bbbThe Better Business Bureau isn’t as popular as it once was as people often resort to online reviews when investigating potential businesses. However, these online reviews are often faulty and might not accurately reflect companies. Furthermore, they can’t cover everything the BBB covers. In fact, the BBB might be a more valuable resource now than ever before. Here are a few of the benefits of doing business with a BBB-accredited company.

 Attention to Customer Service

While being accredited by the BBB doesn’t necessarily mean a company provides excellent customer service, it does show that they care about how the public views them, which typically means they place an emphasis on customer care. Furthermore, customers who deal with BBB-accredited businesses can reach out to the BBB if they have a dispute with the company, and this means that business owners are more likely to invest time if a customer has a complaint. The first part of delivering great customer service is making it a priority, and BBB-accredited businesses have reached this step.

 Know Relevant Parts of a Company’s History

It’s easy for a shady business to simply rebrand and open again, and many companies that deliver poor service simply reopen at a later date under a new name. In an effort to rebuild their reputation, managers at these companies sometimes lie about their pasts. When working with a BBB-accredited company, you can be assured that you aren’t working with a fly-by-night company. Furthermore, your can find out about past legal problems the company has had and when it was founded. This information can help assure you that you’re working with a reputable and experienced company.

 Learn About Actual Disputes

It’s impossible for a company to operate for an extended period of time and not have at least a few disputes with customers. Furthermore, some customers have unrealistic expectations and fault businesses for failing to accomplish the impossible. These issues can skew online reviews against an otherwise excellent businesses as customers are more likely to leave a review if they had a bad experience than if they had a positive or neutral one. The BBB vets customers disputes more rigorously than other outlets, and they provide companies with a real platform to discuss these disputes. This allows you to get a better idea about how a business handles miscommunication and other inevitable problems.

 A Commitment to BBB Practices

Gaining BBB accreditation isn’t an easy task, and those who enroll must make a commitment to meeting the BBB’s standards. These standards go beyond the basics of running a business, and companies that receive it demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellent business practices. By hiring accredited businesses and letting them know their accreditation was important to you, you can help make these factors core for business practices.

While online reviews can be useful, fraud and other problems mean they can only do so much. By choosing BBB-accredited companies and taking advantage of their customer-facing services, you can increase the odds of hiring great companies.