ConsumerAffairs recognizes 18 top companies with inaugural Buyer's Choice Awards, based on innovative "emotional decoding" of consumer reviews

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ConsumerAffairs, the trusted reviews platform whose content and tools gives consumers an advantage when making difficult purchases, has unveiled its first-ever Buyer's Choice Awards. The awards methodology uses advanced sentence-by-sentence analysis of high-integrity consumer reviews to uncover the brands that earned the highest rates of positive feelings from purchasers — not only satisfaction, but joy, relief, and happiness.

How did ConsumerAffairs calculate the Buyer's Choice Award winners? 

ConsumerAffairs is known for collecting the most detailed, authentic reviews of companies and difficult purchases. In an era of rampant faked or unhelpful consumer reviews, reviews on ConsumerAffairs must be submitted by a verified reviewer and vetted by a human moderator for authenticity, minimum length and depth of insight.

Each review analyzed for the 2024 Buyer's Choice Awards was conducted via phone interview or detailed questionnaire in 2023. To calculate the winners, ConsumerAffairs then conducted "emotional decoding," or sentiment analysis, of eligible reviews, using a customized Natural Language Processing (NLP) tool. Experienced auditors confirmed the accuracy of the sentiment analysis. 

What do the awards signify?

Buyer's Choice Awards winners are proven to fulfill their customers' highest priority needs.

"We decoded millions of reviews to learn what aspects of each industry's particular buying journey made the biggest emotional difference to purchasers," said Zac Carman, CEO of ConsumerAffairs. "That's what makes these awards unique. Each award recognizes one super-important need for customers in that category and the companies that best fulfill it."

For example, of the five awards in the home warranty category, three were pinpointed by review analysis as specific preoccupations of home warranty customers: Best Technicians, Best Coverage Options, and Best Claims Handling. Industry pioneer American Home Shield was the only home warranty company to win all three of those Buyer's Choice Awards plus the industry's awards for Best Customer Service and Best Value for Price. 

Reviews of solar purchasing platform SunPower earned it the Buyer's Choice Awards for Best Customer Service and Best Value for Price. But the company also was recognized for Best for Installation, which review contents revealed as the second most critical emotional difference-maker to solar customers. 

The inaugural 2024 Buyer's Choice Awards were awarded in five product categories. Each quarter in 2024, ConsumerAffairs will announce Buyer's Choice Awards in new categories and use its website to flag the winning companies with a signature badge designed to guide consumers in need to trusted companies. Winners of each Buyer's Choice Award are limited to three or fewer by the rigorous statistical bar for positive sentiment set by ConsumerAffairs.

"At ConsumerAffairs, we recognize the significance of informed consumer decisions, particularly during significant life events," said Carman. "Our Buyer's Choice Awards testify to the commitment of the companies that are really adept at helping consumers go through something big, whether financial, personal, or related to their largest investment, a home."

Who are the other multiple winners of 2024 Buyer's Choice Awards?

• Home Warranties: Cinch Home Services, awarded for Best Coverage Options, Best Claims Handling, Best Value for Price, and Best Technicians; AFC Home Club, recognized for Best Customer Service, Best Value for Price, and Best Technicians; and Super, awarded for Best Coverage Options and Best Claims Handling.
• Solar Energy: Freedom Solar Power, for Best Customer Service and Best for Installation.
• Debt Relief: Accredited Debt Relief, National Debt Relief and Freedom Debt Relief each won for Best Customer Service as well as Best Experience with Staff and Best for Transparency, two awards that speak to customers' need for a high-touch, trustworthy relationship with their debt relief company.
• Personal Loans: Best Egg, Net Credit, and Achieve Personal Loans each won for Best Customer Service, Best Experience with Staff, and Best Loan Process, an award triggered by how important that aspect is to personal loan shoppers.
• Stair Lifts: Bruno Independent Living Aids and Stannah Stairlifts, awarded for Best Customer Service, Best for Installation, and Best Experience with Staff; and Arrow Lift, for Best for Installation and Best Experience with Staff.

Other winners of the inaugural Buyer's Choice Awards are ARW Home, Best Customer Service in home warranties; Blue Raven Solar, Best for Installation in Solar Energy; and ShopSolar, Best Customer Service in Solar Energy.

For more information about the Buyer's Choice Awards and the recognized companies, please visit the awards page. One to three winners for each category will be recognized per industry, with new awards rolling out quarterly throughout 2024.

About ConsumerAffairs:

Big buying decisions are never easy—especially those that accompany big life events. Twists and turns in our finances or families, changes in our homes or in a loved one's health, can lead to new purchases we're not used to navigating. That's where ConsumerAffairs comes in. We are here to give consumers a buying advantage when they need it most, introducing them to the most trusted brands, as determined by verified reviewers.

SOURCE ConsumerAffairs