How We Test Custom Dissertation Writing Services

published April 25, 2023 - updated November 23, 2023

The cost of a mistake with choosing a dissertation writing platform is too high. 

A poorly chosen book will rest on the shelf half-read, a ticket to the cinema for a boring movie is too cheap to bother about, and an overcooked steak from a new restaurant will be quickly forgotten. However, when an entire professional life is at stake with no exaggeration, the proper choice of a writing company turns into a vital decision. At A*Help, we may not be the only ones who inspect academic platforms, but we believe our systematic approach to testing them is unparalleled. Mystery shopping that we conduct with the most recognized dissertation writing platforms answers all questions at once. It spotlights whatever companies should be proud of and uncovers everything that remains concealed behind bright landing pages. This article will tell you what it takes to test a writing service and help you make the best choice.  

A*Help Score Breakdown: What’s Behind The Numbers?

At Academichelp, we have created the A*Help score to serve as a dependable source of recommendations for reliable custom dissertation writing services that offer high-quality learning assistance. Our mission is to guide students in making informed choices about EdTech products and provide comprehensive guidelines for determining a company that serves their needs, especially when they have many other things to handle. If you’re a student seeking advice in managing your academic requirements, you’ve landed in the right place.

What’s the A*Help score?

How We Test Custom Dissertation Writing Services

As we always place a student and their needs and expectations in the center of our focus, the A*Help score is basically a mathematical reflection of how well a particular writing service is prepared to become a working solution for the student. The score is calculated by analyzing various metrics obtained through mystery shopping, aiming to determine which platform can offer the most competitive value proposition to students. Placing actual online orders with dissertation services gives us a perfect opportunity to analyze the company from A to Z and obtain enough data to evaluate the provider against three key parameters contributing to the A*Help score: Value for money, Overall experience, and Paper quality. 

As a result of mystery shopping, we receive three indicators to calculate the A*Help score. Each of these metrics comprises several smaller factors that are relevant to the area under review and evaluation. Let’s take a closer look at how the formula functions.   

Value for money: 25% of the A*Help score

How We Test Custom Dissertation Writing Services

Order details – 4 pts
Free services – 5 pts
Paid services – 4 pts
Discounts – 4 pts
Paper price – 8 pts

This criterion is based on several factors, including specifics of the order, types of services that are free or require payment, the pricing approach, and any discounts or additional benefits that may be offered.

Order details

Here we examine all the essential aspects that need to be comprehended at the outset of engaging with a dissertation writing service. The commitments of the company regarding the order completion timeframe, the least possible cost per page of written content, the proficiency and track record of the writers, and the academic difficulty level of the assignments they can undertake are the inquiries that the client must obtain clarification on before making an order. 

Deadlines. Students have tight deadlines for submitting their dissertations or their specific chapters, and delays can negatively impact their grades. A company that offers good value-for-money performance will likely deliver work on time, allowing students to meet their submission deadlines and avoid penalties. In addition, timely paper delivery enables users to review the work and request revisions if they find this step necessary. 

Price per page. This measure is rather informative and enables the user to quickly estimate the total cost of their dissertation by multiplying the price of each page by their total number. Although it is only a rough guess, it indicates whether a particular service is affordable for the customer. 

Writer categories. A company with good value-for-money standing usually employs experienced and qualified writers who are experts in their respective fields. This ensures that the dissertations produced are of high quality and meet academic standards.

Academic levels: The capacity of the writing service to deliver orders of diverse levels of difficulty, ranging from high school to Ph.D., vividly showcases the company’s exceptional expertise and disposition to handle tasks of distinct academic levels with equal responsibility.

Free services

Dissertation companies that offer more free services can have a competitive edge over their counterparts because they provide additional value to their customers. By offering freebies such as plagiarism checks, revisions, title pages, or reference pages, the organization demonstrates that they are willing to go the extra mile to ensure the best customer satisfaction. Moreover, clients may perceive such free things as cost savings, making the company’s pricing appear more reasonable and attracting more business. Consequently, by offering free services, writing companies can differentiate themselves from their competitors and attract more customers.

