To BBB or not to BBB

[coachdebra]

Hey folks, I need some feedback on a decision for my business Artist's EDGE.

I've just been contacted by the Better Business Bureau. They offered me the "opportunity" to become an accredited member. For $350/year. Payable only if I'm approved (and allegedly they don't approve everyone...)

So, here's my question - if you were looking for a resource to help you with your business, if you were researching or doing your due diligence on whether a company was real and their offer was what they promised - would it make a difference if they are BBB.org accredited?

Would that influence your decision as to the legitimacy of the service?

Thanks,
Debra

[simonparker]

it depends on a lot of factors. Usually, what good or service is being provided. Plus from your perspective, is it worth $350 if it doesn't bring you additional clients.

For me, I check the BBB if I were to make a purchase on line (i.e. Amazon, etc.). I know Taxi has a BBB account and rating, but I joined them without ever checking into it.

Usually good business gets generated by word-of-mouth. I know where I want to buy my car from, I know where I can get a nice suit, etc. I don't use BBB for that kind of stuff. However, if I were looking for professional PR, I might entertain looking at a BBB account rating before proceeding, but even that for me, is unlikely since I've already know by word-of-mouth who I would choose.

[Casey H]

Hey Coach
I don't think it's worth it given how tight things are right now financially everywhere. I'd hold off. MHO is it's unlikely to have any effect on whether or not you acquire new business.

Casey

[Kolstad]

Personally, I would not, but it wouldn't make me go away either. So, knowing how these things work, I would definately consider that offer, Debra. Thats the way things go in coaching land, I'm certain.

[Len911]

Years ago when I was a kid it seemed to have more prominence, however in time after several local news reports of unscrupulous businesses that they reported didn't have any complaints registered with the BBB, I think they were sort of thought of as being less relevant and that you had to do more investigating on your own. Now the news media seldom if ever mention them or their ratings in their reports. And being less relevant, I don't think anyone even thinks about registering complaints with them if they do have problems with a business, when once upon a time it was the first thing they thought of.

I googled them and found this 20/20 investigation. They have been painted as an organization that is reminiscent of the old mafia protection money scams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo8kfV9kONw

[gtrmann]

I have been contacted by the BBB for years with requests to join. The tell us their feed back on the service we provide is good. We have been asked to join multiple times in the last 20 years, We have never joined.

I had a consumer file a complaint about my company with the BBB in 2002. The stated they help consumers and businesses resolve differences. They customer we had was completely unreasonable about the matter, I refused to give in to his unreasonable requests. We both stated our accounts about what happened. The BBB sided with us.

Let me know if you find a advantage to join....

[DesireInspires]

It's a measley $350 a year.

Go for it. You'll thank yourself later.

[mazz]

I wonder how much of your business comes from web searches and how much of it comes via word of mouth and your direct networking at events, and I know you do a lot of that.

Personally I think for what you do it's really not worth it, your clientele is much more networking oriented and it seems like your customers are people that would talk to each other instead of going online and doing research there only.

Word of mouth is the best.

If they have other services they offer that might be of benefit to you behind the scenes, then it might be good, but I'm not sure for what you do it adds value to have that badge on your website.

Mazz

[jazzstan]

I have a low opinion of some of their business practices. As I was planning to start my own business a few years ago, I filed the obligatory "DBA" statements in a local newspaper a few cities away from my home town (but still within the county.) I wasn't going to officially launch the business for another month, so I didn't have the website up, nor had I told anyone other than a few friends. About a week after my DBA notice was published, the BBB office in the city where the listing appeared called me to say they had gotten three inquiries about my business. They offered me the $360 membership, otherwise they would have to tell these three anonymous folks that I had did not have a favorable standing with the BBB. I asked if they could tell me more about the inquiries. They said that two were phone calls, and one via email, but proclaimed them to be under the protected anonymity of the BBB policy.

Clearly this was a total scam. I was a B2B (business-to-business) enterprise, with no advertising; all my work is by referral and networking. So there is absolutely no way in hell they would have gotten any calls at all about my business. I said I'd get back to them and checked with a few other business folks and found other stories similar to mine. I called the national office of BBB to report the matter, but no-one there would return my call.

It might make sense for some businesses with a high volume of one-time, non-repeat retail customers to pay the annual fee. But for a lot of businesses I would think that it's of dubious value.

[Casey H]

It's a measley $350 a year...

Measly [mee-zlee]
adjective
1. With respect to money: A very small, irrelevant, trivial, or inconsequential amount of money when it is coming from someone else's wallet.

Casey