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2014 annual report BBB SERVING SAN DIEGO, ORANGE AND IMPERIAL COUNTIES

Dear Accredited Business,I am pleased to welcome you and

your local business to 2015! I hope

that this year brings you success,

growth and continued dedication

to integrity and ethics in our

marketplace.

In 2014, BBB serving San Diego,

Orange and Imperial Counties

reached many milestones that

benefi ted you as one of our

Accredited Businesses. BBB

delivered Business Reviews to

consumers over 3.1 million times

– nearly 1 million more times

than in 2013! We also delivered

quote requests to our Accredited

Businesses 4,085 times in 2014;

those are leads direct to your

inbox. Consumers also reviewed

businesses 46,872 times.

You heard right. Consumers

reviewed businesses over 46,000

times in 2014. BBB is no longer

just a place to fi le complaints

and read negative impressions

of businesses. We now off er a

home for positive feedback too!

Customer Reviews, launched

in 2014, give consumers the

opportunity to share with others

about the businesses they love

on our website. I hope you will

encourage your happy customers

to go to BBB.org to review your

company. Our reviews, just like

the rest of our services, are

trustworthy. We never publish

a customer review without fi rst

verifying its authenticity, and

fi ltering? Not a chance.

This year, I encourage you to

consider trying out a new benefi t

of your accreditation. Perhaps our

BBB Torch Awards, which

will enjoy its 18th prestigious

year in the business community.

We think each and every one

of our Accredited Businesses

should consider entering their

company in the marketplace

ethics competition, and we hold

workshops throughout the Spring

and Summer to help fi rst, second,

even tenth time entrants through

the process.

We look forward to your sustained

success in 2015! It is our goal

to help our valued Accredited

Businesses reach as many people

as possible, and our benefi ts and

services are a great mechanism for

you to continue maximizing the

value of your BBB accreditation.

We are so proud of the work you

do in our community, and we know

that, together, we can continue

to lead the way in and grow the

prevalence of ethical, trustworthy

business practices.

Sincerely,

Sheryl Reichert, President & CEO

“Alexa, a reputed

website ranking service, lists bbb.org as

the 623th most powerful

website in the USA.”

REAL PEOPLE, REAL REVIEWS

“My family and I really enjoyed our stay at San Diego

Beach-N-Bay rentals. We would gladly recommend

this location to anyone thinking

of visiting.”

ABOUT SAN DIEGO BEACH-N-BAY RENTALS

“Superb response and professionalism.”

ABOUT ANDERSON PLUMBING, HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

“[Staff ] provided me with outstanding customer service and they madethe refi nance process go smooth. They were both very

professional and extremely helpful/resourceful during the

refi nance process.”

ABOUT LOANDEPOT.COM

“They were really friendly and fast, and provided a

great service. They paid me what they quoted me over

the phone, towed the car away, and did all the paper.

This was a great service that I recommend to everyone.”

ABOUT CASHFORCARSSANDIEGO.COM

“Great company, you will not be disappointed!

Very knowledgeable, trustworthy, and

hardworking (gets job done on time and in budget).”

ABOUT MAURER CONSTRUCTION INC.

BY THE NUMBERS (JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2014)

“Alexa, a reputed

website ranking service, lists bbb.org as

the 623th most powerful

website in the USA.”

BUSINESS REVIEW REQUESTS

2012

2013

2014

0 1,500,000 2,500,000 3,500,000

...............................................NUMBER OF REQUESTS.............................................

1,971,864

2,237,585

3,159,598

TOP 10 INQUIRIES

1. Internet Services 117,269

2. Financial Services 88,387

3. Construction & Remodeling Services 86,252

4. Credit – Debt Consolidation Services 60,145

5. Mortgage Brokers 56,082

6. Loans 53, 350

7. Plumbers 48,796

8. Collection Agencies 38,625

9. Auto Repair & Service 37,262

10. Debt Repayment Plan 35,960

TOP 10 COMPLAINTS

1. Credit Reporting Agencies 4,343


3. Health Clubs 1,373

4. Cellular Telephone & Service Supplies 1,331

5. Financial Services 755

6. Auto Dealers – New Cars 641

7. Skin Care 567

8. Health & Diet Products – Retail 501

9. Consumer Finance & Loan Companies 430

10. Computers – Dealers 376

INSTANCES OF SERVICE

Business Review Requests (Web)3,159,598

BBB Online Seal Clicks156,154

Filed Complaints33,139

Arbitration Hearings 49

Request A Quotes Sent4,085

Visits to BBB Website3,366,991

Number of Accredited Businesses7,175

46,872Reviews on

BBB website

33Accreditations

Revoked by BBB

For every 22 new members

1 business was denied/revoked BBB Accreditation

600,000BBB DIRECTORIES OF ACCREDITED BUSINESSES DISTRIBUTED IN 2014

BY THE NUMBERS (JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2014)

DIRECTORY OF ACCREDITED BUSINESSESWhile 600,000 directories are distributed annually to single-family homes and retail locations across San Diego annually, this information is also easily accessible at bbb.org. Visiting the listings online provides access to Accredited Businesses, their ratings, business reviews, the request-a-quote feature and more.

