At some point, everyone in the creative to technical fields have been asked to give advice about a designer, vendor or product. It’s a common thing, especially in fields where no single person can know everything.
Personally, I have a network of IT guys and designers around town I know I can ask questions of, knowing I will receive an answer based on their experience and knowledge.
In turn, I serve as a point of reference for numerous people as well, and try to make sure that my answers are thought-out and helpful.
But not everyone has such a network. There are times where I’m asked by someone I don’t know for a referral, or I am referred by someone I don’t know.
And that can dangerous.
The power of the referral is a very real thing. When someone asks me for my advice on picking out something — be it a phone or a web developer — they are putting weight in my opinion. If I get it wrong, that person may not take my advice so seriously next time around.
On the flip side, I — like many others — have been described with expectations that I can’t meet. When that happens, it looks bad for everyone.
Bad referrals break trust.
Moving forward, I am going to take time before I give a referral to someone. I’m also going to make sure that if someone receives one about me, I find out as much as possible about what was said, to make sure everyone is on the same playing field. A lot less should people get caught in the crossfire that way.