WHOLE LOTTA EVALUATIN’ GOIN’

ON!Finding Evaluations of Services and More

Steven JablonskiSkokie Public Library

Today’s AgendaO General ConsiderationsO Evaluations Mega SourcesO Where to Find Specific Evaluations

What is Evaluated?O ProductsO RetailersO ServicesO Individual Professionals

Types of EvaluationsO ReviewsO RatingsO RankingsO Registries of Problems/Complaints

Only

How Are Evaluations Made?

O Lab TestingO Professional Evaluator ReviewsO Peer ReviewsO Mass Consumer SurveysO Individual Consumer ReviewsO Data Crunching

How Do Evaluation Sources Compare?

O For profit or nonprofitO Selective or comprehensive in scopeO Local or just national businesses

evaluatedO Static or interactive display of

resultsO Whether or not affordability is

considered

Grains of SaltO Personal recommendations are usually

bestO No evaluations are completely foolproofO Evaluations reduce, not eliminate, riskO Multiple evaluations are best -- look for

patterns and trendsO Patrons often want highly detailed

information that’s just not availableO The professional discipline process can’t

be relied on

Where to Complain?O The Consumer Action Handbook and

www.consumeraction.govO Best source for how and where to file a

complaintO Illinois Attorney General’s File a

Complaint http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.html

O Illinois Division of Professional Regulation www.idfpr.com/dpr

Evaluations Mega Sources

Angie’s ListO Subscription Database (

www.angieslist.com)O Monthly or annual subscription fees

O For Chicago, $7.42 per month plus $10 sign-up fee

O Members review and rate local services and healthcare providers in hundreds of categories

Better Business BureauO Free website www.bbb.org O Accredits, rates, and lists complaints

against businesses and charitiesO Does not rank businesses against

each otherO Accepts and forwards consumer

complaints to businesses

Consumer ReportsO Magazine and subscription databaseO Mostly product reviews with some

exceptions:O Cell Phone ServiceO Credit CardsO HotelsO Insurance (Health and Auto)O RestaurantsO StoresO Tax PreparersO Telecom Providers

Consumer Reports Health

O Subscription Database with content from Consumer Reports and Consumer Reports on Health

O Mostly product reviews with some exceptions:O Hospitals O Health Insurance/Healthcare Plans

Consumers’ CheckbookO Magazine and subscription databaseO Specializes in evaluations of local

services including:O MedicalO Home O AutomotiveO Retail

O Database includes ratings of many services not in print version

Consumers’ CheckbookO Evaluations based on consumer

surveys, filed complaints, and Checkbook’s own price surveys

O Won’t include businesses unless rated by at least 10 consumers

ConsumerSearch.comO Free website

www.consumersearch.com O Mostly product reviews with some

exceptions:O Cellphone serviceO Insurance (Auto, Homeowners, Life, and

Pet)O Long Distance Phone ServiceO Online Banking and BrokersO Tax PreparersO Websites (Dating, Jobs, Personal

Finance, and Travel)

Illinois Division of Professional Regulation

O Free website www.idfpr.com/dpr O Provides license and disciplinary

information for individuals in many fields including:O AccountancyO Health/MedicalO Real EstateO Roofing

Illinois Division of Professional Regulation

O Unlicensed professions in Illinois include general contractors, plumbers, and electricians

O Movers are licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission www.icc.illinois.gov

O Consumers can file a complaint on website

JD Power & AssociatesO Free website www.jdpower.comO Surveys consumer satisfaction and

rates products and companies O Services evaluated include:

