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Mike - very interesting, have not seen that one yet. There is one that is common in my area about a positive review (allegedly) about a woman who hired a plumber, could not get home in time and he walked her dog for her.
The one you posted certainly does not paint our trades in a positive light. I wonder if this was a licensed and insured contractor or a hack.
I never even checked out Angie's list, or have I had anyone mention it to me in my area. Is this more common in certain areas than others?
The one you posted certainly does not paint our trades in a positive light. I wonder if this was a licensed and insured contractor or a hack.
I never even checked out Angie's list, or have I had anyone mention it to me in my area. Is this more common in certain areas than others?
so?
That's been on TV frequently. But, maybe if you're just watching PPV... :whistling
There's an AL for Philly and one just started in Lehigh Valley. I have customers who put reviews up about me.
There's an AL for Philly and one just started in Lehigh Valley. I have customers who put reviews up about me.
I think AL is trying to get to the point where you will have to pay money to 'respond' to a complaint.
In other words, extortion.
In other words, extortion.
I justify my lowball tactics by renting PPV movies withouth the h/o knowing about it....:w00t::w00t:
I'll have to check it out. Have you gotten business from it?
AL like everything used to be good, now it seems it is all about marketing money for them and we the suckers pay for them to bad mouth us. :blink: I have several reviews from happy clients and i do get some jobs from the list but what I have seen as of late might be better not to be on. 
I had a customer who put up the first review earlier this year.
I think 1 or 2 people have said they found me there.
You can set up a profile for free and see your reviews, if any.
Doesn't cost me any money...so whatever.
I think 1 or 2 people have said they found me there.
You can set up a profile for free and see your reviews, if any.
Doesn't cost me any money...so whatever.
A customer, during the interview, asked me if I was on Craig's List - I gave her a look and said nooooo.......
Turned out she was talking about Angie's List.
I did look at the site, once.
Turned out she was talking about Angie's List.
I did look at the site, once.
Angie's List was actually started here in Indy as a small neighborhood directory. In many ways, resources like this are marginalizing and eroding the BBBs relevancy. But if I were CEO at AL, I'd be shaking in my boots at the speed with which online social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn are connecting the world... for free.
Consumers are placing more and more emphasis on social networks and online feedback resources to make their purchasing decisions. How many of you have gone online looking for information about a new company, restaurant, hotel, etc. and entered: "XYZ Company Reviews"? I find myself doing the same with more and more frequency.
I've never been interested in AL. I know too many hacks who are listed and I've been leary of participating in a directory that might end up posting a negative review from an unreasonable client. The possibility of future work was worth far less to me than the lack of control.
But companies around the world, from the small mom and pop to the Fortune 500, are grapling with how to deal with that very issue. How do you respond to these kinds of networks when your company is painted in less than a favorable light.
Cleary, it's an issue that can't be ignored.
Consumers are placing more and more emphasis on social networks and online feedback resources to make their purchasing decisions. How many of you have gone online looking for information about a new company, restaurant, hotel, etc. and entered: "XYZ Company Reviews"? I find myself doing the same with more and more frequency.
I've never been interested in AL. I know too many hacks who are listed and I've been leary of participating in a directory that might end up posting a negative review from an unreasonable client. The possibility of future work was worth far less to me than the lack of control.
But companies around the world, from the small mom and pop to the Fortune 500, are grapling with how to deal with that very issue. How do you respond to these kinds of networks when your company is painted in less than a favorable light.
Cleary, it's an issue that can't be ignored.
Very, very good point.:thumbsup:
This is really the issue many of us should be taking on right now.
On the one hand ignoring these things because you don't want to risk getting one bad review from some nut screwing you could be more harmful.
One bad review out of 1 review is a lot different then 1 bad review out of 100.
This is really the issue many of us should be taking on right now.
On the one hand ignoring these things because you don't want to risk getting one bad review from some nut screwing you could be more harmful.
One bad review out of 1 review is a lot different then 1 bad review out of 100.
What this commercial does for me is reinforce just how fragmented and juvenile the home improvement industry is, has been and seems destined to continue to be.
If that was an ad about restaurants, doctors, lawyers or even Realtors, I can guarantee you that there would be at the least press releases going out decrying the negative painting of an industry or at most some lawsuits.
Contractors? We are all to f'n dumb to realize we need a national organization to protect our reputations and to more importantly be working on improving them in the publics perception. Starting with being outraged at ads like this.
If that was an ad about restaurants, doctors, lawyers or even Realtors, I can guarantee you that there would be at the least press releases going out decrying the negative painting of an industry or at most some lawsuits.
