It’s no secret that Forest Hills has homes and buildings on the older side which require a lot of roofing work. When it comes to hiring roofing contractors you never actually used, the first step is to research the company online. When that happens, the potential client will always ask themselves, “how in the world do I know if the reviews I am reading are real”? In today’s article, you will get the answer to this intriguing question.
First off, when hiring a roofer, the review sites you should be using are GAF, Home Advisor, Google & YELP. Now, deciphering the validity of what you see on these sites is the trick. Let’s analyze each review site one by one and in order of importance.
1. GAF
GAF, the leading manufacturer of quality roofing supplies in the USA, has a website that can be used for any homeowner or business to rate a local roofer (and learn about their materials). GAF also awards certain contractors what is called “Master Elite” status. A Master Elite roofer is required to receive a significant amount of training from GAF in order to join this exclusive club. They also undergo background checks from GAF. Finally, these Master Elite roofers can offer you exclusive warranties and roofing materials that other roofers cannot. Considering only 2-3% of the roofers in the United States posses this GAF Master Elite status, it would be wise to hire one for your next roofing project.
2. Home Advisor
Home Advisor is the #1 lead generation site for contractors in America. What is nice about their reviews is that they can only be left by people who actually had real work performed for them by the contractor at hand. There is a potential for some foul play here but overall it’s safe to assume that most of the reviews (which include the job description and location) are indeed real.
3. Google
Did you really think we would leave out the real leader of the free-world? That’s right, Google roofing business reviews are out their in the masses. The trick here is going to be to analyze each review for authenticity. Although Google does take measures to filter fake reviews, this could easily be manipulated. The key to knowing if a Google review is real is to check if the review looks and feels real and then inspect the profile of the person who left it. You can check if the locations of the local businesses which the user left reviews for are relatively consistent and match the users physical location (for the most part- they may travel). Manipulation of a local IP address can also allow users to leave fake reviews.
4. YELP
YELP is a local directory and review site that has grown leaps and bounds over the last years (especially in Forest Hills). It has become popular for it’s sweet review engine. YELP has a very strong filter in place for fake reviews which was implemented and updated in recent years. That means that you should be weary of the authenticity of older reviews, but pretty confident about newer ones. Like with Google, the filter can be gamed by simply being really active on YELP is a specific area (browsing listing, getting directions etc.) and then leaving a fake review for a local business. Again, one can manipulate their local IP address with private IP programs and get their fake review through (providing they are an active member).
All in all, the niche specific review sites clearly take the cake when it comes to resources to use to find good roofers. If you like what you see after checking GAF and Home Advisor, and can confirm it using Google & YELP then you can definitely feel safe hiring that roofing contractor.
Royal Renovators Inc. is a featured contributor to the Forest Hills Gardens Blog: Visit their Business Corner Profile to learn more.
Call or visit them today at:
Royal Renovators Inc.
118-35 Queens Blvd
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 414-6067
NYCRenovators.com
