BBB Accreditation Helps Build Your Business
People want to patronize businesses that are honest and fair. If your firm qualifies to become a BBB Accredited Business through the St. Louis Better Business Bureau, it will immediately convey the trustworthiness customers are seeking.
Research shows that the BBB name and torch logo mean more than any other organization’s name or symbol to people who are looking for reliable, ethical and trustworthy places to buy goods and services.
The BBB logo says it all: “Start With Trust.” BBB accreditation standards require companies to abide by ethical business practices, such as advertising honestly, safeguarding customer privacy and disclosing all material facts to customers.
The Accredited Business seal on your door or your website is a powerful sign to consumers and other businesses who may be your trade customers or suppliers. Both consumers and businesses want to know they are dealing with trustworthy companies.
Customers who call the St. Louis BBB or visit our website typically are planning to spend money. Your BBB Business Review, along with the letter grade gives consumers a useful guide to the behavior they can expect from your business. Customers who are looking for a particular type of business can choose to search only BBB Accredited Businesses.
If just one customer decides to use your business because you are BBB Accredited, it could pay for your annual dues.
Your dues also pay for the BBB’s dispute resolution service and Reliability Reports that promote integrity among businesses and help thousands of consumers make wise choices when they buy. Dues also help the BBB promote business integrity throughout Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois.
Among the benefits the BBB delivers to businesses and their employees are:
- Request a Quote, a new way for consumers to request information, a bid or an estimate for services or products they want to purchase. The “Request an Estimate” button on our home page allows them to select BBB Accredited Businesses for those products and services
- The Bridge, a printed newsletter that is published six times a year.
- The eBridge, a monthly e-mail newsletter that includes warnings about scams, organization news and profiles of Accredited Businesses.
- BBB Accredited Business decal.
- BBB Accredited Business logo for use on websites.
- Free BBB seminars to help your business succeed and grow. Seminars are open to employees of Accredited Businesses as well as owners. (For a fee, the BBB will customize a seminar and present it to your business.)
- Industry standards to promote self-regulation without government intervention.
- Dispute resolution service. BBB Accredited Businesses are required to make a good-faith effort to resolve customer complaints.
- BBB Business Reviews on thousands of businesses and charities.
- BBB Wise Giving Guide to 500 local charities, updated twice a year.
- Investigations of unethical business practices. The St. Louis BBB issues press releases to warn the public about unscrupulous companies and charities.
- St. Louis BBB's Buyer’s Alert list of companies who haven’t responded to complaints.
- Monitoring advertising for truth and accuracy.
- Access to an Accredited Business telephone number for fast access to BBB services.
- Customer attitude surveys.
For more information on BBB Accreditation, contact Kristy Kelley at 314-645-0606 or busrel@stlouisbbb.org.
Click here to apply.