You have found a consultant you like and you are nearly ready to sign. How do you check that what they have told you is true? This guide shows which claims to check first, how to check each one, and what each check proves and does not prove. For a small project you do not need to do everything, so it also says which checks are worth your time.
The short answer: check the claim that matters most to you first, which is usually that they have done work like yours and it still works. A conversation with a real customer tells you more than any certificate or case study.
Key takeaways
- Start with the claim that matters most: a live project like yours that is still in use.
- A case study the consultant wrote carries little weight; a customer you can call carries much more.
- Ask references whether results held after the pilot ended, not just whether it launched.
- Speak to the people who will do the work, not only the person selling it.
- A quick look at the public company register is free and takes minutes.
Which claims should I check first?
Not every claim is worth the same effort. Rank them by how much your decision depends on them.
| Claim | Why it matters | Worth checking for a small project? |
|---|---|---|
| "We have done this for businesses like yours" | It is usually why you are hiring them | Yes, always |
| "Our results held up after launch" | Many projects look good in the pilot and fade | Yes, always |
| "Our team has deep AI experience" | Experience on a CV can be stretched | Yes, by meeting the team |
| "We know your sector" | Sector knowledge saves time and mistakes | Yes, if your work is specialised |
| "We are certified or accredited" | Shows some processes are in place | Briefly |
| Company details: trading history, status | Shows who you are contracting with | Yes, it takes minutes |
How do I check that a case study is their own work?
A case study the consultant wrote is marketing. It may be accurate, but it is written to persuade, and it rarely shows what went wrong. Three questions help:
- Can I speak to that customer? A consultant with real, happy customers can usually arrange a call. If none will talk to you, give the case study little weight.
- What was the starting point? Results only mean something against a "before". "Saved hours every week" tells you nothing if nobody measured the week before.
- What exactly did you do? Ask which parts they built, which parts the customer or another firm did, and who runs it now. Shared or subcontracted work is normal, but you should know which part was theirs.
You can also ask for a short walk-through of the system itself, on screen. Someone who built it can explain how it works and what it does when the input is messy.
What should I ask a reference?
Ask for a reference whose project was like yours in size and type. Then ask questions that get past politeness:
- What problem were you trying to solve, and did it get solved?
- What did it take to get it running: your time, your data, surprises?
- Did the results hold after the pilot ended, once the consultant stepped back?
- Do you still use it? Did you renew or extend the work?
- What went wrong, and how did they handle it?
- Can your team change it without them?
- Would you hire them again for the same job?
The most useful question is whether it still works some months later. Launches are easy to celebrate. Renewals and continued use say much more.
Download: questions to ask a reference (Word) · email asking for a reference call (email template, .eml)
How do I find an independent reference?
References the consultant chooses will be their best ones. That is fine, but if you can, find one more yourself. Ask your own network, a local business group, or your accountant whether anyone has worked with them. Search for the consultant's name alongside the word "review". One independent voice is worth several hand-picked ones.
How do I check the experience of the people doing the work?
AI experience is easy to describe generously. Someone who has used a chatbot for a year and someone who has built and supported systems in live use can write similar CVs.
- Meet the people who will do the work, not only the founder or salesperson.
- Ask them to explain your project in plain English: what it would do, what information it would use and how it would reach an answer. Clear explanation is a good test of real understanding.
- Ask about a time it went wrong. Someone with real delivery experience can tell you a concrete, slightly unglamorous story of an error and how it was caught.
- Ask how AI is used in their own delivery. If they claim "AI-powered" work, ask which step uses it and who checks the output.
For more on this, see questions to ask an AI consultant.
Which qualifications and memberships mean something?
There is no single qualification that an AI consultant in the UK must hold, and no one body that licenses them. So the absence of a particular badge is not a warning sign in itself, and the presence of one does not prove they can deliver your project.
Treat qualifications and memberships as supporting evidence, and check them properly:
- Check membership with the body itself. Many professional bodies publish a register or will confirm membership. Look it up on the body's own website rather than relying on a logo on the consultant's site.
- Ask what the qualification involved. Some require exams, supervised experience or ongoing training. Others are a short online course or simply a fee. Ask, and look it up.
- Do not treat a security certificate as proof the AI suits your task. A certificate about how a firm handles information is a useful baseline. It says nothing about whether their system will work on your problem.
How do I check the company behind the consultant?
If you are contracting with a limited company, the public register at Companies House is free to search.1 It shows:
- Company status: whether the company is active, or being struck off or wound up.
- Incorporation date: how long the company has existed.
- Filed accounts: whether accounts are up to date, and late filings.
- Officers: the directors, and other companies they are involved with.
Check that the company name and number on the proposal match the register, and that the people you have met appear where you would expect. A young company is not a problem in itself; many good consultants are new. Overdue accounts or a status notice are worth a question.
A freelancer working as a sole trader will not appear on the register. That is normal. Rely on references and the other checks instead.
How much checking does a small project need?
For a short, paid first project, a sensible minimum is:
- Speak to at least one customer whose work was like yours
- Ask that customer whether results held after the pilot
- Meet the person who will do the work and hear them explain it plainly
- Ask them about a time something went wrong
- Verify any membership they rely on with the body's own register
- Look up the company on Companies House and check the details match
For a larger build, do all of these more thoroughly and add a second reference you found yourself.
What if I have already signed?
It is not too late. Do the checks now. If something does not add up, raise it early, agree clear measures and a review date, and make sure you hold copies of your data and settings. If you think you were misled about something in the contract, talk to a solicitor before you act.
Checking credentials is the last step in the series. For the warning signs to watch for, see red flags when hiring an AI consultant, and for the whole process, start with how to choose an AI consultant.
Sources
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Companies House, "Find and update company information", GOV.UK service, https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/, accessed 2026-11-14. ↩