What to Look for When Reading Reviews of Painting Contractors
Unless you’ve already built a strong rapport with a painting contractor, you’ll want to compare several local painters before hiring one. Failing to do your research ahead of time is like taking a shot in the dark -- things might work out, but you’re more likely to end up disappointed. Today, the most efficient way to judge a painting service prior to hiring one is to browse public reviews online.
Most review platforms make it easy to toggle between negative, average, and positive reviews, and many will reveal an aggregate score to give you a broader sense of a contractor’s reputation. As handy as this bird’s eye view is, however, it’s important to read individual accounts of previous customer experiences prior to making your final decision -- an overall rating of, say, 4 out of 5 stars is promising, but this measurement alone doesn’t tell you much else about the residential or commercial painting provider in question. With this in mind, here’s what to look for when reading reviews of painting contractors.
What to Look for in Painting Contractors
Authenticity
The internet is riddled with fake reviews, some of which are meant to drag a company through the mud and others that attempt to prop the company up. Some review sites are better than others about weeding out the bogus write-ups, but even stricter sites let the occasional falsehood slip through the cracks. As someone reading through reviews, it’s important to keep an eye out for such scams, taking extreme comments with a grain of salt until you have reason to accept them as fact. Checking the reviewers’ names, use of grammar/language, and date of their review can help you gauge the credibility of their remarks. Look for mentions of location, too -- only residents of (or near) Raleigh, NC should be reviewing a Raleigh painting contractor, after all.
Detail and Clarity
The more detailed a review, the better. Not only does thoroughness suggest a review’s legitimacy -- it also allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the painter’s process, customer service, quality of work, and more. Some reviews can turn into essays, and you might struggle to get through them. That said, even these extensive write-ups tend to be more valuable than single-sentence reviews. The most effective reviews to read are those that span about a paragraph and lay out what the contractor did, how long the project took from start to finish, how much it cost (exact figures aren’t necessary), and how it turned out. Additional remarks about the painting contractor’s punctuality, communication, efficiency (or lack thereof), and so on are also helpful.
Enthusiasm and Recommendation
If you want to feel confident about the contractor you hire, look for reviews that express enthusiasm about the experience. It’s one thing for a painting company to tout that they offer “the best drywall repair services in town” -- it’s something else entirely if a customer throws these accolades at their contractor. When a customer says they recommend a service and/or that they will definitely seek their services again in the future, this is the highest form of praise possible. If enough reviewers share this sentiment, it’s a good sign that you’ll feel the same after working with the painting contractor.
Noteworthy Buzzwords and Phrases
There are also various keywords and phrases to look for in individual reviews that can help you quickly navigate a review platform and give you valuable insights in a flash. Some of these expressions include:
- Professional(ism)
- Experienced/expertise
- Communication/communicative/responsive
- Trustworthy/transparent/reliable
- Timely/punctual/efficient
- Cost-effective/fair pricing/competitive/value
- Quality results/accurate/best
- …and more
It’s important to look for these words both in their positive and negative forms. For instance, a simple word search of “timely” might yield a review that praises a residential painting service’s punctuality or criticizes their lack of timeliness. The star rating will usually give away whether the review is positive or negative to begin with, of course.
Review Those Reviews Before Hiring a Painting Contractor
It’s never been easier to judge a company’s worthiness. As you peruse online reviews, however, do so with an eye for detail. Don’t be fooled by fake reviews, and take the time to read multiple individual accounts to gain a better understanding of a painter’s reputation. At Anderson Painting, we’re proud to share our countless positive reviews with potential customers so they feel confident hiring us. Read our recent reviews here. And to learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
