I think it’s not so much what the BBB can do for you as what the customers perception of that little logo means. They trust it. It’s gotten me jobs. So far, no complaints.
As expensive as BBB is, it is totally worth it. As said above, it seems to put customers at ease when you tell them or they see that you’re a BBB member. In a way, they are sort of a support when it comes to building up your credibility.
My 2 cents. BBB for many business guess ok. For those ignorant of a business maybe it helps weed out the bad apples. I know about certain property management companies in the area that are all As. Reality is they have so many complaints. Knowing about the owners of these places, most talk themselves out of everything. Even though they were dead wrong. I filed a complaint against an accountant and she talked herself out of it so have to finish with small claims court and show the outcome before they do anything. Look at it this way. You pay them money to join. It is in their best interest to protect you. So is it really fair? If it is a few referrals and a bit of advertising there are other ways. YellowBook, local Chambers of Commerce. On the other hand some will only trust the BBB rating as a reputable legit business. I’m small so the cost is not worth it. When you start adding memberships to this place and that place, web pages etc… You have to decide which one is best for your business. Most of my clients used the Internet do do local searches. We pop up and they call. They are not worried about a rating. Now as far as business dealing with properties, real estate, banks, financial planning. I would check their rating. A cleaning company, probably not.
$500 dollars down the drain
I wrote a little article about my BBB experience in the latest WCBO you can download it here for free - WCBO Back Issues
As much as a scam as the BBB is I believe its worth it for several reasons…
- I got 2 jobs so far from it this year
- Customers trust the logo, I use it on everything
- If you get a complaint and your a member they will help you rectify it way quicker and basically be on your side.
Yep its a scam
Yep its almost like extortion. But what the heck we have a line item in our budget for “bribes” and this falls under it.
Chris, I am with you. I agree its a scam, but I feel there are some benefits. I get enough jobs a year from my BBB, people actually calling from their directory. I have met a hand full of people who only use BBB service companies. I have prob made my money back every year I have been a member. I get on average 3 jobs a year from BBB.
I’m a member of the BBB. I use it to my advantage every chance I get. The logo is on my business card, sticker on my truck, logo on my site. Also tell the HO when we first meet. You pay for it so use it
