FIGHTINGfor the COMMUNITY

Trust, Quality Drive Consumer Buying Decisionspage 8

Accredited Businesses Call Customer Reviews Vital page 10

Apply for Mid-Missouri, St. Louis Regional TORCH Awards page 2

Meet BBB’s New Education Coordinatorpage 4

Accredited Businesses Back BBB’s Battle Against Fraud page 6

www.bbb.org/stlouis Spring 2016

Welsch Heating & Cooling owner Butch Welsch, in front of his 1948 Welsch truck,

supports BBB’s free community services

Better Business BureauSpring 2016 Better Business BureauSpring 2016

2

BBB TORCH Awards recognize companies and charities that are committed to exceptional ethics and service to their customers, employees, suppliers, and communities.

Benefits for winners include:l Inclusion in promotions for the

2016 TORCH Awards event.l Recognition and presentation of

personalized crystal trophy at the event.l Ability to promote their TORCH Award

winner status in advertising, marketing and websites.

l Potential for promotion on BBB home page.

>> APPLY NOW!Customers can nominate potential winners,

or companies and charities may nominate themselves.DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: May 30.

ST. LOUIS REGION

Participating Counties:Missouri: Carter, Clark, Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Iron,

Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Monroe, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Pulaski, Ralls, Reynolds, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve,

St. Louis, St. Louis (City), Warren, Washington.Illinois: Adams, Bond, Calhoun, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Jasper, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Moultrie, Pike, Randolph, Richland, Shelby,

St. Clair, Washington.

Participating Counties:Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Maries,

Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Osage, Randolph

MID-MISSOURI REGION

3

Building for the Future

Cover photo: Diana Linsley

Board of Directors

The mission of Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois is to be the

leader in advancing marketplace trust.

* Chair **Past Chair ***Ex-Officio

Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Missouri

& Southern Illinois211 N. Broadway, Ste. 2060,

St. Louis, MO 63102Phone: (314) 645-3300

Fax: (314) 645-2666Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.—5 p.m.

Jerri Stroud, Editor Email: editor@stlouisbbb.org

Paul BirnerRenewal by Andersen

David BreckenridgeMoneta Group

Tim CombsHelitech Waterproofing

Michelle L. Corey***Better Business Bureau

Ron CrowLaclede Gas Co.

Tonya DemullingEnterprise Rent-A-Car

Kevin DeptulaBuilder’s Bloc Contracting

Kevin DrollingerEpworth Children & Family Services

Darlene ElderBuild-A-Bear Workshop

Kim GarnerBEST Transportation

Robert J. Hoffmann**Hoffmann Brothers

Jim HoldenerAmeren Missouri

Steven HorstGraybar

Michael HurstRukus

Marlene JonesBJC Healthcare

Justin LeeRubinBrown

Tim LeonGeile/Leon Marketing Communications

Scott Mosby*Mosby Building Arts

D. NarainMonsanto Co.

Sean O’DonnellCharter Communications

Michael RottlerRottler Pest & Lawn Solutions

Scott SchaeferSchaefer Auto Body

Joseph W. Schmelzle**United Van Lines

Will SmithCaleres

Tom StreibStreib Electric Co.

Tom ThielChesterfield Fence & Deck Co.

Thomas B. WalshDrury Hotels Co.

T. William White**Commerce Bank N.A.

Torchlight (ISSN 1547-2043 USPS 053-540) is published quarterly by Better Business Bureau, 211 N. Broadway, Ste. 2060, St. Louis, MO 63102. Subscriptions are available to BBB Accredited Businesses only. Periodicals postage paid at St. Louis, MO. Postmaster: Send address changes to Torchlight, 211 N. Broadway, Suite 2060, St. Louis, MO 63102.

A message from the President

Change.Just the thought of it is enough to tie our stomachs into knots.

Change my job? Tomorrow, perhaps. Moving to a new home? One day, maybe. Change my morning routine? I’ll let you know about that.

In fact, it seems there is nothing quite as unsettling as change.Unless, of course, it’s not changing at all.Your Better Business Bureau again is in the middle of change

– or should we say, changes. There are big changes and small changes, changes that affect the way we do our jobs and how we communicate with the thousands of consumers in our region who depend on us for trustworthy information on businesses and charities.

