no
There was a long thread on a similar topic here:
For what it is worth, Google provides an interesting perspective on this topic that we’d like to share:
“You will sometimes find high ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website because there is very little data on the business, not because the business has a positive reputation. However, low ratings on BBB are usually the result of multiple unresolved complaints. Please consider very low ratings on the BBB site to be evidence for a negative reputation.”
Yes BBB adds value to our business because it shows are clients we are a credited institution.
It also shows that our company includes a commitment to make a good faith effort to our clients concerning any matter.
I believe Jayan’s answer is an excellent one. We have an A+ rating, but we are not members of the BBB. We would like to be, but really it is an expense that we have difficulty justifying… it’s not a small cost. If the BBB would charge less, then we would become members. They charge an awful lot when one considers what they offer and how much work they actually put into managing their platform. I believe they would actually generate higher revenues by reducing memberships.
As Jayan indicates, it is probably better to avoid contractors with low ratings than look for ones with high ones. I say this even though we do have that A+ rating!
It looks better but I also cannot justify the cost. For what? I have customers reviewing me all over the internet and I think that is far better that any thing else.
The BBB has been upgrading their services making it a much more reliable source of information on businesses. You are able to leave reviews along with complaints similar to an Angie’s list. However, due your research, even calling the companies suppliers to see if they’re regulars will give you good insight.
We believe that the BBB credentials help show that your business is accredited although based on their ratings system, not much else may be derived from that.
Just some more food for thought (since we are also a BBB rated business ourselves).
To maintain a high score, you really need to stay on top of consumer complaints and try to resolve issues whenever possible. This is actually something that is a good practice in my opinion - regardless of whether it influences your BBB score - taking complaints seriously and working to rectify them, is really something that everyone should do - not because the BBB says so but because it is a good business practice.
Being accredited helps but the truth is they are a business and mediating all those disputes takes time and energy so I don’t really fault them for having a business model.
That all being said, I still think that it is a very binary thing - if someone has a terrible ranking, I think that is meaningful; vice-versa, I don’t think there is a significant difference between someone with an A- and and A+ really.
Yes it does add value. When clients see that you are accredited they will trust you more and will most likely pick your business over another just because you have a BBB accreditation.
As a customer, I find it easy to research a business by searching on the internet. A very inexpensive service like Angie’s list can reveal consumer ratings for their service.
The BBB was started in 1912 to help improve standards for businesses across the US and Canada. It’s survived over a century by creating a credible reference for its business Members. While advents in social media and technology have in many cases superseded it (i.e. Yelp!, Angie’s List, etc.) we still find that many clients attach security and and comfort in seeing an A+ Rating by the BBB logo. This said, there seems to be little real world power or authority to complaint follow-up and original research.
As a cost-value proposition it’s not as it used to be, but some clients still look for the logo.
Not really. It’s just something that legitimizes your website.
I view BBB as an additional validation for my business. I do not believe that a positive BBB creates me leads but having a negative BBB rating could hurt you in the validation process customers go through and can cause you to lose jobs. At the end of the day just do great work, in a timely manner and at the price you quoted and you will be fine in regards to reviews.