Most Angie’s List members, when checking the List, look for a company to hire based on their prices, punctuality, and quality of work, and most reports reflect on these same factors. But there’s more to a service company than what’s in its report.
Members may not realize it without visiting the company’s website or hearing it from its employees, but many companies, when they aren’t painting, installing windows, or remodeling kitchens, are involved in their communities.
For example, the companies that participate in the Angie’s List Wishmakers program volunteer their time, skills and materials to make needed improvements to someone’s home — for free. Talk with these companies or read their stories online, and you’ll soon see that, in many instances, it wasn’t the first time they helped. In fact, some companies, such as In Your Home in Portland, Ore., often work with the elderly or disabled, according to partner Dave Dickinson.
Another company, Browsers Welcome in Columbus, Ohio, is helping younger kids. The store’s owner, Melvin Satterfield, meets weekly with neighborhood teens to provide some guidance and direction and teach them the trade of furniture refinishing. (Click here to read about Satterfield and Browsers Welcome, and watch video of our visit to Satterfield’s shop.)
So, the next time you hire a company off the List, take the time to talk to them and find out what they do when they’re not on the job. You may find that the work they do off the clock is just as — if not more — important. And, you may discover that many may have won communities’ awards — not just for being good businesses, but for being good neighbors.
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