But nothing is changing more, or faster, than the way we serve our Accredited Businesses and Accredited Charities as we search out new and better ways to drive consumers to businesses and nonprofits across Missouri and Southern Illinois committed to BBB Standards of Trust.

In coming months, you will begin to see the implementation of a variety of efforts—some of them new and others enhanced —designed to persuade consumers to recognize BBB’s seal and its promise to reflect the highest standards of service and ethics.

These businesses and charities are the best of the best and we at BBB have a responsibility to shine the brightest light possible on the work they do.

You will notice a push to get BBB’s message to more and more consumers through paid TV spots. Radio buys will concentrate on morning and afternoon drive times, with well-known on-air personalities encouraging listeners to use BBB services and businesses.

BBB is doubling efforts to solidify our presence on social media, with Facebook pages for all three of our offices (St. Louis, Columbia and Cape Girardeau) and distinct Twitter feeds for each office. In addition, your BBB will continue to post videos to YouTube and disseminate important information via blogs, news releases and our interactive website. BBB is working to increase the open rate and click-through rate of our Consumer eNews, which publishes 26 times a year and which consistently shows the advantages of supporting good businesses and avoiding bad ones.

BBB is continuing to hone our Request A Quote Program, a program designed to link consumers with BBB Accredited Businesses.

We are strengthening our outreach efforts through our digital advertising, securing engagements for BBB speakers and participating in regional trade shows.

Recently, our office hired a full-time education coordinator with a variety of responsibilities, including directing BBB’s In Pursuit of Ethics program for area high school students. There’s more about the expansion of our education efforts in the Spotlight section on pages 4-5.

We plan to improve our already strong watchdog reputation by issuing more and better alerts on scams and problem businesses, as well as consumer tips on everything from finding a summer camp for your child to avoiding a problem moving company. The earned, or unpaid, media exposure that comes from our news releases and media appearances is critical to educating the public about BBB’s mission.

Search engine optimization, the key to getting noticed on the Internet, continues to be a BBB priority, as we continue to help push our Accredited Businesses and BBB’s message to the top for consumers’ Internet searches.

It is, to be sure, an ambitious plan, but one that’s crucial to our mission of advancing marketplace trust.

“The secret of change,” the philosopher Socrates said, “is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

At BBB, we promise to honor our past, but build for our future.

Michelle Corey President & CEO, CAE

WHO IS READY TO CARRYTHE TORCH?

go.bbb.org/1RK74si

go.bbb.org/1S0rZKn

Better Business BureauSpring 2016

Better Business BureauSpring 2016

5

Columbia Regional Office Publishes Guide To Mid-Missouri Accredited Businesses

4

News & Notes for BBB Accredited Businesses in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois

BBB Expands Educational ProgrammingSueme Spearheads Efforts

This year, BBB is expanding its educational programming to help more consumers, businesses and students make wise buying decisions. Maggie Sueme, our new education coordinator, will

focus full-time on leading the In Pursuit of Ethics education program for high schools and Student of Ethics scholarship competitions, giving speeches to community groups, and participating in local events and festivals.

“As an educator, I’m delighted to work on programs that will affect

so many people,” Sueme said. “I love the opportunity to teach kids from all over Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. It’s like having hundreds of classrooms!”

Sueme also will work to

increase awareness and prevention of scams in our region. “Some scams, like the IRS impersonation scam, are particularly prevalent in this area. A small amount of education about these scams can

lead to a much safer marketplace.” In Mid-Missouri, BBB Regional Director Sean Spence is preparing to speak to students as part of

the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Inc. statewide conference, promoted by the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. “If we can introduce BBB’s message to these students early, they will already know how to avoid scams before they apply for college, join the workforce, and begin making major purchases. That’s a win for students and for trustworthy businesses.”

On March 11, BBB President Michelle Corey and staff members presented information about BBB history and services to Future Business

Leaders of America students from Collinsville (Ill.) High School.

Would you like BBB to speak to your group? Let us know! Email Maggie Sueme at msueme@stlouisbbb.org.

First BBB Cape Girardeau TORCH Awards to be held April 28

BBB will honor outstanding companies and charities on April 28 at the first Cape Girardeau Regional TORCH Awards.

BBB has been honoring outstanding, ethical businesses and charities for decades with TORCH awards. This year, three regional TORCH events will be held, including the Cape Girardeau event.

