by Eric Bailey

Created on: February 15, 2010

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a consumer advocacy organization that exists to provide objective analysis of the legitimacy of companies worldwide. In addition to being a willing receptacle for complaints against entities engaging in unethical or even illegal practices, the Better Business Bureau maintains an impressive registry of listings that can be freely searched at its

website by interested parties.

The BBB has become one of the most universally respected authorities on such watchdog-type information. Its database is invaluable for those researching the propriety of a business body, big or small. Although recent critics would denounce its overstated “gold standard” reputation as a third-party vouching tool, and point to both the potential for fraudulent listings and the proliferation of competitors such as Yelp as critical flaws, it is still a widely used and approved of source for critique and analysis.

Despite its popularity, though, many may still wonder, “What can the BBB do for me?” In which case, there are a few specific benefits.

Uphold Reputation

Though it does take a price, businesses who the Better Business Bureau determines meet their criteria for trustworthy, ethical, responsible conduct can earn accreditation, which will also be associated with their listing. This means that any other companies, or consumers, who search for your company from then on will find a seal from the BBB itself as a testimony to the high standards your organizations meets for customer service and overall practices.

Check Referrals

Through its website, the Better Business Bureau offers the capacity to search, on a national or regional level, on a general or specific basis, for businesses it has information on. Many organizations, from corporate to smaller levels, have yet to be listed; however, there are thousands upon thousands of pages for those that are, with positive and/or negative reports from which to review their legitimacy and trustworthiness. Especially when considering a new vendor, investigating reputation-related rumors regarding a partner, or checking out what seems like a fishy operation, the BBB is the foremost resource on finding out what has been said about a particular case.

Report Businesses

But one founding principle of the Better Business Bureau is that it relies on reports from people around the world, conducting business and discovering that some operations are illicit, and thus need to be publicized as such. If you get burned by a shady joint, even if you have little contact information, you should still make your best effort to ensure that their poor conduct is reflected in the Bureau. This will help other businesses to avoid making the same mistake of doing work with the culprit.

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