Featured service: Angie's List - reviewed by Preeti Chojar, ContentNow 

What it does: Angie's List is bringing back the old method of asking your neighbor about their experience with a plumber or contractor before hiring him/her. Except that the number of neighbors providing feedback expands from one to twenty or more. Plus your neighborhood expands from being a couple of doors down to your entire city. Angie's list is an online service which has reports and grades about local service companies given by local consumers.  

How it works: 

• Find the right service: After logging into Angie's List, choose the service you are looking for, e.g. roofers, handymen, landscapers, etc.
• Research the companies: The search results list contractors in your area, along with their current grade, number of reports they've received, distance from your home and whether they offer discounts to Angie's list member. The service also lists how much homeowners were charged and what kind of service they received in detail.
• Contact the company: After reviewing the list choose the one that matches your requirements and use the contact information listed to contact them.
• Get better service: Be sure to mention to them that you got their name off Angie's list – this will assure you a quick turnaround, better service, and even great discounts.
• You are protected by Angie List's conflict resolution process: If for some reason you have a bad experience you can let Angie's list know and they will follow up for you.

My thoughts: Thank goodness there's a better way! The first project in our first house was a very difficult experience. The local company took an entire year to complete a fence around our house- and this was after many phone calls and even letters. After that I felt paralyzed to hire anyone for any project in the house. Picking a company from the Yellow Pages is like choosing while wearing a blindfold. You can see what they have to say about themselves, but not their customers' opinions.

After discovering Angie's list I've had three projects completed with no stress at all. In fact, the servicemen seem to bend over backwards to please us. They are really cautious not to get a bad report.  

Who it is good for: Anyone frustrated with unresponsive companies! If you would rather spend a few minutes reviewing companies before hiring them than spend hours on the phone later you should join Angie's list. You will be treated like royalty and get some deep discounts along the way. 

Cost: $6.95/month or $53/year + $10 one-time fee