You’re just about to connect with a home renovation contractor and sign the papers for your project when you hear the news: a friend’s brother’s girlfriend had a bad experience with that company. You begin to look around online, and you’re worried at what you see. Should you leave that company behind? Here’s how to read between the lines as you assess online reviews of home renovation companies.

Be Aware of Your Sources 

There are a lot of reviews out there on the internet. Some of them are very positive. Some are very negative. Many of them are somewhere in the middle.

Before you panic about an online review, look into the origins of the reviewer. If that person has only posted a single review on the site, perhaps they are actually from a competitor. Look for details in the review. It’s one thing to say that a company is bad, but it’s another to give a more detailed description of what went wrong with the project. If the review seems over the top and light on the details, whether it’s positive or negative, look for other reviews that can give you a more balanced perspective.

According to Info Today, some reviews are even posted to focus on drawing in a specific group of people such as seniors who own their homes. If you notice that there are a lot of details about the group that the reviewer belongs to, this could be an indication that “a public relations firm is trying to target the demographic group represented by the reviewer’s self-description.”

Look for Multiple Information Sources 

When you’re looking at online reviews, don’t be swayed by one or two reviews. Instead, look for what’s common to all of the reviews. If a company gets excellent reviews for its roof repairs but people complain that they’re consistently late on communication, it’s likely that communication is not a strong point for the company. 

Looking for these trends will give you more details about what the company’s strengths and weaknesses are, and you can assess whether or not the company is the right fit for you. It will also help you see past the reviews that are extremely positive or negative, since according to Entrepreneur, “The truth is, it’s absurdly easy to share your opinion, and most people do it when they’re either very happy or unhappy.” Looking at many reviews in a measured and analytical way will give you the best results.

Compare the Product and the Service 

Learn what you can about the product and project you’re planning. Are the company’s seamless gutters the best ones in town? Are its gutter guards great but its service is even better? Look for reviews that compare the company with other, similar companies. This will not only help you decide for or against working with that company, it will help you decide that it’s the best one for the job. 

Talk With Real People 

It’s easy to hide behind online reviews. If you’re curious about whether or not a company is a good one, talk with your friends, your neighbors, and others in the community about the company. Use these discussions to confirm or to refute what you discovered online. 

At Harry Helmet, we are proud that our customers have trusted us with their seamless gutters, gutter covers, and other home renovation needs since 1981. Are you curious to see how we can help you transform your home? Schedule a free estimate today.

Written by Del Thebaud