The awards recognize companies and charities committed to exceptional standards for ethical business practices and service to their

customers, employees, suppliers, and communities. At this year’s event, we will honor three businesses, one charity, and one student will receive a $1,000 Student of Ethics scholarship.

BBB’s Cape region advisory board and Regional Manager Joey Keyes have been working very hard to ensure this year’s event is a success. Sponsorships are available. Event tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or by calling the Cape Girardeau BBB office at 573-803-3190.

The 2016 Cape Regional TORCH Awards is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Ray’s Plaza Banquet Center, 3257, William St., Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63703. The emcee for the event is Amanda Hanson, a news reporter and anchor from KFVS12.

‘I love the opportunity to teach kids from all over Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. It’s like having hundreds of classrooms!’ —Maggie Sueme

FROM LEFT: Among those attending the reception that introduced the Mid-Missouri BBB Guide were Aniceta and Adam Kinser; Greg Cecil, Shawn Young and Vivian Zhu; Renee and James Shelby; Karen Miller and David Wilson.

DATE:Sat., April 16

TIME:8 a.m. to noon

FOUR LOCATIONS:• Saint Louis Galleria

(southeast parking lot)• Schnucks in Edwardsville

2222 Troy Road• West Park Mall,

3049 William Street, Cape Girardeau• Columbia, Mo., Office Depot,

101 S. Providence Road.

WHAT:Bring up to three bags or boxes

of sensitive but outdated papers for safe shredding on site. If

possible, use bags or boxes that you don’t need to have returned.

WHO: BBB is sponsoring the event.

Shred-It, a Securit company, is donating the shredding.

WHY? Protect your identity by

shredding sensitive, but outdated materials. Identity theft

prevention information will be available.

COST:FREE

The Columbia Regional BBB office has published a Mid-Missouri Guide To Trustworthy Businesses, listing more than 500 Mid-Missouri BBB Accredited Businesses who meet the BBB’s Standards of Trust and have earned a B or higher on a scale of A+ to F.

The guide was introduced at a reception at The Bank of Missouri in Columbia in February. The Columbia Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting, and more than 70 people attended.

“At BBB, one of our goals is to find as many ways as we can to communicate with consumers and let them know about businesses they can trust,” said Sean Spence, regional director. “A printed guide, will allow us to reach tens of thousands of consumers in a new way.”

The guide will be distributed through two editions of the Columbia Daily Tribune and at community events.

Better Business BureauSpring 2016Spring 2016 Better Business Bureau

7

Reporting bad businesses to BBB is critical, she said. “This act alone can help prevent another victim from being subjected to a bad situation.”

Accredited Businesses repeatedly have told BBB that they believe consumer education should be a priority for the organization. Surveys of Accredited Businesses in 2011, 2013 and 2015 all showed a strong commitment to informing the public about unethical business practices.

Staci Maneage, owner of The Gutter Cover Company in St. Charles, said: Ethical businesses have to “stand together and not look the other way when we see companies abusing the public.”

Jason Ingram, regional director of Accelerated Wealth in Columbia, Mo., said businesses can rise and fall quickly in the university town, and it’s vital to report worrisome business activities to BBB. “To take a few minutes to document your bad experience may save someone else or force the less-than-honest business person out of our community.”

Jim Pellock, owner of Precision Construction Services of Columbia, Mo., also believes BBB “has a unique ability and credibility” to affect bad business practices.

Drew Zorn with Bank of Missouri said: “As a member of the business community, you can help raise the level of quality and respect in your industry by not sitting idly by as others who represent your profession employ deceitful practices.”

The tip that prompted the alert on the Branson travel club came from BBB staff members, but it might just as easily have come from one of BBB’s 7,400 Accredited Businesses or from consumers in Eastern Missouri or Southern Illinois who depend on BBB for trustworthy information on businesses across the region.

In recent months, St. Louis BBB moved to strengthen its reporting network by joining a national BBB project called Scam Tracker, a computer-based, interactive program to identify and document scams locally and across North

America.For the first time, BBB website visitors

can see consumer-reported scam activity as it is recorded.

Several consumers who filed complaints with Scam Tracker said they did so in hopes of educating and protecting others.

