Understanding Angie’s List: Should I Join?

Many of our loyal customers find us through Angie’s List, but it’s not just moving companies on there. There are all kinds of service providers listed on there, and it is definitely to your benefit as a consumer to join if you feel you will use service providers even once throughout the year. You can get real-life, un-biased and never anonymous reviews of everything from plumbers to air conditioning repair.Angie's list is a website which collects reviews on local and national businesses and service professionals. A multi-million dollar company listed on the NASDAQ, the website represents a growing consumer demand for reliable businesses. You can check out that masseuse before you arrange a visit, or inspect a plumber before calling for an estimate. It's a handy website which strives for integrity in its reviews, offering consumers a handy way to evaluate where they choose to spend their hard-earned money.Consumers must pay for Angie's List, and they seem pleased with the results. After all, if those participating are all paying they are likely to provide a more thoughtful review of a business. Impulsive reviews are dampened by the need to invest money into the services. The cost of membership varies depending on your town. A Phoenix, AZ consumer can sign up for is $4.40/month, plus a $10 sign-up fee, or $39/year if paid in advance.Considering the money and time consumers stand to save, the subscription fee will be easily recouped after a few positive transactions. The service may be particularly useful for those arriving in a new town. Learning a new city can be difficult at first, but having a reliable repository of reviews can help the newcomer navigate her way to finding a good restaurant, mechanic, and physician.In fact, customers feel that Angie's list is immune to ?gaming? or filtering out negative reviews. Subscribers receive warts-and-all reviews from their peers and many have found long-term business relationships as a result of the reviews. If, for instance, you are able to find a trustworthy landscaper through Angie's List, you are likely to stick with them.Once a company is included in Angie's List, they are encouraged to respond to reviews, a feature which provides consumers a direct voice to the business in question. Businesses are also able to review their records and offer a response to the customer. Sometimes, it's just as important to see a positive response to a negative review as it is to find a glowing review. Angie's List allows everyone to learn from negative encounters.Reviews are never anonymous on the service, so customers are assured that the company is not reviewing itself. Taking away anonymity also cuts down on customers who may hold a personal grudge against an employee and may seek to harm them through negative reviews. Businesses are only includes on Angie's List when users submit reviews of their experiences. Businesses do not pay to be included, which would tend to create a conflict of interests.Considering it's humble beginnings as a door-to-door survey of local contractors in Indianapolis, IN, Angie's List has grown from the ground up, providing consumers a solid source for peer-reviewed businesses and services, in addition to a way for businesses to interact with their clients, both positive and not.For more information about Angie’s List and the other most important review sites out there, along with what you need to know about reviews as a consumer, check out our free guide to understanding reviews here.