ANGIE'S LIST TO THE RESCUE NEED A HANDYMAN? ROOFER? PLUMBER? LIST OF CONTRACTORS REMOVES THE GUESSWORK.Byline: Chrys Wu Correspondent When Susie Bennitt and her husband, Bob, moved to Monrovia a year ago, they faced a common new-to-the-neighborhood dilemma. They wanted to make a lot of home improvements, but they didn't know who to hire. The Bennitts didn't really know their neighbors yet, and wanted personal recommendations - something that can't be found in the Yellow Pages. So at the suggestion of a co-worker, Susie Bennitt went online and signed up for Angie's List Angie's List is one of many companies which aggregate consumer reviews of local service companies and which have been described by the New York Times as "a glorified version of Yellow Page listings. (www.angieslist.com). The Web site hosts a database of subscriber evaluations for thousands of local companies, offering a kind of Consumer Reports where regular folks do the reporting. ``This has opinions from people like me who live in this area and are trying to take care of their homes,'' says Bennitt, who found Hageman Carpet Care of Arcadia on the list and, like other users, was very pleased with the work. Angie's List went live in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. last September, offering free trials for a limited time. Since then, L.A. membership has grown to about 21,000 people. Now, for a $10 membership fee, and a monthly subscription of $5.95 or an annual subscription starting at $51, users have access to hundreds of reports on as many as 21,000 companies in the area. Although there are more than 250 service categories - everything from accountants to tuxedo rental - ``Across the board, home-related categories tend to be the most heavily trafficked categories,'' says Jonathan Swain, Angie's List communications director. He says the top five L.A. searches, in order, are handymen, plumbing, electrical, kitchen and bath remodeling remodeling /re·mod·el·ing/ (re-mod´el-ing) reorganization or renovation of an old structure. bone remodeling , and roofing, which are similar to what users around the country are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. . There is one difference, though. ``I've noticed a lot of L.A. folks are using the call-in service,'' says list founder Angie Hicks Hicks , Edward 1780-1849. American painter of primitive works, notably The Peaceable Kingdom, of which nearly 100 versions exist. . ``They can call and get names of plumbers or electricians. Or sometimes you just don't even know what kind of service you need to hire and our folks are good at making sure you're in the right category, finding the folks that are going to best meet your needs so you don't have to search through it yourself.'' Hicks first got the idea for her company when, as a college intern intern /in·tern/ (in´tern) a medical graduate serving in a hospital preparatory to being licensed to practice medicine. in·tern or in·terne n. , she was asked to draw up a list of reputable home improvement contractors in the new city where he had just moved. She went door-to-door, collecting recommendations and selling list memberships. What was once a sheaf of stapled papers has grown into a source for consumer reviews that now covers 38 metro areas This article is about the music production team. For the article about population centers, see metropolitan area. Metro Area are a Brooklyn-based dance music production team composed of Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani. with plans to expand. As the list grows, consumers are able to find more specific service providers. For example, Maureen Padilla, a Glendale homeowner, discovered a window blind cleaning report that mentioned wood blinds. ``I just went on the list for that and picked the company that had the most positive reviews,'' says Padilla, who also uses the list to confirm word-of-mouth recommendations and leave reports of her own. Once logged into Angie's List, members can search for services or leave comments on a company's work, a description of the service provided and how much they paid. They give an A through F grade on price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality Punctuality Fogg, Phileas completes world circuit at exact minute he wagered he would. [Fr. Lit.: Around the World in Eighty Days] Gilbreths disciplined family brought up to abide by strict, punctual standards. [Am. Lit. and professionalism and also assign an overall grade. The reports do not include member names, but Angie's List headquarters in Indianapolis keeps track to prevent stacking the deck for or against a company. No single member ID can submit more than one report per company every six months, and Hicks assures members there is no payto-play. ``The only way a company gets on the list is when a consumer who's actually used them reports on them, so it's not something they can pay to be on. They can't put themselves on it; it's all based on the quality of their work,'' Hicks says. Companies can't be deleted from the list either, though a company grade can change over time. ``Once the L.A. chapter's been open for two years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time current