How to check references on a development agency
Good reference checking means getting past the agency's polished examples. Ask about how the collaboration worked under pressure, not just whether the result turned out well. Track down references outside the list the agency gives you, and listen as closely to hesitation and what's left unsaid as to the praise. That's usually where the truth is.
Most clients check references on a development agency more or less as a formality: you call the names the agency gave you, hear that everything was great, and check the box. The problem is that this kind of reference check rarely reveals anything you didn’t already know. Here’s how to turn it into a tool that actually helps you choose right.
Assume the list is polished
An agency handing out references naturally picks its happiest clients, often from projects that went smoothly. That’s not cheating, it’s human. But it means the curated list shows the agency at its best.
What you really want to know isn’t whether the agency can succeed when everything goes as planned. Most can. You want to know how they behave when things get uncomfortable: when the timeline slips, when a requirement turns out harder than expected, when you disagree. You rarely get that information from a handpicked reference unless you ask the right questions.
A question guide focused on collaboration under pressure
Swap the general “were you satisfied?” for questions that force out concrete stories. Ask about the collaboration, not just the end product.
- What happened when something went wrong in the project – and how did the agency handle it?
- Did they hit the timeline? If not, how did they communicate that?
- What were they like to deal with when you disagreed about something?
- Did you feel informed, or did you have to dig for updates?
- What was the hardest part of the collaboration?
- Would you hire them again? Why, or why not?
The last question might be the most revealing, especially followed by a straight “why.” A lukewarm “yes, absolutely” that can’t explain why is a different answer than an engaged one.
Find uncurated references outside the list
What often gives you the most are the references the agency didn’t choose for you. They’re harder to get hold of but worth the effort.
A few ways:
- Look at the agency’s past projects and contact those clients directly, even if they’re not on the reference list.
- Search your own network. Someone you know may have hired the agency, or know someone who has.
- Ask the agency itself for a project that didn’t go perfectly and the reference for it. A confident agency can handle that question; the answer says something either way.
A concrete approach: find a project in the agency’s portfolio, track down the client, and reach out with a short, honest request for a couple of minutes. Most people agree, and since they weren’t handpicked to impress, the answers tend to be more honest. If you want a sounding board on how a serious vendor should behave, you can also compare with how we work.
Reading silence and reservations
The hardest skill is listening to what’s left unsaid. References rarely want to badmouth anyone, so criticism often comes disguised as diplomacy.
Pay attention to:
- Hesitation. A pause before the answer to “would you hire them again?” means something.
- Excessive politeness. Praise that sticks to the safe stuff, like “they were nice,” can hide that there were real problems.
- Topics that get downplayed. If someone happily discusses the result but goes vague about the collaboration, dig there.
- What’s left unsaid. Questions that get a short answer and a quick change of subject are often the most interesting.
Take reservations seriously. A reference who’s warm but slips in a small “although…” often gives you the most important information in the whole call.
Weigh several calls together into a pattern
A single reference call tells you limited. It could be a lucky hit or a single dissatisfied voice. The value emerges when you lay several calls side by side and look for patterns.
Ask yourself: do the same strengths keep recurring? Then they’re probably genuine. If the same reservation shows up with several people – that timelines tend to slip, or that communication was sometimes thin – take it very seriously, even if each individual person put it mildly. A recurring small “although…” is a clearer warning sign than a single harsh criticism.
Aim, then, for at least a couple of calls, ideally including someone you’ve tracked down yourself in addition to the agency’s own list. Together they give a far more reliable picture than a single one, however good it sounded.
Reference checking done this way takes an extra hour or two, but it can save you months of a collaboration that chafed. Want to talk through how to best evaluate a potential partner? You’re welcome to get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Why aren't the agency's own references enough?
The agency naturally picks its happiest clients, often from projects that went well. That's understandable but gives a skewed picture. You learn that the agency can succeed, but not how it handles setbacks. Supplement the curated list with references you track down yourself, to see a more truthful whole picture.
What should I ask a reference about?
Focus on the collaboration under pressure rather than whether the end result looked good. Ask what happened when something went wrong, how the agency handled delays, and how they communicated difficult news. Also ask whether the person would hire the agency again, and why. That says more than a general satisfaction question.
How do I find references outside the agency's list?
Look at the agency's past projects and contact the clients directly, search your own network for someone who's hired them, or ask the agency about a project that didn't go perfectly. Uncurated references give more honest answers because they weren't handpicked to impress. They're often worth more than the list you get served.
How do I interpret a reference that's vague?
Take hesitation seriously. Diplomatic phrasing and silence around certain questions can say more than praise. If someone is warm about the result but vague about the collaboration, there's often something there. Ask follow-up questions and listen to what's left unsaid, not just to the words.
How many references should I check?
More than one, ideally including someone you've tracked down yourself in addition to the ones the agency gives. A single call could be a lucky hit or an unlucky miss. With a few calls, you start to see patterns: do the same strengths and the same warnings keep coming up? That pattern is more reliable than a single opinion.