It’s the summer time. The weather is good and the home projects seems to flow like sweat from the brow at the beach. Are you looking to do some work in and around your house? Roofing, siding, painting, landscaping, or some really sick closets? Do you have the will and desire but not the time or the skill? Some things are just best left to the experts. The problem has always been, who’s really an expert and whom would you really want to give your heard earned money to?
Picking something as important as a contractor, for example, simply can’t be left to finding someone in the phone book under “Number 1 paint guy.” Getting a bad service provider is one of the worst, most unsettling things you can do. You just need to have someone give you a recommendation vouching for the guy and his work. Sometimes, though, it’s difficult to even get that.
What can you do??
Thankfully for us, we live in the internet age and so much good stuff is at our fingertips! One site that’s pretty much just what you need when the search for a service provider is on has to be Angie’s List. I mean, the company has been helping people get jobs done for over 20 years at this point. Angie’s List is a leading provider of reviews, offers and information in over 700 service categories to help them improve their homes. Built on a foundation of more than 10 million verified reviews of local service, Angie’s List connects consumers directly to its online marketplace of services, and offers unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.
Up until this point, Angie’s List has only been open to those with a paid membership, albeit a rather modest one. Well, the big news I got wind of when I recently attended a really fun event in someone’s immaculate private home in downtown NYC is that Angie’s is going free, baby!
That’s right, Angie’s List is now free to join, allowing unparalleled access to 10 million verified reviews, giving consumers more control over managing their home lives. From housecleaning and pet care, to roofers and plumbers, Angie’s List knows that home is where the heart is. The shift to the new membership plans (three plans right now) was driven primarily by customer demand and as a way to empower more people to experience the industry-leading value and unique services that Angie’s List provides.
The three new membership levels pack value into every tier, giving consumers the choice to select which level is right for them. The levels begin with basic access and offer upgraded services at different price points:
- GREEN: free-of-charge access to companies in more than 700 service categories; nationwide access to more than 10 million verified consumer reviews; and monthly digital form of the company’s magazine
- SILVER: includes all green features plus fair price guarantee and service quality guarantee, exclusive discounts, chat and email customer support, a bimonthly print version of the magazine for $24.99 a year
- GOLD: includes all green and silver features plus complaint resolution process, customer support via phone for $99.99 a year
- Benefits planned to be added in the future include tools for project pricing, scheduling, and financing (through partnerships), handyman chat line, a home emergency service line, instant hiring, as well as eCommerce savings
This is awesome. Seriously. As soon as I heard about the green level, I signed right up. There’s just a ton of great stuff in there, even at the green level. It’s really helpful as we are in the process of looking to get a few jobs done in the house right now and a lot of the contractors we know of just charge more than what were are really looking to spend right now. Given the reviews and info, I feel like upping the membership to silver is the way to go then maybe to gold once I get a couple of jobs under my belt. I’m really looking forward to having the first job done in the house, knocking down a couple of interior walls. I’m psyched to get it all done.
Dude…I even got to meet Angie herself. She was really lovely…with a great story to tell!
Seriously, it’s really easy and convenient to find the best local service providers through ratings and verified reviews, then shop for home services and rate experiences. Simply sign-up for free on AngiesList.com to become a green level member to find, shop and share.
Visit www.angieslist.com for more information or check Angie out on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and YouTube.
This post is sponsored by Angie’s List, but all opinions are my own.
1 comment
I have never actually tried Angie’s list but I thought the concept was outstanding. Before their reviews people were getting ripped off left right and center. This makes businesses stay honest.