ratings will actually be averaged over a two-year period, so you can get a snapshot of what they've been doing more recently,'' Hicks says. The Angie's List database grows as members add reports and new companies. Member Carey Guerin of Lancaster makes a point of leaving reports every time she uses a service company, even if it's not already on the list. ``I try to give a detailed description of the work that I had done,'' Guerin says. ``I can also use it for cost estimating purposes. But then I also like to give feedback on the first impression of the people, the friendliness of the employees that came to my house.'' If a job goes badly, Angie's List has a dispute resolution service that members can call to step in, even if the offending company is not on the list. ``We have a lot of luck with it. Having a third party involved helps to take some of the emotion out of it,'' says Hicks. Bennitt says she'll continue to use the service. ``There aren't many ways for consumers to get out there and say, `Oh by the way, don't use them' or `Use them,' for us to broadcast it across L.A.'' THINGS TO DO: MAY Keeping on top of routine maintenance and other projects can be a daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin task. But, Angie's List can help. Drawing on the expertise of Angie's List members and the contractors and companies they've put on the list, Angie has put together a May checklist to help you get it all done this month. Plan a weekend for home and garage organization. First, get rid of all items that you didn't use last summer or don't plan on using again. Install shelving shelv·ing n. 1. Shelves considered as a group. 2. Material for shelves. 3. An incline; a slope. shelving Noun 1. material for shelves 2. and hooks, and make use of plastic storage containers that you can label to help you stay organized when things get busy. Check your gas grill to prepare for parties and barbecues. Most importantly Adv. 1. most importantly - above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent" above all, most especially , check the gas line connections by covering them with a mixture of soap and water. With burner knobs in the off position, open the gas supply valve from the tank. If you see bubbles around the connections, they may need to be tightened, or you may need to replace the gas supply lines. Inspect your gutters and downspouts to make sure they are clear of debris and that they are draining away from your foundation wall. Leaves and debris can block drainage, promoting rusting and roof damage. If your downspouts are not positioned properly, rainwater can seep into your basement, crawl space crawl·space or crawl space n. A low or narrow space, such as one beneath the upper or lower story of a building, that gives workers access to plumbing or wiring equipment. Noun 1. or under your home's foundation, which can lead to extensive damage over time and require expensive repairs. It's a good time to examine your asphalt driveway's surface for damage. Over time, the sun's UV rays and oxygen in the air cause asphalt to become brittle and crack. This can allow water to enter the paved surface Noun 1. paved surface - a level horizontal surface covered with paving material apron - a paved surface where aircraft stand while not being used horizontal surface, level - a flat surface at right angles to a plumb line; "park the car on the level" , resulting in additional damage. Resealing your driveway regularly is the best way to protect the surface and keep it in good shape. If you're planning to hire a professional to seal the driveway, summer is a peak time of year, so call now. Work on outdoor cleaning projects such as pressure washing your deck, patio, porch, driveway and sidewalk A Microsoft service that was launched in 1997 to provide online arts and entertainment guides on the Web for major cities worldwide. In 1999, Microsoft sold Sidewalk to Ticketmaster, which continued to provide guides, ticketing and other information to the MSN network. . If you have vinyl siding Wikipedia is not the place for advertisement or self-advertising. Vinyl siding, first introduced to the exterior cladding market in the late 1950s, is an alternative to aluminum siding, fiber cement siding, and timber siding. , be careful if you're using a pressure washer A pressure washer is a mechanical device that uses high-pressure water to remove mold, grime, dust mud and dirt from surfaces and objects such as buildings, vehicles and concrete road surfaces. , as it might force water under the siding, which can lead to mold or mildew mildew, name for certain fungi and protists, for the diseases they cause in various crops, and for the discoloration (and sometimes the weakening and disintegration) they cause in such materials as leather, fabrics, and paper. . CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Neighbor to neighbor Home repair recommendations go online with Angie's List Photo illustration by John McCoy John McCoy may refer to:
(2 -- color) no caption (person wearing a utility belt) (3 -- color) no caption (person typing on keyboard) Photos.com Box: THINGS TO DO: MAY (see text) |
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