State of Connecticut Investigating Better Business Bureau
Objects to new system for rating businesses
Sometimes, New & Improved isn’t always what it appears to be when one factors in the bottomline and asks, “Why?” & “What was the real purpose of taking something simple that worked and complicating it?” I willing to bet that revenue is down for the BBB.
As a secular saying goes, ‘The love of money is the root of evil’ which is wrong. This saying was derived impart from: Timothy 6:10 ‘For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” What’s the evil? Lust. How is it expressed? Covetousness, Greed, Dishonesty, Lying. How is it manifested? Man-ipulation. Here’s another word for it, Coercion.
The Better Business Bureau is usually the one collecting complaints. Now, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has a complaint about the private consumer group.
“I remain concerned about the Better Business Bureau’s rating system and my office’s investigation is continuing,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “We have reached no conclusions.
Blumenthal said he is disturbed by a 2009 change in the BBB’s rating system for businesses. In the past, the bureau labeled businesses “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” for resolving consumer complaints. In 2009, the business watchdog launched a new rating system.
When a leopard changes it’s spots:
New rating system
In January of that year the BBB began rating businesses based on 16 weighted categories with a scale from AAA to F. The BBB Reliability Report’s algorithm calculating a company’s ranking revolves around a set of subjective characteristics including the nature of business, length of time since opening, whether the business is “problematic in the industry,” and BBB accreditation, i.e., are they a paying member.
“My office last month wrote the Connecticut BBB requesting information regarding my concerns — especially the role of dues in determining ratings and potential harm to businesses that decline to join — and we await a response,” Blumenthal said. “My office is reaching out to BBB to help facilitate a response.”
Yes, times are tuff for everyone. Many businesses are looking for ways to cut expenses and keep overhead low to remain competitive and yet make a profit. It just so happens that certain groups and organizations fall into that category of NOT necessarily needed ‘overhead’. The BBB being one of them that many smaller businesses can better use the money spent to be an ‘Accredited Member’ elsewhere.
Business complaints
ConsumerAffairs.com has also received complaints from businesses, objecting to the way they are rated by the BBB.
“BBB gave our company a D- rating for ‘failing’ to provide them with information,” Eric, of Manahawkin, N.J., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “We are not a member! The notion that a private company can demand you snap to and provide them with information or risk having your business damaged is astonishing.”
Bluenthal agrees.
“BBB ratings should be based exclusively on performance, honesty and responsiveness, he said. “Rankings should not be affected by membership in the BBB. Any suggestion or appearance of ‘pay-to-play’ threatens to undermine the accuracy and credibility of the BBB’s ratings, potentially misleading consumers and unfairly tainting nonmember businesses.”
Appears to me that the BBB is conforming to the principals of ‘Corporatism’ & ‘Gotcha Capitalism’ motivated by greed and the love of the almighty dollar. Isn’t it some of those same things that lead to customer disputes and people filing complaints in the first place? Why else would a business NOT satisfy a customer or client relation unless they were unscrupulous (dishonest) from the beginning, didn’t fulfill a contract or obligation, or demonstrated some other questionable business practices. I had used the BBB to file a complaint against a well known Contractor referral site in lieu of unsolicited phone calls and emails. Apparently this particular entity thought it necessary to add my email and number to their ‘subscribed’ list despite my never having anything to do with them and/or affiliates and did not adhere to certain Federal Regulations.
I sense the BBB taking a step into the infamous arbitration role which most of us know that the one that greases the pocket the most gets the more favorable ruling. BBB has served it’s original purpose well, but I dare say it has started to overstep the original intent of it’s conception, “…to foster a fair and effective marketplace, so that buyers and sellers can trust each other” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Business_Bureau Can we trust the BBB now?
Freedom Builders & Remodelers has been approached several times over the years (twice in the last 365 days) to become an ‘Accredited Member’. Admittedly the thought sounded appealing and it does offer a sense of ‘Pride’ that may appeal to the ego and offer a ‘glorified’ status symbol. I was told by the person soliciting me that many people where looking me up. I had been in business since 1993 and we have not one complaint filed.
Well, yeah!
First, I deal with my clients to ensure satisfaction. Every job I do, I do it above minimal standards. I expect the same from my subs and employees. Sure there has been a few times it cost and I lost money. My reputation is more important in the long run.
Second, I think the ‘many people searching for me on BBB’ was more of a sales line to get me to bite. If it were true, COOL! if not, then deceptive. How would they really know if people were searching for Freedom Builders & Remodelers In Rockford, IL seeing as how I am not nor ever was listed with them nor had anyone ever filed a complaint? Aggregated information collected from search terms? Perhaps
Third, If someone wanted to know about my business practices or Freedom Builders & Remodelers Rockford, IL. as a whole, there are several other sources available. The primary one being Customer testimonials and references. Are they biased, You bet! Nothing better than a personal testimony or reference of a happy satisfied client & to be fair, constructive criticism to better ones self and company.
We don’t need to pay any entity for a status symbol nor, according to a couple of my mentors, not recommended to enlist the services or be a part of the BBB or certain other business organizations unless I was doing 100+ jobs a year or several hundred thousand dollars a year. No, at this time, I can think of better places to invest my $600.00
Source ConsumerAffairs.com
