BBBs offer services such as business reports (information on a company’s performance in the marketplace), dispute resolution, and awards. But what a business is actually buying when it decides to belong is credibility. In an industry such as home improvement, where consumers bring plenty of wariness, BBB affiliation can sometimes make the difference in getting a contract. The organization’s philosophy of voluntary self-regulation means that companies agree to abide by the highest ethical standards when it comes to, for example, advertising and selling. Failure to abide by these can, and often does, result in consumer complaints. Should complaints be lodged with the BBB, companies are obligated to resolve them or risk having their membership revoked.
According to Adkins, the BBB is seeing a steady increase in the number of complaints (there were 3 million last year). That’s because Web sites make it much more convenient for consumers to make their dissatisfaction known. In addition to complaints, however, the BBB was contacted 60 million times last year by consumers seeking information about companies they were considering doing business with. That’s up from 56 million in 2003. For more information about the BBB and its programs, see www.bbb.org.
