Can You Really Trust Online Reviews When Looking at Home Service Providers?

Some customers write reviews, and practically everyone reads them. But are they actually trustworthy? With this in mind, we’re exploring why ratings matter for homeowners and businesses and sharing our tips for how to spot the real ones from the fakes.

Plus, find out how Tiger Services earned our ninth Angie’s List Super Service Award thanks to customers like you!

Why do people read and write reviews in the first place?

Research shows that about 9 in 10 consumers read online reviews before making buying decisions. According to a 2020 study, 87% of people read online reviews when considering local businesses.

The information in these reviews can help people understand whether they’re making a great decision or a big mistake. They can find out if the service will meet their needs and live up to their expectations, and they’ll get a clearer picture of what working with a service provider might be like. Essentially, a slew of positive reviews can put someone’s mind at ease. This is especially important for bigger purchases and long-term home maintenance projects.

After a great experience, people like to leave reviews as a way to share their customer story. If a certain service provider went above and beyond someone’s expectations, the homeowner may want to let other potential customers know — this provider is a safe bet and a reliable business to work with.

A homeowner who feels like a huge problem has finally been solved might also want to leave a great rating as a way to say “thanks” to the company that took care of it. No matter how you look at it, a positive review leaves everyone feeling good!

How to spot the trustworthy reviews from the fake ones

Unfortunately, not all reviews are authentic. Fake reviews can skew the overall rating numbers and make it harder for customers to know what to think about a business. They can either be used to artificially inflate a company’s rating or drag it down and drown out real customers’ input.

Here are some easy ways to spot phony feedback about a local service provider:

• Use trusted third-party platforms. Unfortunately, companies can tamper with review data on their own websites. But you can count on established third-party review sites like Angie’s List and Google.
• Look out for a large number of reviews in a short period of time. Especially if they’re all positive or all negative, this could signify a review tampering campaign.
• Check the reviewer’s profile. Users without a proper username and a track record of leaving reviews on the site are less trustworthy than those who rate companies frequently.
• Watch out for repeated words and phrases. In some cases, fake reviews will use the same keywords to make certain aspects of the service seem unbelievably good.
• Be wary of businesses without any bad reviews. Companies that delete negative reviews and one-star ratings are trying to hide something.

We’re grateful to have real customers like you leaving us great reviews

At Tiger Services, we’re proud to be recipients of our ninth Angie’s List Super Service Award. The 19-year-old SSA “honors excellence among home service pros who maintain superior service ratings and reviews on Angie’s List.”

Thanks to all of our real customers in San Antonio for sharing their experiences over the years, helping us reach new homeowners and helping those new homeowners make the right decision.

Read the full announcement to learn more about the SSA and Tiger Services’ history as an award recipient.