With the recent media attention on the Better Business Bureau’s two-year-old Pay To Play marketing scheme, the 99-year-old nonprofit will either self-destruct or become a great institution for consumers AND businesses.
Ever since early last month when ABC’s 20/20 aired its outstanding investigation into the BBB – which not only included the criticism that I and other consumer advocates had about the A+ to F grading system – but proof that businesses could BUY A+ grades.
Now there is no question who the BBB represents – its top officers who make six digit salaries up to $410,000 – and those businesses who pay yearly dues to become accredited members.
Not only is there solid proof of pay to play, there is also plenty of evidence that dues paying members are treated lightly when complaints are filed, and little care is given to make sure that NON-paying members even have a chance as clearing up complaints.
My hope is that the 122-member BBB in the U.S. and Canada finally wake up and DRAMATICALLY change their business model. One thing they could do is to charge consumers a yearly fee to use their services. I would pay for it and would recommend consumers to do it as long as the following steps were taken:
Eliminate the grading system and return to the satisfactory/unsatisfactory ratings.
Require that ALL complaints against board members’ firms be handled by an INDEPENDENT 3rd party.
Require the BBB to have proof that it actually did all it could to make sure businesses received complaints.
Make clear when complaints are NOT satisfied by businesses.
Permit appeals to all ratings to a neutral party.
Limit salaries to $175,000 a year for each chapter president.
Limit marketing costs to 30 percent of the revenue collected.
Prohibit outsourcing of telemarketing.
Fire the entire management team at the southern California (Southland) chapter where the most outrageous examples have been discovered.
Hire a neutral third party to investigate the national BBB Council management and make that report public.
