Diamond Certified News

Have you received your free copy of the 2017 Summer Diamond Certified Directory Update in the mail? It provides instant access to hundreds of local, top rated Diamond Certified companies across a wide range of service industries, from auto repair and landscaping to optometry and dentistry.

Every Diamond Certified company must continue to deliver on its promises to you, the consumer. That’s why we conduct ongoing customer satisfaction research, perform credential-based ratings, monitor each company’s performance, and back you up with mediation and the Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee. Read more

Last month, we mailed the brand-new 2017 Diamond Certified Directory to more than 810,000 households throughout the San Francisco Bay Area (if you didn’t get your FREE copy, click here). Whether you already rely on the Diamond Certified Directory to find top rated local companies or you’ve never heard of it before, we figured it’s a good time to get (re)acquainted.

Every April, American Ratings Corporation publishes 10 versions of the Diamond Certified Directory, covering all of the Greater Bay Area (including Monterey). Read more

Throughout April, the 2017 Diamond Certified Directory has been arriving in mailboxes all around the Bay Area (if you haven’t received your FREE copy yet, click here), and we’re thrilled with the responses we’ve been getting. Our ratings team spends 100 percent of their time conducting stringent customer satisfaction research to identify companies that qualify for the Diamond Certified award. The Diamond Certified Directory is our opportunity to present these top rated companies to consumers, so we love hearing from people who are using the directory to find new companies to meet their needs. Here are some samples of what we’ve been hearing:

“I engaged Westward Builders this year because I got a reference from you,” says Catherine C. Read more

The 2017 Diamond Certified Directory is in the final stages of production, which means printing is just around the corner! More than 800,000 copies of the Directory will be sent to homes and businesses throughout the Greater Bay Area. Each Diamond Certified company is presented with a full-page profile that includes:

• Contact information (address, phone number, website, email)
• Services and service areas
• Business profile and philosophy
• Verbatim survey responses from real, verified customers
• In-depth ratings information, including customer loyalty and customer satisfaction rankings
• Legal information (insurance coverage, California business license)

Read more

Here are eight steps you can take to hire a reputable remodeling contractor:

1. Obtain multiple bids (if possible). Getting multiple bids is a great way to ensure you’re making an informed choice. If you sign a contract, you have exactly three days to rescind in writing. Upon rescission, the contractor must return your deposit. If your area has been declared a disaster area, the three-day Right of Rescission extends to seven days.

2. Check license information. By law, anyone who undertakes to improve your home or property must have a contractor’s license if the cost from start to completion will exceed $500. You can check contractors’ licenses at cslb.ca.gov. Read more

When it comes time to choose the material for your new roof, Paul Proctor, CEO of R E Roofing and Construction, Inc. recommends looking past what is currently fashionable.

“A lot of people will look at what their neighbors are doing and figure those must be the best roofing products, but that’s not necessarily true,” says Mr. Proctor. “This ‘follow the leader’ mentality is the reason more people install asphalt shingles today than 20 years ago. Asphalt may look nice and be easier to walk on, but it’s not a good insulator, and most homeowners fail to take that into account. That’s why it’s important to learn about all the different roofing options so you can make an informed decision.” Read more

We’ve just completed the massive distribution of the 2016 Diamond Certified Directory, with more than 800,000 copies reaching homes and businesses throughout the Greater Bay Area. (If you haven’t received your FREE copy in the mail yet, click here.) April distribution marks the end of a season around here. Every year, we spend six to eight months producing the Diamond Certified Directory. In the final stage of the production process, Director of Production Char Leary and her team head off to Las Vegas. Read more