We analyzed 2,000+ one-star reviews of trade service companies and classified every complaint in them
Three failure patterns showed up over and over. Answer five questions about how your operation runs and get a growth-readiness score based on the data, plus a brief on which pattern you're most exposed to, and what to fix first.
Six questions, two minutes. Real reviews collected in 2026.
The Three Patterns
Operations break down in the same three places: before the job, at the bill, and after the work is done.
Before the job: nobody called back
Calls that went unanswered and appointments nobody kept appear in 18.7% to 27.1% of reviews in every trade we measured.
"Called 3 times for a technician, within a 24hr period, all 3 times I was told a technician would call back. Never received a return call from anyone. Called a different company, had service same day." — Jackson, MS
At the bill: the number didn't match the conversation
Money is the most pointed theme in the data, between 44.6% and 54.2% depending on the trade, outranking complaints about the quality of the work in every trade we measured.
"I asked them to estimate the cost of repair. The guy went ahead and fixed it. And came up with a hefty bill. Make sure you get the estimate first." — New Orleans, LA
After the work: nobody owned the fix
Of the customers who described a work failure, 30.6% also describe not being able to get anyone to deal with it.
"DO NOT Recommend. Quoted one price, workers came and double-charged, did not complete, nor clean up after themselves. Called back to find out why. They've been giving me the run around since." — Detroit, MI
What your briefing includes
✓ Your score and stage, with what it says about how your operation runs today
✓ Your biggest exposure, the pattern most likely to cost you a customer next, with the data from your trade behind it
✓ What to fix for your stage, specific enough to action
✓ Your biggest exposure, the pattern most likely to cost you a customer next, with the data from your trade behind it
✓ What to fix for your stage, specific enough to action
