That's right, we speak with every single one of our partners before we include them in our intelligent buying platform. Early on we realized that a contractor can look great on paper with an up to date state license, proof of insurance and neutral to positive reviews but still be unreliable, difficult to get in touch with and deliver sub-par work. We developed a process that includes at least one discussion to weed out low performers. Calls are casual but structured and cover basics like 'how long have you been in business?' and 'how many employees do you have?', but also digs deeper. Specifically, we want to know:
Customer feedback - We utilize feedback from thousands of customer interactions to offer encouragement for our partners to improve where necessary and to provide our customers with additional knowledge to make the right choice. If partners receive complaints or negative feedback, Aptera staff will often call the customer to determine the nature of the complaint and at our discretion will remove partners based on direct feedback. A note to partners: We fully understand that there are two sides to every transaction and we do our best to remain neutral and parse the facts in an unbiased way. We are particularly sensitive to complaints regarding ethics, lack of disclosure, obscuring details during bidding process or switching materials without customer consent. Customer feedback is deeply woven into our systems and plays an ever larger role as we continuously collect data.
Environmental Responsibility - Aptera actively promotes partner companies that take measures to improve sustainability and reduce their impact on the environment. This includes encouraging the use of biodegradable and sustainable products, minimizing material usage, recycling whenever possible, and in some industries a track record of earning LEED credits and certifying projects.
Employee support and living wages - Our partners support their employees in many ways including retirement contributions, health and dental coverage and more. We do not work with companies that hire part time laborers under the table that are often undocumented and uninsured. While we don't require partners use labor unions or enforce strict guidelines on pay and benefits, we do support those that offer a dignified living wage for employees that empowers them to lead a full, healthy life.
We always work to improve on the processes that we have in place. One of the best sources of inspiration is you, so please reach out and let us know how we can improve, simplify and create value.
