Reviews can either be a blessing or a curse to a business. Yelp is a website that allows users to add their reviews for locations they have visited. Over the years, the reviews have evolved and fallen under scrutiny. The reviews’ reliability has been brought up on numerous occasions as possibly being fraudulent or even boosted due to a business’s choice to advertise on Yelp. It important every details before you trust an auto transport company.
Reviews can be used as a form of manipulation – by businesses and consumers.
A business can sabotage their competitor by leaving fake reviews that damage their reputation. Some of these companies even hire in-house reviewers to make these. Some consumers do reviews for companies to get discounts from them. Even a set of people called “internet trolls” defame brands just because they find it fun.
So, how many of the reviews online are fake?
When reviews become manipulated, it can damage a business online because more people are looking at reviews instead of word-of-mouth referrals. These damaging reviews drive customers away, not bring them in. Customers are also driven away by the overly promotional reviews that seem too good to be true.
Auto transport companies are feeling the effects of these types of reviews as well. Users aren’t sure if they can trust what review sites like Yelp say, so they aren’t using these ratings to vet professional transport companies. How do you know if you can trust an auto transport company?
Choose your auto transport company by following some basic rules:
- Ensure the company is registered – Check into the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Motor Carrier number, assigned by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This information will tell you if the company has a safe driving record.
- Look at the company website – A professional auto transport company will have a professional-looking website. It will be free of grammatical errors and be legally aesthetic with privacy policies and terms for use.
- Get a quote – A quote should be free, so you have nothing to lose by getting one. When you get a quote, you will determine if the company has all the features you need, such as interstate moving or international moving.
- Find out how your belongings are guaranteed – An auto transport company should have insurance to cover not only your belongings (including your car) and they should also have the option for you to purchase additional coverages.
A1AutoTransport.com provides transparent pricing to potential clients and believes in being upfront about all information about the company. Checking into the relationship the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has with the auto transport company has can reveal a lot about the company and how you should proceed with them.
Try to take the reviews you find on websites with a grain of salt. The best source of information is the transport company itself. You will learn more from talking to them than looking at reviews. The best decision for choosing an auto transport company comes from doing your own investigation, not relying on someone else’s words.
