Definition
A reference check is contacting a vendor's existing customers to verify claims about delivery, support, and hidden costs before you sign.
Vendor-supplied references are pre-screened to be positive, so the value is in the questions: ask about change orders, what surprised them post-signing, and whether they'd buy again. Better still, find a reference the vendor didn't choose.
Go deeperHow to evaluate a software vendor before you signRelated terms
Benchside turns reference check into the exact questions, exclusions, and lock-in math for your specific vendor - your first project is free.