Some students can also benefit from the availability of extra paid services while placing their orders, as they can customize them based on their specific needs and requirements. For instance, they can opt for additional features like VIP customer support, a preferred writer, or a detailed plagiarism report, to name a few. These other bonuses can enhance the quality of the work and provide an extra layer of assurance, especially for students looking for higher levels of customization, quality, and support.

Moreover, having a choice of not only free but also paid extras can be advantageous because it allows tailoring orders to suit particular demands of various assignments. For example, some projects require charts, slides, or diagrams, and an individual may be willing to spend a little more money to make their thesis more complete. Students can decide which services are most relevant and pay only for them rather than a one-size-fits-all package that may include something they do not need or want. Overall, having a choice of free and paid deals provides learners with greater flexibility and control over their order while enabling the writing company to offer more comprehensive and customized proposals.

Discounts and bonuses

Discounts and special offers such as loyalty and referral programs can be advantageous for customers considering a company to place a dissertation order. These programs can provide users with cost savings and incentives to continue using the services of a particular writing platform.

Loyalty programs, for instance, reward clients for their continued patronage by providing discounts or other benefits on future orders. Referral programs encourage customers to refer their friends or colleagues to the company, usually by offering discounts or bonuses for successful referrals.

These programs can be especially favored for students on a tight budget as they can help reduce the overall cost of their dissertation order. Additionally, they create an added level of trust and reliability as they demonstrate the writing company’s commitment to building long-term customer relationships. 

Another thing that boosts the value-for-money ratio of the company is the opportunity to pay in installments. It’s a payment option that some companies offer their customers. It allows customers to make payments for their order in parts rather than paying the total amount in advance. Paying in installments will be beneficial for those who may not have the entire cost of the order upfront or those who prefer to spread out their payments over a more extended period. This can make the writing service more accessible and affordable to students who might otherwise be unable to use it.

Overall, discounts, partial payments, and special offers can make a platform more attractive to customers by providing added value and cost savings while also helping to build customer loyalty and trust.

Paper price

The paper price is an essential factor for the value-for-money ratio of a dissertation writing service. A company with a fair and competitive pricing policy can offer users more excellent value for their money and help to establish a positive reputation in the market.

The pricing approach of a platform contributes significantly to its value-for-money performance. Too high prices can deter potential customers from using the service, while low pricing may suggest inferior quality work or a lack of experience. Therefore, a company must establish a fair and competitive pricing that aligns with industry standards and the level of expertise they possess.

This is how we understand the first of the three parameters of the A*Help score – the value for money. Given our experience in evaluating various academic companies and their services, we believe such an approach is accurate and transparent.     

Overall experience: 25% of the A*Help score

How We Test Custom Dissertation Writing Services

Support – 5 pts

Dissertation process – 4 pts

Security – 4 pts

Payment methods – 7 pts

Communication with writers – 5 pts

The overall experience of using a writing service is a vital factor for customers as it can significantly impact their academic success and satisfaction with the company. A positive experience is brought by a range of factors, including a sense of security throughout the process, convenient dissertation fulfillment process, a choice of payment methods, and a feeling of control and involvement through the effective communication with customer support and writers.

Support

Creating a thesis can be highly stressful for students. By choosing a company with adequate client support, they can alleviate some of this stress by knowing their project is in capable hands. Excellent service always enhances the overall experience when dealing with a writing company. It helps build trust and credibility while resolving any issues or concerns that may arise. Existing methods of reaching customer help-desk include email, phone, live chat, and social media messaging.

Dissertation Fulfillment Process

The overall experience of using custom writing services greatly relies on having a convenient dissertation fulfillment process. To achieve a successful workflow, there are various crucial elements to consider, such as having a designated writer for the project, a personal manager, and the option to submit work in chapters. It’s important to examine the advantages of each of these elements and how they contribute to the user’s satisfaction.

