In just a few short weeks everything will be about Santa, snow, presents and family, BUT very quickly after that will come the New Year and thoughts of refreshed Kitchens, repainted woodwork and all sorts of home DIY.
However, every year, ten’s of thousands of people call the Citizens Advice bureau, seeking help with their home improvement problems. Add to that the Federation of Master Builders estimates cowboy contractors cost the UK economy £10bn a year; You really want to ensure you find a company you can rely on to understand what you are aiming for and one that is genuinely trusted amongst its existing customer base.
So for those planning major home improvements, the question will be where can you go to find a reliable tradesperson, with verifiable reviews from actual customers.
Where can you find this information?
As always – word of mouth / personal recommendation is a great start – BUT lets be honest how often do your friends and family have major building works completed?
So this is when online advertising (review) portals like Trust a Trader / Houzz Local / Nice Local & numerous others come into play – However…
Having a peek at “Google” reviews can really help. These are placed by actual people, not paid for and can be traced… So you know you are seeing the real deal!
In fact Google itself clearly states that they have “no tolerance” for fake reviews, that inaccurate reviews will be removed and that there is quite simply no place for spam in any reviews. Google’s automated systems use hundreds of cues to detect unreliable reviews such as a shift in review patterns on a business and implausible reviewer behaviour. repeat offenders will even be removed completely ( The business, not just the review) so there is an incentive to ensure only genuine reviews are added.
Also, in a recent study by Bright Local it was revealed that about 82% of customers read reviews before they make a purchase decision and of that 82%, 52 % of 18 – 54-year-olds always read reviews. So the onus is on a company to ask for reviews to be posted..
Icon Kitchen Designs are immensely proud of our review section on Google and ask that you take a look if you are considering some kitchen refurbishment / redesign work in the New Year…
Or better yet, lets have a chat – just email hello@iconkitchendesigns.co.uk or call 0208 645 6764
