We have many options when it comes to choosing companies or professionals within a particular industry. We are bombarded daily with advertisements and promotions for everything, and often times, it can be difficult to determine which information is accurate, or as our current president would say…"Fake News". Uncovering the truth within advertising is difficult, and we are left to our own devices when it is ultimately time for us to choose a service provider. We wanted to help you find a way to make these educated decisions so it doesn't cost you more in the long run. Here are three quick tips you can use when it is time to hire that local company for work to be performed.
If you are dealing with a health issue, your first inclination may be to log online and search for the specialist that handles exactly the problem you are facing. If you are suffering from numbness in your legs, or are having lower back pain, the local chiropractor nearest you may be able to get you fixed up quickly. However, how can you tell if that chiropractic office truly has 25 positive reviews online, or if they have a great marketing manager who spends most of his day soliciting reviews from past clients? You have to dig a bit deeper in order to find out for sure. Facebook has made the process pretty simple. If you log into Facebook, and then search the chiropractic office near you that you were going to visit, you should see connections of others who have liked or visited this place of business in the past. If you are friends with one of these connections, simply ask your friend for a genuine review of their particular service. Too often we rely on the reviews posted online of businesses and professionals, and never take that second step of due diligence. Spend the extra time to find a personal review of your medical professional, and your outcome will be significantly better.
There is no better way to truly understand what is going on behind the scenes of a local business like visiting the office or speaking to the staff. Again, we are given so much information online about how great companies are, and the stellar reputation that they have achieved, yet we visit the company and see a completely different side of the business. Some may say we have become skeptical about choosing local professionals, but the truth is, we have become this way for a reason. We have seen many people burned time and time again, and we want to help you not fall into that category again. Call the company, speak with the person who answers the phone, and start asking questions about the practice, reviews, clients, etc. You will be happy you spent a few extra minutes prior to laying out your cash.
You supported the local company, and now you have an obligation to share your experience with others in the community. Online reviews are only good when everyone participates. Many local businesses complain that the only time they ever get a review is after a customer has a bad experience. We tend to agree with this. If 95% of the local customers have a great experience but then don't leave an online review, we are not getting the true picture of what has gone on. Do your part and place a review on the companies website or one of the many online directories for the business. You will help support your community and help others when they are considering doing the same.