While Frances Murphy of Affton said she never lost any money in a Facebook

sweepstakes scam in late January, she used Scam Tracker to alert

fellow seniors to the scheme.“I’ve always been this

way,” she said. “I want to reach out and help older seniors who may buy into this. I’m tired of people

being taken advantage of and hurt.”

Another Scam Tracker contributor from St. Louis said she nearly fell for a computer tech-support scheme. She felt a responsibility to share her experiences with others.

If law enforcement can’t prosecute the scoundrels, “then we have to help each other,” she said. “We may not be able to stop it, but it’s important to educate people so they won’t be able to victimize as many people.

“People have got to be

cautious,” she said. “All the time.”BBB has forged strong relationships

with the media and law enforcement officials such as state attorneys general, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the FBI.

BBB participates in FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network, a national system that records fraud-related complaints from a variety of sources. Recent Consumer Sentinel statistics show that while Missouri and Illinois were 16th and 27th

respectively in complaints per 100,000 people, Missouri ranked first in complaints about identity theft. Illinois ranked fifth.

BBB regularly warns seniors and others of schemes including misleading investment opportunities, thieves who lure innocent victims into a variety of Craigslist and other fraud perpetrated over the phone, in person or online.

“I’m a big story teller,” said Mohler, who believes in sharing what he learns with as many people as possible. “If I get screwed, I am going to tell everybody.

“If you can save one person, why wouldn’t you?” Mohler asks. “It’s only right.” BBB

6

BBB Helps Consumers, Businesses Avoid Fraud

“I consider myself pretty savvy about sniffing things out,” said Mohler.

But earlier this year, Mohler let his guard down when he responded to a scratch-off prize mailer from a Branson travel club. He and his wife already had made reservations to attend one of the club’s sales seminars when he spotted a warning about the club in a BBB newsletter.

The newsletter item included a photo of the prize mailer linked to a BBB alert on the business. The alert documented numerous consumer complaints and law enforcement efforts to shut down the travel club.

“I don’t always read every email or newsletter,” Mohler told BBB shortly after reading the alert. “Glad I did today. Needless to say, we will not be attending based on what I read. My membership expense was recovered in full due to your alert.”

Mohler’s story is hardly unique. Virtually every day, BBB hears from businesses or consumers who have dodged scams or avoided a problem company based on information provided by BBB.

BBB staff members are trained to identify a wide variety of scams and schemes and counsel consumers on how to avoid them when they call. BBB’s investigator takes a deeper look as needed and writes BBB warnings to alert the public to bad business practices or scams perpetrated in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois.

BBB is part of a network of people

constantly searching the marketplace for unethical or questionable business practices. Accredited Businesses, consumers, law enforcement and the media along with BBB are vital components in a community-wide effort to protect the public.

George “Butch” Welsch, president and owner of Welsch Heating and Cooling, says he knows first-hand how a handful of bad operators can poison the well for other, more reputable businesses. Welsch saw it happen with the HVAC industry in the early 1960s.

“I am very sensitive as to how a few bad apples in ANY industry can cause

immense damage to that industry,” Welsch said. He said he has made it a personal challenge to work with BBB and others “to blow the whistle on companies which I feel are going about things in an unethical manner.”

He believes all ethical companies share a similar responsibility.

“BBB accreditation is more than just a sign on a front window or a plaque on a wall,” said Michelle Corey, BBB president and CEO. “It is an ongoing commitment to fair, honest business practices and a willingness to root out and expose those who are out to do harm.”

Linda Bass, owner of Around The Clock Medical Alarms in Cape Girardeau, Mo., said, “We have all heard stories of an elder person who has been scammed by an unscrupulous construction company or contractor, or of someone who has had their life’s savings taken away through less than honorable means.”

COVER STORY

David Mohler, vice president of Thompson Supply Co., credits a BBB newsletter alert with warning him about a suspect travel club.

Ethical companies

have to “stand together and not look the other way

when we see companies abusing the

public.”—Staci Maneage, owner, The Gutter Cover Company

‘I am very sensitive as to how a few bad apples in ANY industry can cause immense damage to that industry.’

—George “Butch” Welsch, president and owner of Welsch Heating and Cooling

Linda Bass, owner of Around the Clock Medical Alarms in Cape Girardeau, believes that reporting bad businesses to BBB is critical.

