Notes about Testimonials and Referral Websites

Testimonials
Unfortunately most home buyers have no yardstick to measure their inspectors competence. I often see feeble client testimonials on referral websites claiming the inspector was very knowledgeable, fast, helpful, polite, and showed up on time.

I find it quite amusing when reading home buyer testimonials about their home inspector being very experienced and knowledgeable. I equate this to a Caucasian writing a Yelp review on how authentic a Chinese restaurant is. Generally home buyers have limited building and home maintenance knowledge and are easily impressed. Without examples in their testimonials these statements do not have currency. Most home buyers are not qualified to qualify their inspectors, especially after a 2 to 5 hour inspection turnaround. When homebuyers make statements like: my inspector made sure we understood how our house works, how to fix and maintain it; that is more of a genuine, home buyer opinion/experience. Quite a number of testimonials sound scripted.

Referral Websites
“Top rated service providers” (inspectors) who pay for placement on Referral Websites have simply paid for their success. Testimonials are often coerced by the referral websites like Yelp and HomeStars. (Watch the CBC Marketplace report, Fake Online Reviews, for more info.) Service providers who do not pay the Referral Website often will not have their profile pages displayed in their listings or will be lower in the listings and be allowed only a very basic profile. That’s the hook: “pay us $2-$3000/yr and we will post your website link and promote your business by securing client testimonials for you and other wonderful positioning benefits”.  You don’t pay them and the paid service providers will Hoover up all your potential clients, simply because their profile is promoted and physically elevated above others, not because they are better, but because they paid.

Unfortunately in December 2015 I made the business decision to sign up with HomeStars just to stay in the game. Almost any business these days needs endorsements by past clients/customers to even be considered.

I also have to wonder how someone can have hundreds of testimonials on a Referral Website; most all with 10 out of 10 star customer rating. Seems rather unrealistic to me.