I guess it would depend how reliable your references are.
It's not that we are too lazy, it's that some references are not reliable. Some ladies don't answer in a timely fashion when asked for a reference as well. There have been times when the lady given as a ref hasn't answered me at all. Or they get back to me days later, and the guy wants appt that day.
Originally Posted by TemptationTammie
Precisely why I don't bother to try arranging something with a provider who demands references. If a new-to-me provider is worried that I may be nuts (a bit paranoid, but understandable), and she thinks she's going to get that answered to her satisfaction by getting clear, timely answers from a list of my references, then it's HER who is out of touch with the whole reference scheme. Two providers in two days this week caught my eye, but those two already eliminated themselves because of their demand to PM references in advance.
In my real world, I'm a long-time consultant who has to provide business references over and over for each new client. Even with these straight business questions to HR pros, references are frequently slow and often delay my next project.
In my Eccie world, I'm not going to invest the same level of impatient hopefulness waiting to receive permission to do a straight-up deal with a provider, IF Polly Provider #4 and Sexy Suzy #37 would just return that email or call.
I don't know what info is exchanged in the ladies-only section, but between that section and Alerts, I'm sure that potentially dangerous nuts are all outed immediately to the whole community. Those lowlifes are few and far between, fortunately. So what's the real purpose of references for an established member of Eccie? None, except in the provider's mind, IMO.
ADDED: In the ladies room, don't providers ever ask the community (as we do in the Men's Lounge all the time), "Hey, I was contacted by TravelingTex. Anybody know anything about him?" to which a provider or two might respond, "I've seen him, he's clean and shows up on time, no prob." There ya go, problem solved not only for that provider, but also for the next one as well.