ReferenceLine

Home | for Consumers | for Businesses | for Trade Bodies | TEXT SIZE | Login | Register

...helping you make a more informed choice

Integrity matters most

Integrity is the most important issue
A report by Trading Standards carried out in 1996 (Consumer Protection for Householders) concluded that the single most important issue when choosing a firm is their integrity:  "save in areas involving safety, integrity is of equal, if not greater, importance than .. specific professional skills in terms of ensuring consumer satisfaction ...

They went on to recommend: ... consumers should use traders recommended by independent third parties with no financial interest in the individuals or companies concerned."

 

Word of Mouth is popular ...
It's no surprise that many people rely on word of mouth. The same Trading Standards report concluded:

  • 53% of all choices were for businesses that customers already knew or had been recommended by someone they trust.
  • 33% of choices were for firms that had been found through classified advertising.
  • 14% were found though other methods, such as insurance companies.

So, as you might expect, word of mouth is the most popular choice. After all ... it's relatively easy (ask a mate!) and its free. But is it reliable?

 

... and although it still generates complaints ...
The problem with "phoning a friend" or "asking the audience" is that, although you can trust them not to mislead you deliberately, they may still be wrong! (Just ask some of the unsuccessful contestants in 'Who wants to be a millionaire?')

Sure enough:, 27% of complaints to Trading Standards relate to firms chosen through word of mouth or experience, so are we wrong to rely on it so much?

 

... it's 3x better than the alternatives!
If word of mouth and experience generate 27% of complaints from 53% (roughly half) of the choices, then all other methods generate 73% of complaints from 47% (roughly half) of the choices.  In other words, you are 3 times more likely to end up with a complaint (73%, rather than 27%) if you don't use word of mouth

So: Word of mouth really is a sensible way of making a choice, provided you know and trust the person who is making the recommendation. But you must realise that problems can still occur, so do take appropriate care.