Methodology
Angie's List grades companies using a report-card-style scale, which ranges from A to F; these ratings are based on the following criteria: price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality and professionalism. Each company has its own page, which is composed of a description of its business along with the customer reviews. The aggregate grade is drawn from the combined reviews and grades given to the businesses from the consumers. Angie's List employees are trained to identify any reviews that seem biased or sabotaged, so the overall rating will only reflect legitimate customer reviews. This process was reviewed and approved by BPA Worldwide during a 2009 audit Revenue for Angie's List comes from member subscription fees, as well as advertising from businesses that have an overall grade of B or higher on the website.
The listing process for contractors is stringent, as they are not allowed to pay to be on the list, nor are they able to list their own names and review their own company. Some critics state that determined contractors can find a way around that policy, by creating fake email accounts and using fake addresses; however, Angie’s List claims that their employees must read every single report as it comes in and ask each member whether he or she is affiliated with or is competing against the company they are reporting on. Also, members can only report on each company once every six months.
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Famous quotes containing the word methodology:
“One might get the impression that I recommend a new methodology which replaces induction by counterinduction and uses a multiplicity of theories, metaphysical views, fairy tales, instead of the customary pair theory/observation. This impression would certainly be mistaken. My intention is not to replace one set of general rules by another such set: my intention is rather to convince the reader that all methodologies, even the most obvious ones, have their limits.”
—Paul Feyerabend (1924–1994)