You don’t ask just anyone.
When you need a business, who you ask matters.
Search gives you options.
Illustration. A search for birthday dinner near me shows 38 places nearby, each with a star rating, a number of reviews, the kind of food, a price level and a distance. Lucia’s Trattoria: 4.7 stars from 412 reviews, Italian, 0.6 miles. The Copper Pot: 4.5 stars from 198 reviews, American, 1.1 miles. Saffron House: 4.6 stars from 276 reviews, Indian, 1.4 miles. More places follow below.
The people you know give you context.
Illustration. The results give way to eight people you know: Jess, Sam, Dad, Mia, Alex, Tom, Priya and Kev. Who would you ask? For the birthday dinner, Jess stands out: you know her taste. For a mechanic, Dad: same mechanic for years. For a landscaper, Tom, next door: you’ve seen his yard. The others fade back.
A recommendation means more when you know who it came from, and why.
Illustration. The search still shows 9 landscapers nearby. Tom, next door, whose yard you’ve seen, says: Ana’s Crew did our whole yard last spring. Still looks great. Then Priya, from work, says: Greenway does our office courtyard. I haven’t hired them myself.
Wovch: See what people you know recommend, and why.
Illustration. The page turns navy, the first card leaves, and a separate card arrives. A search for landscaper shows what your people have recommended. Ana’s Crew, recommended by Tom, next door: Did our whole yard last spring. Still looks great. Greenway, recommended by Priya, from work: They do our office courtyard. I haven’t hired them myself. Then a search for florist shows nothing from your people yet. You tap Ask your people, choose Jess and Priya but not Dad, and tap Send. The card now says you asked Jess and Priya. Jess, a friend, replies with June’s on Main: Did our wedding. Beautiful, and on budget.