Keen on New York Platinum Services, 2010 Ed.

Keen on New York Platinum Services is a must-have guide to over 350 consumer-recommended home and personal services in the five boroughs of N.Y.C. It is the newest in a series of books by Keen Publications, Inc., which has been in the business of identifying top-rated services since 1992. Each recommended service-provider has been carefully background-checked by our staff, from furniture restorers, house painters and tailors, to hair stylists, floor refinishers and window washers. This savvy guide to where to find the good guys covers 45 service areas in all! Unlike the reviews on local online referral sites, the 350 reviews in our new book cannot be tampered with by people submitting positive ratings to help a friend’s business, or by companies trashing their competitors by posting a bad review. And unlike local online referral sites, the merchants we recommend did not pay to be included, or to get featured placement. Our new book is based on: • A five-month survey of New York City residents and in-the-know contractors. • Stringent background checks to ensure each service we recommend has a clear complaint record with the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Consumer Affairs. • Additional checks to ensure each service we recommend has a current license, if it is required (e.g., plumbers, locksmiths, electricians, movers), unlike popular online referral websites where contractors are permitted to ‘self-report’ that they have a license. • A record of stability in the community. Every company we recommend has been in existence at least seven years, with the average being eighteen plus years. Like our 2004 book, Keen on New York Top-Rated Services, our 2010 edition features tips on how consumers can do their own license and insurance checks, the best ways to resolve disputes with merchants and contact information for key local consumer protection agencies. It is a practical, well-researched resource for smart New Yorkers who insist on competitively-priced services that are done right the first time.