BBB’s Scam Tracker online tool allows anyone to report a scam or check out suspicious phone calls, emails or texts. Consumers can access the site at bbb.org/scamtracker/stlouis.

When David Mohler decided to pursue BBB Accreditation two years ago, he felt confident he was making a good decision for his business.

The vice president of Thompson Supply Co. didn’t know it also would turn out to be a good decision for his family.

Warnings, trained staff, and community partnerships are all part of BBB’s strategy to protect the public By Bill Smith BBB Reporter

Better Business BureauSpring 2016

Better Business BureauSpring 2016

9

8

Quality and integrity are crucial factors influencing consumers’ decisions to buy, according to a recent

survey of consumers and businesses conducted by Better Business Bureau in cooperation with Dr. James Fisher, marketing department chair at Saint Louis University’s John Cook School.

The survey mirrored a previous study conducted in 2004. Both indicated that close to 90 percent of survey respondents ranked quality and business ethics among the most important factors influencing their decision to buy. Selection, at 68 percent, and price, at 56 percent, also remain important factors in 2016, as they were in 2004.

Approximately 600 consumers and businesses, primarily in Eastern

Missouri and Southern Illinois, responded to the 2016 survey.

Responsiveness and professionalism also ranked high in determining whether a consumer would do business with a company. The high ranking of these two qualities - 76 percent and 69 percent, respectively – indicates “a strong customer expectation that the best firms will be those that treat them very well,” the study concluded.

“High quality attracts customers, but these customers are most likely to be loyal if the business has the culture and capability to consistently deliver high customer satisfaction,” Fisher wrote. “This means customer service and sales should be honest and fair – to be sure – but also attentive and highly competent.”

Customer service characteristics also ranked high. Friendliness was ranked very important by 56 percent of respondents, while 40 percent ranked speed of service and 34 percent ranked convenience as very important factors.

The importance of some factors appears to be changing. In 2004, 72 percent said a company’s complaint record was very important, but just 59 percent ranked it that way a dozen years later, in 2016.

The survey also reflects the growing importance of online reviews and websites,

with 30 percent ranking reviews as very important in the recent survey and 15 percent ranking

websites as very important. But non-digital factors, such as referrals from friends and family and the company’s time in business also were ranked as important, but less so than other factors.

“The study challenges businesses–their owners, managers and employees–to think of feasible strategies to implement a high standard of business ethics and then to communicate to customers that they do, in fact, support such business practices consistently and reliably,” Fisher wrote. “The study also suggests that business should monitor their complaints closely.”

Complaints are reflected in more than a company’s record with BBB. Online reviews and other consumer-generated content are another source of complaints that the public may consider in making buying decisions.

“Businesses need to study these breakdowns with a view toward uncovering their root causes and responding to them in constructive and decisive ways,” the study concluded. BBB

QUALITY & INTEGRITYare top factors in consumer buying decisions

Close to

90%of survey respondents ranked QUALITY and

BUSINESS ETHICS among the most important factors influencing their decision

to buy

88 86

7668 68

59 56 56

4034

26

15

30

15

91 90100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

2016

Factors Influencing Consumer Buying DecisionsPercent ranking a factor as ‘very important’

2004

Quality

Business

ethics

Responsiv

eness

Professio

nalism

Selecti

on

Complaint re

cord

Prices

Friendlin

ess

Speed of s

ervice

Conven

ience

Referra

l

Years

in busin

ess

Online

review

Websit

e

83

70 6872

6359

49

37

25 23

Dr. James Fisher, marketing department chair at St. Louis University’s John Cook school, worked in cooperation with BBB on the survey.

Collinsville Students Learn from BBBA group of students from the Future Business Leaders of America at Collinsville High School visited BBB recently to learn about ethics in business. BBB President and CEO Michelle Corey (front row, left) poses with the students in BBB’s lobby.

Winners will receive:l Recognition and Award certificates presented at BBB’s TORCH Awards eventl A scholarship sent on their behalf to any accredited college or trade school of their choice

High School Juniors:

ST. LOUIS REGION

Participating Counties:Missouri: Carter, Clark, Crawford, Dent, Franklin,

Gasconade, Iron, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Monroe, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Pulaski, Ralls, Reynolds, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, St. Louis, St. Louis (City), Warren, Washington.

