The BBB - Maybe Not AAA

Here's an inside look at the old-time consumer "watchdog" agency, the Better Business Bureau. We're pleased to belong to the BBB and happy to have an A+ rating, but some have had a less-than-ideal experience.

A roofing contractor starts his thorough overview of the BBB with this:

The Better Business Bureau portrays itself as a watchdog, protecting the unsuspecting consumers from the bad guys.  After learning a little more about the Tony Soprano-like practices of at least one BBB chapter, we need to ask... who's watching the watchdog? Click here to read the rest...

A key distinction here - the BBB is a negative review organization in that they only catalog complaints. This is in sharp contrast to all of the online review sites which catalog both negative and positive reviews and so give a fuller picture of a contractor's reputation.

If a contractor has no online presence then the Better Business Bureau is a good place to start your research. How long have they been in business? Trade associations they belong to? Consumer complaints?

What about contractors that have no BBB listing? This only means that particular contractor has not paid the $400 to belong. Maybe an oversight, maybe deliberate - next step online research. What sites are they listed on? Do they really belong to the groups they say? Who are their local suppliers and what do they say?

There are several trusted referral partners, we're happy to vouch for them. Or, give us a call and maybe we can steer you in another direction - we know lots of service providers in the Kansas City area!