O FinanceO HealthcareO InsuranceO TelecomO Travel

YelpO Free Website www.yelp.com O Largest and most popular website for

reviews by consumersO Major focus on restaurants & bars,

stores, beauty & fitness, and nightlife

O Reviews overwhelmingly positiveO Insiderpages (www.insiderpages.com

) similar but not as big

Finding Specific Evaluations

Banks & Credit UnionsO Bankrate.com’s Safe & Sound Ratings

www.bankrate.com/rates/safe-sound/bank-ratings-search.aspx

O Weiss Ratings (Banks Only) www.thestreet.com/bank-safety

O Bauer Financial Ratings www.bauerfinancial.com/banksandcredit.htm

Brokers & Financial Advisers

O Only license and complaints/disciplinary information availableO For brokers, http://

brokercheck.finra.org O For financial advisers,

www.adviserinfo.sec.gov

CharitiesO Better Business Bureau Charities

www.bbb.org or www.give.org O Charity Navigator

www.charitynavigator.orgO 5,000 major charities

O Guidestar www.guidestar.orgO 1.8 Million non-profit organizationsO Free registration required to see

additional data

Doctors (“Best”)O Castle Connelly Guides

O America’s Best Doctors, Chicago magazine, and www.castleconnelly.com

O Peer ratings on 25,000 top doctors O Free profiles of 5,000 doctors on website

O Consumers’ CheckbookO Consumers’ Guide to Top Doctors and

subscription databaseO Peer ratings of 23,000 top doctors

Doctors (General)O HealthGrades www.healthgrades.com

O Patient ratings plus disciplinary, malpractice, and other background information

O ABMS Certification Matters www.certificationmatters.org O Information on certification in 24

specialties O IDFPR www.idfpr.com

O License and disciplinary status only of Illinois doctors

Hospitals (General)O HHS Hospital Compare

www.hospitalcompare.hhs.govO Government data behind other hospital

ratingsO ConsumerReportsHealth.org Hospital

RatingsO Slightly more user-friendly government

data O Consumers’ Checkbook Hospitals

O Government data plus physician survey

Hospitals (Speciality) O U.S. News Best Hospitals http://

health.usnews.com/best-hospitalsO Search for best hospitals by medical

conditionO HealthGrades

O HealthGrades Guide to America's Hospitals and Doctors and www.healthgrades.com

O Search for best hospitals by medical procedure or award

Insurance (Customer Service)

O Consumer Reports (Auto and Health)O Consumers’ Checkbook (Auto and

Homeowners)O Consumersearch.com (Auto,

Homeowners, Life, and Pet)O JDPower.com (Auto, Health, and

Home)

Insurance (Financial Strength)

O A.M. Best (Life, Health, and Property)O Best’s Insurance Reports, Life-Health

and Best’s Insurance Reports, Property-Casualty and subscription database

O Weiss Ratings (All Types)O TheStreet.com Ratings’ Consumer

Guides and www.thestreet.com/insurers

LawyersO Martindale www.martindale.com

O Select peer ratings of top lawyersO Avvo www.avvo.com

O Proprietary “Avvo” and client ratingsO Illinois Attorney Registration and

Disciplinary Commission www.iardc.orgO License and disciplinary status only

Nursing HomesO Medicare.gov Nursing Home

Compare www.medicare.gov/NHCompareO Government data behind other

nursing home ratingsO U.S. News Best Nursing Homes

http://health.usnews.com/senior-housingO Provides enhanced searching for

Medicare’s Nursing Homes Reports

Schools (K-12)O School Report Cards (Public

Elementary and High Schools) O Illinois Interactive Report Cards http://

iirc.niu.edu O US News Best Schools

www.usnews.com/education O Rates select high schools

O Rate My Teachers www.ratemyteachers.com O Students rate teachers

Schools (College & Beyond)

O US News Best SchoolsO Best Colleges and

www.usnews.com/education O Rates and ranks colleges and graduate

schoolsO College and University Rankings

www.library.illinois.edu/edx/rankings O Collection of links to dozens of college

and graduate school rankings

Schools (College & Beyond)

O Princeton Review’s College RankingsO The Best 373 Colleges and

www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx

O Students rate schoolsO Free registration required

O Rate My Professor www.ratemyprofessors.comO Students rate professors