Illinois: Adams, Bond, Calhoun, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Jasper, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Moultrie, Pike, Randolph, Richland, Shelby, St. Clair, Washington.

Participating Counties:Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Maries, Miller,

Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Osage, Randolph

MID-MISSOURI REGION

go.bbb.org/1SvjIjx

go.bbb.org/1YopELI

3 winners will receive$2,500 scholarships

Winner will receive a$2,500 scholarship

High school juniors who will graduate in May 2017 may apply now.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: MAY 1

2015 BBB Student of EthicsAwards

winners

APPLY NOWfor the 2016

BBB Student of Ethics Award

BBB SURVEY:

11

Better Business BureauSpring 2016

to every review I receive, which I think is crucial. It shows that you are reading it and it means something. And it shows potential customers that you are connecting with your customers.”

Wall 2 Wall’s Miller said the company asks customers to submit reviews as part of a survey sent after the firm provides cleaning services. A link to the submission page for BBB Customer Reviews is on the survey, along with links to some other review sites.

StorageMart, based in Columbia, Mo., doesn’t solicit BBB customer reviews, said Sarah Light, marketing director for the

storage rental firm. But the company looks at every review it receives as an opportunity to improve its service as well as to affirm when StorageMart employees have provided exemplary service.

Adam Rahmanovich, president and CEO of Indoor Comfort Team, says customer reviews dovetail with the company’s “verification of

happiness” policy. Each employees is expected to make sure that each customer is happy.

“We do that verbally,” Rahmanovich said. “If the customer is happy, we suggest that they share it with other customers. We have to educate them that BBB is not just a place to complain.”

Rahmanovich says the company has thousands of online reviews on many sites, and often it hears from homeowners that they called the company because of its reviews. And 90 percent of the time, customers have checked the company out at BBB, where Indoor Comfort Team has 26

reviews.BBB customer reviews are “definitely

credible,” Rahmanovich said. “We know those reviews are real because we can find those names in our database of customers.

“I’m actually very, very happy that BBB has started doing customer reviews,” Rahmanovich said. BBB

Five Reasons to Update Your Business Review

Spring is coming. Customers will be looking for businesses to

help them spruce up their property or provide other services, and they will be looking for your BBB Business Review.

Add pictures to make your review more attractive. These

can include recent projects or examples of your work.

Add hours or policies to give prospective customers more

information about your business.

Make sure everything is accurate, including your website,

phone number, email address and type of business.

Be assured of getting newsletters and other

promotions from BBB.

2

3

4

5

1

‘This is a wonderful company. Efficient,

courteous, great rates and leaves the area

completely spotless.’—Glenda P, Feb. 26, 2016

‘The company is very professional, so much

so I recommended him to friends and everyone was highly satisfied with

the workmanship and customer service.’—Robert P., Feb. 12, 2016

Rob Theisen, owner of Crack Attack

Foundation Repair

Scott Comia, owner of Comia Home Builders

& Roofers

The quote I received up front matched what I was charged after the services were performed.

I am very pleased with their service and results!’—Elizabeth M, Dec. 16, 2015

REVIEW

REVIEW REVIEW

10

Better Business BureauSpring 2016

By Jerri Stroud BBB Editor

How do you build trust in your business, especially with consumers who don’t know you?

For more and more BBB Accredited Businesses, a growing part of building trust is BBB Customer Reviews.

“I think it’s extremely important, especially in this day and age,” said Kurtis Miller, co-owner of Wall 2 Wall Cleaning Service in O’Fallon, Mo. “Most people are going to the Internet to find you. If they don’t know anything about your company, they’ll look for reviews.”

Pat Ryan, a former resident of O’Fallon, Mo., said that BBB Customer Reviews validated the recommendation he got for Crack Attack Foundation Repair from his real estate agent. He had only a few days to fix a crack in his foundation to avoid losing a contract on his house, and other companies couldn’t even give him an estimate on a timely basis.

“I was happy to see” that Crack Attack had so many positive reviews, Ryan said. “[Owner Rob Theisen] does care about his customers.”

Seventy-five to 90 percent of consumers read reviews before consulting a business, according to research by marketing consultants InvesPro and BrightLocal. InvesPro’s research showed that 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. BrightLocal’s 2015 survey showed that two-thirds of U.S. Internet users trust businesses more if they have positive online reviews.

