How to Check Your Quick Sale Company is Trusted (Reviews & Support)
Not sure which home buying company is reliable and trustworthy?
Here’s how to verify customer reviews and support before making your decision.
Step 1) Locate Reviews Online
To begin your research, start by locating authentic reviews from previous clients of property buying companies. Knowing where to find these reviews and how to distinguish genuine feedback from misleading ones is crucial.
Where to Find Legitimate Reviews:
- Trustpilot: A widely-used platform where you can find reviews on many property buying companies.
- Google Reviews: Simply search the company's name followed by "reviews" to access feedback directly on Google.
- Yelp: Another useful site for finding customer reviews and ratings.
- Reviews.io: Many companies use this for reviews.
- Feefo: This site provides ratings and reviews for companies, including property buyers.
Tips on How to Identify Genuine Reviews:
According to NAR Realtor, recent trends indicate that online reviews have grown significantly in importance. By 2023, 63% of homebuyers considered online reviews highly important, up from 42% in 2018.
- Look for Detail: Authentic reviews often provide specific details about the customer’s experience, including the process, timelines, and the staff they interacted with.
- Balanced Feedback: Genuine reviews typically include both positives and negatives. Be wary of overly positive reviews without any critical points.
- Reviewer Profiles: Check the profiles of reviewers. Genuine profiles usually have a history of leaving reviews on various topics and include a profile picture and name.
- Consistent Themes: Pay attention to recurring themes in the reviews. Consistent positive or negative comments about certain aspects of the service can provide valuable insights.
- Response from Company: Reviews where the company has responded, especially addressing complaints, can indicate a higher level of customer service and transparency.
Read our comprehensive article on red flags to watch out for when reading online reviews here
Step 2) Contact the Company for References
After reviewing online feedback, take your due diligence a step further by directly contacting the quick sale company to request references or case studies. This can give you deeper insights into their operations and client satisfaction.
How to Request References:
- Direct Contact: Reach out to the company via email or phone.
- Specify Your Request: Clearly state that you are interested in speaking with previous clients or reviewing case studies to understand their service quality and customer satisfaction better.
- Follow Up: If you don’t receive a prompt response, follow up to ensure your request is being processed.
Step 3) Evaluate Customer Support Responsiveness
Testing the responsiveness and helpfulness of a house buying company’s customer support team is essential to ensure you will receive reliable assistance throughout your transaction. Here are the steps to evaluate their customer support effectively.
Steps to Test Customer Support:
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Initiate Contact:
- Phone Call: Call the customer support number provided on their website. Note the time it takes to reach a representative.
- Email Inquiry: Send an email with a question or request for information. Track the response time and the quality of the reply.
- Live Chat: If available, ask a question using the company’s live chat feature. Evaluate how quickly and effectively your inquiry is handled.
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Assess Response Time:
- Immediate Response: Check how long it takes to get an initial response, whether via phone, email, or chat.
- Follow-Up: Evaluate the time taken to resolve your query or issue completely.
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Evaluate the Quality of the Interaction:
- Accuracy: Assess whether the information provided is clear, accurate, and helpful.
- Courtesy: Note the politeness and professionalism of the customer support representatives.
- Problem-Solving: Determine how effectively and efficiently your concerns or questions are addressed.
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Consistency Across Channels:
- Multi-Channel Support: Test the consistency of support across different channels (phone, email, chat). The quality and accuracy of information should be consistent.
Evaluating customer support responsiveness clearly indicates how the company values its clients. Good customer support can make a significant difference in ensuring a smooth and stress-free property sale process.
By testing their responsiveness and helpfulness, you can be more confident in your choice, knowing that the company will be reliable and supportive throughout your transaction.
Bonus Step: Use Social Media and Forums for Additional Feedback
In addition to formal reviews and direct references, social media and forums can provide valuable, informal feedback about a house buying company's interactions with customers. This can offer insights into the company's reputation and customer satisfaction that traditional reviews might not capture.
How to Gather Feedback:
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Social Media Platforms:
- Facebook: Search for the company’s official page and read through customer comments and posts. Look for patterns in feedback regarding their services and responsiveness.
- Twitter: Check tweets mentioning the company. Pay attention to both direct mentions and customer replies to gauge public sentiment.
- LinkedIn: For a more professional perspective, look for discussions or posts about the company on LinkedIn. This can sometimes provide insights into the company’s business practices and reputation within the industry.
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Online Forums:
- Reddit: Join subreddits and search for discussions about quick sale companies. Ask for personal experiences and opinions from the community.
- Quora: Look for questions and answers related to specific buying companies. The responses can provide varied perspectives and additional information.
- Property Forums: Participate in specialised forums such as Property Tribes or LandlordZONE, where users discuss experiences with different companies that buy houses.
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Engage with the Community:
- Ask Questions: Don’t hesitate to ask specific questions about the company’s reliability and customer service. Community members are often willing to share their personal experiences.
- Follow Up on Comments: If someone mentions a particular experience, follow up with additional questions to gather more details.
Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways:
Thoroughly checking reviews and proactively interacting with a property buying company is essential to ensure you engage with a trustworthy and reliable service provider. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can gather comprehensive insights into the company's reputation, customer satisfaction, and support quality. This due diligence helps you avoid potential pitfalls and make an informed decision.
Key Takeaways:
- Locate Reviews Online: Use reputable platforms like Trustpilot, Google Reviews, and Yelp to find authentic customer feedback.
- Assess the Quality of the Company's Reviews: Critically evaluate the reviews for detail, balance, and consistency to identify genuine feedback.
- Contact the Company for References: Directly request references or case studies to gain deeper insights into their customer interactions.
- Evaluate Customer Support Responsiveness: Test the company’s customer support through various channels to ensure they are helpful and responsive.
- Use Social Media and Forums for Additional Feedback: Leverage social media and online forums to gather informal feedback and broader perspectives on the company.
Take these steps seriously as part of your due diligence process. By thoroughly vetting reviews and customer support, you ensure that you choose a property buying company that is genuinely supportive and reliable. This careful approach will help you make the best decision for a smooth and satisfactory property sale experience.
By investing time in these verification steps, you protect yourself from potential issues and ensure a positive outcome for your property sale. Don't rush the process—make informed choices that lead to successful transactions with reputable companies.
