Supermedia, the former Idearc, just released a multi-faceted announcement about its one-year old SuperGuarantee, its new SuperGuarantee Autos, and the SuperPages mobile application. We’ll soon be talking to SuperMedia about the new Autos product, but took a first look at SuperGuarantee in the meantime.  The world of online directories, especially in the realm of real estate and DIY/home improvement is one that budget-minded consumers are asking for, and real estate publishers would do well to offer.

SuperGuarantee is one-year old. This was an opportunity for SuperMedia to really stand out among the online directories crowd. But it failed at the opportunity, starting out functionally well, but ending too soon in its feature development. Nor is its guarantee something a consumer can really rely on. We reviewed it, not only as news about the directory publisher’s product but as lessons to be learned for others who want to offer social consumer service directories, and want to make money doing so.

At first glance, the release made it sound similar to ServiceMagic, a robust site a consumer can really trust – and one that I’ve relied on several times successfully. In fact, I was so happy with what ServiceMagic was saving me in time and effort  (primarily because it’s so stringent in its pre-post service provider oversight,) that I upgraded my free $500-guarantee membership to a $2500 guarantee, for a very small annual fee.  ServiceMagic made a little money, and I felt more confident about relying on its word about the firms on the site.

SuperMedia, in contrast, is a disappointment. Thinking I was missing some of its bells and whistles, I talked to a Supermedia spokesperson who basically confirmed that what I was seeing was all there was.

“You register for SuperGuarantee first, then when in need of a service you go and search for a business with the SuperGuarantee shield,” she told me. “You find one of those businesses, you contact them and set up the appointment to come out. Then you go to your account and register the service appointment.” 

If something goes wrong, the guarantee, as with ServiceMagic, is $500, and for that the consumer pays no fee. There is no paid upgrade.

Here’s my problem with this, both for the consumer, and for the “wallet” of SuperMedia. SuperMedia bills this as being easier to “spot the good guys.”  That’s really not the case, however. There are no upfront qualifications, except that the service firm spend enough advertising in its directory to qualify. The directory firm relies on its advertising reps to have relationships with service provider advertisers that would familarize them with any consumer issues. Or, as the spokesperson put it when we asked about oversight “our media consultants are in touch with them throughout the year.” Oh, my. Not acceptable or effective oversight at all. Yes, if SuperMedia hears about shoddy work, and has to pay out $500 to the consumer for the shoddy work, the advertiser is no longer super guaranteed anymore, though not necessarily the first time it happens. The other thing that would make that service advertiser not so Super anymore is if she or he failed to pay the SuperMedia advertising bill.

I’d also like to see more of the bells and whistles right from the search results page, rather than having to open up another page – such as for reviews and texting. I also think it would be a better service to advertisers and consumers alike were this SuperGuarantee search results page to be “SuperGuarantee only.”

This could have been so much more, but its design isn’t complete, and its premise that these are the good guys because they pay more to advertise, and pay it on time, is a disservice to consumers. In fact, when consumers begin to realize that that is what’s behind this SuperGuarantee it might well backfire on SuperMedia. 

Online real estate directory or DIY/home improvement directory publishers, be sure you put some reliable upfront oversight in place if you offer a “good guys” tag to providers, and keep the conversations between provider and consumer on your search results page.  The alternative to upfront oversight for a guarantee is to be clear that you haven’t done the investigation, that those guaranteed are simply those that have paid to be guaranteed, and “please, consumer, let us know if you have a problem, because you will get your money back. ” But don’t call them the “good guys” if you don’t know that they are.

 ”There are so many tools with which to keep all your online bells and whistles on one page on your site. There’s just no reason for sending them to the service providers site or even another page on your site for consumers to reach out to them when they’re paying to advertise with you.

Here’s the SuperMedia announcement.