BBB began accepting customer reviews more than two years ago as a way to let consumers give feedback on businesses they patronized. Since then, BBB has received 10,600 customer reviews of more than 2,200 businesses in eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. Of those, 7,900 were verified, and 6,400 have been

published on companies’ BBB Business Reviews. Nearly three quarters of the reviews are positive.

Rob Theisen, owner of Crack Attack Foundation Repair, said reviews help pre-qualify him to a customer.

“I had one woman who said she read my reviews and decided, ‘This is the one I want to do business with,’” said Theisen. “When people read my reviews, I get 95 to 96 percent of them as customers.”

Theisen said he’s been getting a lot of positive reviews recently, and that feels good.

“It helps me realize that what I’m doing is worthwhile,” Theisen said.

Nick Ferguson, operations manager for Metro Lawn Sprinkler, said getting satisfied customers to post positive reviews can help a company boost its reputation. The company has been seeking out reviews on other sites and more recently began asking customers to write reviews on BBB.

“When people do Google searches, it does help your status, the more reviews you’ve got out there,” Ferguson said. “If you’ve got that much good credibility on the Internet, they’re more likely to call you.”

Paul Abrams, president of Edwin Claude Inc., an insurance adjustment firm in Town & Country, said he doesn’t solicit reviews, but he often points prospective customers to BBB’s site to see his rating and the 17 positive reviews of his company.

“It can help people understand the value of my service,” Abrams said.

Paul Birner, owner of Renewal by Andersen in St. Louis, said reviews have “really worked well for us,” especially since the firm began soliciting reviews from satisfied customers. His staff also has received comments from customers who say they’ve called because they read the positive reviews on BBB’s website.

“It absolutely has helped our business grow, no question,” Birner said.

Scott Comia, owner of Comia Home Builders & Roofers in O’Fallon, Mo., said he had been asking BBB to include customer reviews as a service almost from the time he became an Accredited Business in November 2008.

“Whenever I talked to BBB, I asked, ‘Why don’t you do a positive experience tab’” on BBB Business Reviews, he said. “When it finally popped up, I was ecstatic about it,” Comia said.

Comia said he’s created an email template for requesting reviews from customers. He adds a line or two to each request

relating to the customer’s project and includes a link to BBB’s customer review page.

“I usually get a pretty large response,” Comia said. “I make it a point to respond

BBB Customer ReviewsHelp Accredited Businesses Build Trust

BBB has received 10,600 customer reviews of more than 2,200 businesses since accepting them more than two years ago.

USE THE WINDOW CLING INSERTED IN THIS MAGAZINE on your business or vehicle window to encourage customers to post a BBB customer review.

Kurtis and Amber Miller,

owners, Wall 2 Wall

Cleaning

UPDATE YOUR BUSINESS REVIEW Contact Martin Burgess, BBB data quality administrator, at 314-584-6745 or mburgess@stlouisbbb

Better Business BureauSpring 2016

Better Business Bureau®

Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois

211 N. Broadway, Suite 2060St. Louis, MO 63102

Start With Trust®

A new way to get even more out of your BBB Accreditation.

<“Employees love having the opportunity to come and support (charity) events. It’s a great team-building activity, and many of our

people feel fortunate in their lives. To give back to the community and provide support for people who are in need is important for them.”

—Oscar Berryman, corporate services director at Monsanto Company, at Gain By Giving partner St. Louis Area Foodbank

FIND OUT MORE! Contact Carole Bellman Phone: 314-584-6735 Email: charity@stlouisbbb.org

Selecting a BBB Accredited Charity as a partner ensures that

it, too, adheres to high standards of ethics and honesty

as Accredited Businesses do and that any donations received will be used responsibly. In turn,

Gain By Giving enables Accredited Charities

to know what companies are BBB Accredited Businesses

worthy of their patronage and support.

Is your business looking for a charity to work with

in giving back to the community? How about joining a nonprofit board?

Raising money for a specific cause?

Or encouraging your employees to volunteer their time or services? Choose a trusted BBB Accredited Charity and GAIN BY GIVING.GAIN

GIVINGBY

Co

nnect

ing BBB Accredited Businesses

with BBB Accredited Charities