Google reviews are the best way to choose a painter.

Google reviews are THE BEST WAY TO CHOOSE A PAINTER!
 
Choosing a painter (or any tradesman for that matter) is hard work.
 
You want a quality job, a person you can trust around your home, someone that you can communicate with, and a fair price.
 
Asking friends isn’t a bad way to find a good painter.  But what your friends needed and what you need could be very, very different.
 
That’s why Reviews are so helpful.

For an example of a painter's reviews click here.
 
Expert reviews
It’s possible to find a person who had similar painting needs to you, who found a really great painting specialist for their needs. If, say, you have an interior full of cracks and peeling paint you will be looking for a 5 star rating and positive review for an expert in those problems.
 
But beware! Some reviews are fake.
Google probably has the most trustworthy reviews. It’s very hard to ‘game’ Google
Reviews. And if you get caught ... that’s the end of you, on Google anyway.
 
Other reviews can be found on Facebook, Product Review, Amazon, and many others.
 
You can find genuine reviews (and ignore fake reviews) by looking out for the following warning ‘suss’ signs.
 

1. All stars no comments. Don’t just look at the star ratings. Check to see if actual comments have been left. 10 x 5 star ratings. No written comments = suss.
2. Comments about the individual painter. “Steve did a great paint job on our garage and his dog Mitzi was so well behaved.” = real “ XyZ painting offered a range of services at competitive prices.” = suss
3. Phrase repeated. “Exceptional painting service.” Used by more than one person = suss
4. Individual problems solve rather than generic ‘adspeak’.  “A leaking tap stained our ceilings but bob and his team did a great job of making it look like new again.” = real. “Sam and his team are brilliant. They work hard and do a great job. Would highly recommend.” = suss
5. Keyword stuffing. A review with words designed to work well on Google. “I found this company after doing A Google search” Real people don’t speak like this. = suss.
6. Directories. Oneflare, Service seeking, HiPages.  Call me suspicious but I see a LOT of the previous 5 warning signs on these directories. Just saying is all.

 
 
So check out Google Reviews and any others, but watch out for fakes.
 
And after you meet a prospective painter the very best review you can get is a list of happy customers you can actually phone and talk to.