Holiday Party Survey

A link to an online "Holiday Party" survey was emailed to the membership yesterday.  You can also pick up a hard copy at the meeting to complete offline.   (Note: The survey link will not available on the website.)

Membership
Ryan Bohlander of Jumpstart Kids Fitness has officially joined our group.  Ryan is very excited about being a member.  He has found the two meetings he attended previously to be very informative.  He has a mobile business that introduces children to fitness.  Welcome Ryan!

Part one of the membership application has been submitted for Joe Burr of Kale's Collision.  If there are no objection by close of business today, we will continue to the next step in the process.

Board Meeting
There will be a board meeting at 4:30pm or 5:00pm on Tuesday the 17th.  We will meet at the Shalimar.  Once we nail the down the time an announcement will be sent out.  All members are welcome to attend. 

Guest Speaker
Erin Harshfield, Director of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) was our guest speaker today. 

What is the BBB?

BBB Services to Public

• Advertising Review

• Dispute Resolution

• Reliability Report

Advertising Review
Challenges/Educates:

• Newspaper ads

• Radio/TV ads

• Auto ads

• Illegal street signs

• Online claims

They monitor the advertising of members and make sure they are credible.  They will also assist consumers if an ad is not honored.  A member asked if they monitor only print or internet ads as well.  They do some internet ad monitoring, especially if a consumer brings it to their attention.  They also monitor radio ads.

Dispute Resolution

• Facilitate 3000+ complaints monthly

• Process conducted in writing

• BBB acts as neutral third party

• Arbitration & mediation services

They encourage businesses to respond or it will cause negative mark.   A member questioned this practice as some business may not respond because they are choosing not to be a part of the BBB process.

They handle 3-5 arbitrations per month.  60% get resolved on the first go around.

Is it worth the $400+ per year vs. word-of-mouth advertising?  With BBB you get both sides of the story from a neutral party.  Consumers look to us for neutral information.

Reliability Reports

• Length of Time in Business

• BBB Accreditation Status

• Officers and Key Personnel

• BBB Rating

• Customer Experience

• Licensing Agency Referrals

• Type of Business and Industry Tips

• Unsubstantiated Advertising Cases

• Government Actions

The reports are available online, to all, for free.

What is BBB Foundation?

• Supports BBB mission by providing marketplace education

• A 501(c)(3) Charity incorporated in Arizona in 1982

• Conducts local Charity Review and Advisory Service

• Hosts Annual Business Ethics Awards

You can nominate yourself for an award.

Charity Reports

• Reliability of publicly soliciting charities

• BBB's Standards for Charitable Accountability:

  • Governance

  • Finances

  • Public Disclosure

Marketplace Education

• BBB Savvy Consumer Program

• Business, Charity and Donor Topics

• Participation in community events

• General advic

What is BBB Accreditation?

• Agreement to uphold BBB standards of trust, fairness & honesty in the marketplace

• Symbol to public that BBB has researched business

• Demonstrates support of ethical business practices

Accreditation gives you that extra credibility. 

Will educate consumers on complaints and that a negative complaint is not necessarily a bad things.

If you buy a business you should look up their BBB record.  Depending on how you purchase the business, negative marks may transfer over.

A member asked if you can do a reverse search - Look up a consumer to see if they issue a lot of complaints.  The answer was yes and no.  There are a few consumers she would recommend you not work with.  This is something she has thought about and hopes to see implemented in the future.

Associations such as MABE can be members.

How is BBB Good for Business?

• High Consumer Brand Recognition

• Consumers associate BBB with trust

• BBB Promotes its Accredited Business

• Supporting BBB supports business ethics

• BBB Accreditation benefits!

Marketplace Presence

• 6 Billboards (Metro Phoenix, Yuma & Prescott)

• Over 40 Transit Shelters (Metro Phoenix)

• Over 1600 Radio Ads

• Over 50 Print Ads and Newspaper Inserts (Across central, northern and western Arizona)

• Web Banner Ads

• Twitter, Facebook and You Tube Presence

Media Relations

• Average 45 media mentions a month

• English & Spanish

• Scams/Frauds & Marketplace issues

AB Benefits

• BBB Accreditation Promotion

• Stay Informed

• Access to dispute resolution services

• Discounted Products & Services

A packet was provided to members in attendance with more detailed information on benefits.

BBB Accreditation Promotion

• Use of BBB Logo

• BBB Yellow Pages

• E-Quote

• Ethical Arizona

• The Confident Consumer

• Co-Branding Sponsorship Opportunities

Stay Informed

• Weekly E-Newsletter

• Arizona Bulletin

• Monthly Business Seminars

• BBB Legal Series

Dispute Resolution

• Customer Care Calls

• BBB Accredited Business Hotline

• Arbitration & Mediation

If the company receiving a complaint is accredited we try to resolve it before it goes on record.

AB Discounted Services

• Discounted group and individual insurance coverage

• FedEx shipping Discounts

• Discounted merchant card processing

• AB Store offers reduced minimum purchases of apparel at discounted prices

How to Contact Your BBB

Phone:  602-264-1721
Internet:  www.arizonabbb.org
Visit:  4428 N. 12th Street