamut of unpleasant experiences, from shoddy workmanship to jobs that went way over budget and schedule. Many are probably justified, but plenty — in Chicago and elsewhere — are based on the remodeler’s alleged failure to return a lead call or deliver a proposal.
“Did I even get that call?” asks Big50 remodeler Jim Manley, whose 32-year-old Maryland company had three ratings in early October: a glowing ‘A,’ an appreciative ‘B,’ and an unqualified ‘F’ from someone who said their voice-mail message from a week before had not been returned. Members post anonymously (only Angie’s List knows who they are), so Manley couldn’t confirm whether that message was, in fact, left.
Murphy Brothers, in Blaine, Minn., has been in the remodeling business for 24 years. President John Murphy says the company has had a few thousand clients, and that it surveys them all, getting “overwhelmingly good results.” But Angie’s List turned up some negative reports. Two were from members who claimed they left unreturned messages. Another was from an actual client who wrote her review at what Murphy says was the “emotional low-point” of her project, and made allegations that he says were blatantly false. He knows of at least one strong prospect who decided not to hire his company after reading the reports.
When Murphy asked Angie’s List how to repair the damage, noting that he could disprove the false allegations, “they said, ‘You’ve got to recruit good customers and have them write good reports.’” Murphy was incredulous. “I said, ‘You make money off posting things that are untrue, and I’m supposed to recruit members for you?’”
“In no way would we ask a company to recruit for us,” responds Swain, of Angie’s List. “We take our relationship with contractors very seriously, and if they feel a posting isn’t accurate, we would take the time to look into it.” Moreover, he says, Angie’s List encourages contractors to submit a response if they feel a report doesn’t reflect a “complete” experience. “There are two sides to every story,” he says, and “the more information our members have, the better.”
Murphy notes that most remodelers wouldn’t even know they’ve been reported on, much less that they can respond. “You have to be proactive as a business to go there,” he says. He did respond to three reports, then started to feel like “a whiny business owner trying to cover something up.”
As remodelers struggle to do damage control and hope for the best, homeowner grapevines continue to gain influence. “It’s inevitable that these services would exist,” says Case’s Erazo. “Once a consumer has spoken, it is what it is. But contractors need to be aware.”
Having Your Say
Only individuals may join Angie’s List, but companies that maintain ‘A’ or ‘B’ ratings have limited promotional opportunities. You may also be notified when members report on you, and you may respond to reports, at no charge. For more information, call 866.843.5478 or visit www.angieslist.com/companyhelp.