Contractors? We are all to f'n dumb to realize we need a national organization to protect our reputations and to more importantly be working on improving them in the publics perception. Starting with being outraged at ads like this.
This ad has been running here for most of 2009. Unfortunately, this is the image of most contractors in the eyes of the consumer. This, I believe, also contributes to the "how much!!" reaction we get from customers who think we're all out there spending our profits at OTB and/ or the local go-go bar. Once a customer witnesses your professionalism you're golden.
The home shows don't help this image either... They make it seem like anyone can do the work "if they only had enough time."
With the right camera angles, creative lighting, and a camera that pans without getting too close--even hack work can be made to look good.
With the right camera angles, creative lighting, and a camera that pans without getting too close--even hack work can be made to look good.
I have to disagree with you Chris because most homeowners on those shows are really clueless. I understand in theory what you are saying but I doubt the average homeowner has what it takes to complete from start-to-finish even the smallest of bathrooms. There's lots of cooking shows too and that hasn't hurt the restaurant business. People still go to the movies too even though they can stay home and watch DVDs.
Bingo!Great point....
Yeah but for a guy like me just starting out I have to go above and beyond just doing a nice job. I am slowly building a base but I don't have as much work as I would like to have because not enough people are aware of who I am, what my business offers to them, and the quality of materials and labor that I provide. But I'm working on it!
Some of the shows are as you describe, and focus on the reality and drama of things gone wrong. But others have more of a "How To" flavor.
I watched a show on DIY yesterday that made my head spin. A host was showing a young couple how to remodel their bath. In 30 minutes they installed a heated tile floor, installed a steam generator for the shower, installed a mortar bed pan and tiled the steam shower walls with glass mosaic tile.
While it was funny watching them do just about everything wrong, it struck me in the end as incredibly dangerous. They skimmed through showing the happy couple and host having a ball. What you didn't see, is just about every important detail necessary to make a bathroom beautiful, lasting, and safe.
They even hooked up the steam generator themselves. There are professional subs I wouldn't trust with that. No mention of T&P, drainage, steam line placement and pitch... Nadda. Just a few shots of the host showing the HO how to sweat copper.
As I said, with the right lighting, production values, and a camera that pans around without focusing too close--it's the materials you see and not the crappy way they were installed. The bath actually looks nice.
Sad. Sickening.
So what's a homeowner to take from that, on the "DIY" network no less?
"Hey, they made it look easy--I could do that."
They may not want to attempt it themselves--but the perception of the trades is still damaged. We've all come across the prospective client who doesn't want to pay market rate for our services because they fancy themselves good enough to do our jobs as well as we do.
I watched a show on DIY yesterday that made my head spin. A host was showing a young couple how to remodel their bath. In 30 minutes they installed a heated tile floor, installed a steam generator for the shower, installed a mortar bed pan and tiled the steam shower walls with glass mosaic tile.
While it was funny watching them do just about everything wrong, it struck me in the end as incredibly dangerous. They skimmed through showing the happy couple and host having a ball. What you didn't see, is just about every important detail necessary to make a bathroom beautiful, lasting, and safe.
They even hooked up the steam generator themselves.
There are professional subs I wouldn't trust with that. No mention of T&P, drainage, steam line placement and pitch... Nadda. Just a few shots of the host showing the HO how to sweat copper. As I said, with the right lighting, production values, and a camera that pans around without focusing too close--it's the materials you see and not the crappy way they were installed. The bath actually looks nice.
Sad. Sickening.
So what's a homeowner to take from that, on the "DIY" network no less?
"Hey, they made it look easy--I could do that."
They may not want to attempt it themselves--but the perception of the trades is still damaged. We've all come across the prospective client who doesn't want to pay market rate for our services because they fancy themselves good enough to do our jobs as well as we do.
I think everyone here should watch this video. It opened my eyes for sure.
I need to make a video about my company for YouTube and it appears I need a FaceBook page too.
I need to make a video about my company for YouTube and it appears I need a FaceBook page too.
And that's the biggest problem with TV home shows.... they edit out much of the humdrum, tedious stuff that would not hold the interest of the viewer.
If you are concentrating on plumbing, you show how to sweat copper or glue PVC. If you show electrical, you show stipping wires and installing a switch. If you show roofing, you show hammering in 4 nails.
They basically condense everything into 3 steps.........Buy the stuff, install it, and step back and give yourself a kudos for DIYing.
If you are concentrating on plumbing, you show how to sweat copper or glue PVC. If you show electrical, you show stipping wires and installing a switch. If you show roofing, you show hammering in 4 nails.
They basically condense everything into 3 steps.........Buy the stuff, install it, and step back and give yourself a kudos for DIYing.
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