Welcome!

1. Welcome! Complaints 101 Presented by: Sarah Hilliker, Krystle Wallace, Karen Thompson & Tori Chandler

2. Your Conciliation Team Katya Karaz Ann Jones Thaddeus Lewis Dominique Connell Krystle Wallace Maureen Slater Tori Chandler Karen Thompson Steve Farr Sarah Hilliker

3. My company receivedour first complaint… Don’t Panic!

4. BBBs Definition of Customer • Someone who has purchased a product or service from the business; or 2. Someone who has entered into a contractual relationship with the business; or  3. Someone who has directly received services from the business, or was contacted by the business with a demand for payment of money owed.

5. Why might my company receive a complaint? • Consumer is alleging a defect or breakdown with a product or service • Consumer has asked the BBB for our assistance • No longer effective communication between the two parties • An exchange of dollars is not necessary – could be a sales practice issue, solicitation or marketing issue

6. Why resolve a complaint? What is the goal? • Retain YOUR Customer! 2. Word of mouth goes a long way.

7. The positives of a complaint A complaint can help your company: • Gives your business a voice in complaint process; • Notice where warranty, refund or other policies that may need adjusting; • Evaluate salespeople’s performance; and/or • Identify issues with supplier.

8. Classifying the nature of a complaint 1.) Product or Service Issue 2.) Delivery Issue 3.) Advertising or Sales Issue 4.) Billing or Collection Issue 5.) Guarantee or Warranty Issue

9. This is where you will find the complaint classification in a business review

10. Complaint Acceptance • Valid name and postal address • Company’s name and location • Seek assistance from the BBB

11. Complaint Acceptance Continued • Relates to a marketplace experience • Alleges a problem experienced with services or products

12. Beyond BBB Scope • Alleging discrimination • Employer/employee issues • Based solely on price • “Just to inform the BBB” • Company has already resolved

13. Beyond BBB Scope Continued: • Against a government agency • Against an individual • Have gone or are going to court • Third party complaints • Anonymous complaints • Regarding collection of payment owed

14. The complaint process: Responding to the BBB

15. The complaint process Complaint received Reviewed by Mediation Coordinator Sent to company Company provides response

16. Complaint Process Timeline • Complaints are sent to the business 1 to 5 days from the date BBB receives • Business is asked to respond within 10 calendar days from the date BBB sends complaint • Complaints are usually closed within30 calendar days from the date submitted

17. Providing a Business Response • Company response must be in writing via postal, email, or fax. • If you need help revising a response, need more time to respond, already resolved the issue or if the consumer refuses to allow you to complete the job… …TELL US

18. Response Tips: • Acknowledge the experience the consumer had • Stick to the facts • Be sure to address all issues! • Provide documentation • BBB will send your response to the consumer

19. What is fair & reasonable?

20. Is this fair & reasonable? • Mediation Coordinators have been trained on how to mediate various issues • Mediation Coordinators are skilled at identifying the core issue at hand • Examples

21. Ratings

22. Business reviews will include a company’s rating – click on reason for rating and you will be brought to that section on the company’s report or click on BBB ratings system overview and you will be brought to further information on the BBB’s 16 point rating system on the BBB’s website

23. Ratings Information • Your company size plays a role in your complaint threshold • Your rating could fluctuate

24. Ratings Information Continued • Closed complaints will remain in your business review for 36 months • If ANY company, accredited or non-accredited, fails to respond to any complaint from the BBB, it will be closed as “unanswered” and negatively impact a company’s rating

25. Consumer Responses

26. What is NOT Considered a Consumer Response? • “I will never do business with your company again!” • “I demand an apology!” • “I will tell everyone I know about this experience!”

27. Reopening a Complaint • Previously unanswered, now responding • Consumer says company failed to follow through • New information provided

28. File Reviews • Mediation Coordinators will often conduct file reviews on a business. • If your business is contacted, you are not in trouble!

29. Community Mediation Center (CMC) Services available to you as an Accredited Business: • Pre-complaint assistance • Formal Mediation • Binding Arbitration • Conflict Resolution Training • Pre-dispute Contract Clause

30. Advertising Review

31. Where & What • Print • Broadcast • Electronic • Too good • Superlative claims • Triggering terms • Missing information • Confusing or misleading

32. Basic Principals of the BBB’s Code of Advertising: The primary responsibility for truthful and non-deceptive advertisingrests with the advertiser. Advertisers should be prepared to substantiate any claims or offers made before publication or broadcast and, upon request, present such substantiation promptly to the advertising medium or the Better Business Bureau. Advertisements which are untrue, misleading, deceptive, fraudulent, falsely disparaging of competitors, or insincere offers to sell, shall not be used. An advertisement as a whole may be misleading although every sentence separately considered is literally true. Misrepresentation may result not only from direct statements but by omitting or obscuring a material fact.

33. Process Individual Business Industry Wide Issues Contact all businesses in area Meet to: Develop industry guidelines Develop consumer tips • Contact Business • Provide expertise • Prior to Publication Services

34. Outcomes • Individual cases • Substantiated • Modified • Discontinued • Referred to others • Results • No impact • Press Release • Law Enforcement

35. Snapshot We track not only complaints, but other stats, too! For example: • Number of times your business review was visited • “Click-throughs” to your website • Roster requests

36. Snapshot Sample

37. ComplaintDetail As of March 1, 2012 our BBB will begin reporting Complaint detail in business reviews! “The text of your complaint will be publicly posted on the BBB website.  Please do not include any personally identifiable information in describing the nature of your complaint.  By submitting your complaint you are representing that it is a truthful account of your experience with the business.  BBB may edit your complaint to remove any personally identifiable information and/or inappropriate language, but it is ultimately your responsibility to remove this information.”

38. Why Complaint Detail? • Consumers ranked companies types of complaints and their resolutions at the top of what they found useful in reports on businesses • Consumers found previous BBB language very unhelpful/informative • Gives Business a voice in the process • Makes process even more transparent

39. Complaint Detail & Your Business Response • It will be public – be consistent and professional • Omit personally identifying information

40. Current Business Review Complaint Summary Customer Complaints Summary Read complaint details Definitions | BBB Complaint Process | File a Complaint

41. Complaint Breakdown by Resolution

44. Closure Definitions • Complaint resolved with BBB assistance • BBB found business made good faith effort to resolve complaint, but customer not satisfied with business response

45. Closure Definitions Continued • Customer not satisfied with business response • BBB did not receive a response from business • BBB cannot process complaint

46. The Positives of Complaint Detail • Individuals will be able to form their own opinion • Gives both parties a voice • Adds transparency and openness to BBB process