Having an assigned author for the entire project ensures consistency in the quality of work. Through communication with the client, the expert can establish a bond with their customer and thus better understand the user’s requirements and preferences, creating a more personalized thesis. This also allows for better communication and collaboration between the user and the writer, helping them maintain a cohesive style, which is particularly important when drafting a dissertation, where the content needs to flow seamlessly.

A personal manager can provide valuable support at all stages of the project. They can verify that the user’s prerequisites are being met, inform about updates on the progress of the paper, and address any concerns or issues that arise. This allows the user to understand the process and the status of their dissertation at all times, which can help relieve stress and anxiety.

The opportunity to submit work by chapters can offer several benefits for the customer. It allows greater flexibility in the writing, as the user can review and leave feedback on each chapter as it is completed. This can help ensure the project is on track. Additionally, it helps to reduce the workload and pressure of completing the entire thesis at once, as it can be broken down into smaller, more manageable parts.

Security

The security of using a dissertation writing company should be paid a fair amount of attention by users and service providers for several reasons. Clients share sensitive personal and financial information when using these services, including their names, contact details, and payment details. Therefore, the security of this data is essential to protect the user’s privacy and prevent identity theft or fraud.

A reputable business will have several measures in place to ensure the security of its customers. These may include the use of secure servers, encryption of data, and strict privacy policies.

Payment methods

When an online writing service offers customers numerous payment options, it means it values them and their convenience and wants to simplify and speed up business transactions. By providing various ways to complete a transaction, the company is accommodating its customers’ diverse needs and preferences, which can lead to higher customer satisfaction.

Also, offering many payment alternatives speaks to the company’s credibility and legitimacy. Reputable services typically offer multiple solutions, including credit cards, online banking systems, and other secure payment methods. This can build trust with clientele and increase their confidence in the company’s ability to deliver professional services.

Communication with writers

Productive collaboration between clients and their writers is hard to achieve without mindful and trusted relationships. By engaging in regular communication, the writer can better understand the user’s preferences, allowing them to create a more personalized paper. This collaborative environment is essential to promptly address student’s concerns or feedback and incorporate their ideas and suggestions into the work. This level of partnership can result in a dissertation that genuinely reflects the user’s vision.

In a few words, providing a positive overall user experience is fundamental for a custom dissertation writing service, which is why it takes 25% of the A*Help score. It is achieved by delivering customers with successful and effective support, a convenient dissertation flow, providing adequate security measures and payment methods, and enabling communication with writers. Companies that prioritize these elements can enhance the user’s experience, build trust, and improve their overall satisfaction with the service.

Paper quality: 50% of the A*Help score

In evaluating a writing company, it is a determining factor, accounting for 50% of the A*Help score. This metric assesses the company’s experts’ skills, knowledge, proficiency, and research and analytical capabilities. An excellent thesis demonstrates the platform’s dedication to providing professional and reliable services, indicating that it has rigorous control measures in place to ensure exceptional work. The paper quality criterion also enables customers to evaluate whether the writers have adhered to their requirements and academic standards. 

Various indicators are assessed to determine the overall grade for paper quality, with each being allocated a maximum of 100%. These indicators include:

  1. Integrity
  2. Length
  3. Mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice)
  4. Formatting
  5. Reasoning and logic (efficiency, acuity, clarity, and objectivity)

After measuring each of these factors, a mathematical calculation is carried out to receive the final grade for the work. A score of at least 60% is required to achieve a passing grade. 

This information helps students to compare various services, weigh the pros and cons of each, and make an informed decision. Thus, paper quality measurement is a pivotal consideration when assessing a dissertation writing company.

Conclusion

We hope we’ve given you enough insights into our simple yet reality-reflective system of testing custom dissertation writing businesses. The *AHelp score is a tried and tested reference point for students seeking high-quality dissertation services. The score is generated through mystery shopping and analyzes three key parameters of user interaction with a company: Value for money, Overall experience, and Paper quality. It supplies students with comprehensive guidelines for determining a platform that serves their needs and helps them make knowledgeable choices about EdTech products.

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