Consumers Trust BBB More Than Ever

January 3, 2011 |

Millions seek trustworthy information

Nashville, TN – Who do you turn to when deciding which roofer to hire, what car dealership to trust, or which heating and air conditioning firm you will allow into your home? In 2010, consumers from all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, India, United Kingdom, China, the Philippines, and more, asked the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee which businesses they could trust. In fact, BBB provided over 2.4 million instances of service this year alone!

Let’s take a closer look at the number of times BBB was able to make an impact on the Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky communities in 2010.

From January 1st – December 30th:

• 2,102,152 consumers visited BBB of Middle Tennessee’s website;
• 117,750 consumers visited BBB’s national website for companies located in Middle TN;
• 190,892 times consumers asked BBB for list of accredited businesses they could trust;
• 11,378 consumers requested E-quote estimates from BBB Accredited businesses.

Of those instances of service:

• BBB issued 860,933 business reports;
• BBB also provided complaint assistance to 10,348 consumers and businesses.

Curious to know which industries received the most inquiries?:

1. Roofing Contractors
2. Insurance Companies
3. Auto Dealers
4. Mortgage Brokers
5. Heating & Air Conditioning
6. Contractors – General
7. Searchers of Records
8. Home Builders
9. Auto Repair & Service
10. Collection Agencies

These are the companies where most consumers and businesses want to spend their money!

These industries received the most complaints:

1. Insurance Companies
2. Collectibles
3. Roofing Contractors
4. Auto Dealers
5. Nurseries – Plants, Trees
6. Television – Cable, CATV, & Satellite
7. Searchers of Records
8. Furniture – Retail
9. Health Clubs
10. Credit Cards & Plans – Equipment & Supplies

As the watchdog for the community, BBB issued 38 news alerts warning consumers of business practice violations, misleading advertising, persistent complaint patterns, and companies with unanswered and unresolved complaints. BBB files currently show 1,166 companies with F ratings – many of which have been the subject of a BBB media alert.

BBB’s mission is to deliver consumers to businesses they can trust. This is accomplished with businesses that have earned BBB accreditation status through positive marketplace performance and the company’s commitment to BBB’s 13 Standards for Trust. BBB accredited businesses MUST maintain a B or higher rating, respond to all customer complaints, advertise honestly, tell the truth, be transparent, honor promises, build trust, and embody integrity. Not every business is eligible for BBB accreditation. In 2010 alone, BBB denied 147 accreditation applications due to the company’s failure to meet BBB’s Standards, suspended 10 BBB accreditations for businesses that violated BBB’s Standards, and expelled 8 of those 10 companies due to their inability to maintain their commitment to BBB’s Standards for Trust.

The good news is that the majority of Middle Tennessee’s business community believes in doing business ethically. 8,430 companies maintain an A+ rating, of which 4,983 are non-accredited businesses. This shows that even though some companies have not made a commitment to BBB’s Standards for Trust they are taking care of their customers through their own voluntary self-regulation efforts. This is also reflected through BBB’s complaint satisfaction index, as 72% of the complaints processed by BBB were closed as resolved.

As you make resolutions for the New Year, be sure to Start with Trust by checking with BBB before giving your hard earned money to just any company. Visit www.Nashville.BBB.org, and click on the “Accredited Business Directory” to find businesses you can trust.

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