BBB ONLINE & SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Add the encrypted BBB Online seal to your website. The logo links to your Business Review so consumers can “click to check” with trust. Linking to bbb.org through the seal helps improve your overall Google organic searches.

REQUEST A QUOTEThis lead-generating program exclusively for Accredited Busi-nesses means new business for you. Consumers request information or a specifi c job quote via bbb.org, and we send those inquiries directly to the email address you provided.

CUSTOMER REVIEWSConsumers can now post reviews on businesses! Whether positive, negative or neutral, Customer Reviews give the opportunity to share an experience they’ve had with a business. BBB verifi es all reviews and then they are posted to the company’s Business Review.

INTERACTIVE BUSINESS REVIEWSUpload photos and videos; include maps and directions, details on products and services, hours of operation, service areas, and much more. We deliver nearly 5,000 company reports a day, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, via our Consumer Help Line and at bbb.org.

BUSINESS LOGIN PAGEUpdate company information, fi nd out about the latest BBB events, pay your invoice, and access seals and logos for your website and advertising materials.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A BBB ACCREDITED BUSINESS

ACTIVITY REPORTIn 2014, your BBB added the Activity Report feature to your BBB Business Review. It works as a guide for you to see how many leads your Business Review is generating, what keywords consumers are searching to fi nd your business and what pages your potential consumers are viewing on your Business Review. This information can be used to in future marketing campaigns as well as keeping track of how much web traffi c your Business Review page is getting online.

BBB BUSINESS REVIEW ACTIVITY (Last 12 Months)

People who checked out your business on bbb.org.

JAN DEC NOV OCT SEP AUG JUL JUN MAY APR MAR FEB JAN

COUNT 8 10 7 5 8 14 15 8 11 9 4 13 33

WHAT ARE CONSUMERS LOOKING AT ON YOUR BBB BUSINESS REVIEW? In addition to the core information on your BBB Business Review - additional information is drawing interest.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION This free service helps you resolve complaints quickly through binding arbitration or non-binding mediation services. Save costly legal fees and your valuable time.

BBB BRANDED BUSINESS CARDS

BBB SPONSORED WEBSITES This service helps Accredited Businesses build a web presence free of charge. Your BBB Sponsored Site includes your company’s information, logo, pictures, video and the BBB seal.

This free service produces 500 free BBB-Branded Business Cards per year of accreditation and ships them directly to you. The cards include your essential business information, your logo, the BBB logo and the number of years accredited.

TOP 10 COMPLAINTS

1. Credit Reporting Agencies 4,343


3. Health Clubs 1,373

4. Cellular Telephone & Service Supplies 1,331

5. Financial Services 755

6. Auto Dealers – New Cars 641

7. Skin Care 567

8. Health & Diet Products – Retail 501

9. Consumer Finance & Loan Companies 430

10. Computers – Dealers 376

CUSTOMER REVIEW

25%

BBB ACCREDITATION

25%

REQUEST A QUOTE

25%

COMPLAINTS

25%

THE 18TH ANNUAL GERRY WILSON GOLF CLASSICGolfers hit it long this year to support the BBB Foundation’s 2014 Gerry Wilson Golf Classic raising funds to support the Foundation’s mission to educate and expand the ever-growing array of services provided to the com-munity. Special thanks to our valued sponsors and supporters of the Golf Classic, BBB Foundation’s only fund-raiser of the year.

2014 TORCH AWARDS FOR MARKETPLACE ETHICSHonored for their marketplace ethics, 13 local companies were celebrated for their commitment to ethical business conduct and integrity at this year’s luncheon. With their prestigious Torch Awards in hand, each winner and fi nal-ist has an opportunity for public recog-nition and well-deserved visibility.

BBB B2B MIXERSBBB hosted six bi-monthly business-to-business networking mixers for local companies to build personal connections through food, drinks and at good time at creative locations such as the low-key Karl Strauss Tasting Room & Beer Garden, chic ocean-front Sea 180 restaurant, and luxurious Lafayette Hotel.

BBB STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAMJuniors and seniors throughout San Diego County delivered “smart consumer” information to over 4,839 students through peer to peer educa-tion. With sponsorship support from Wells Fargo, BBB Foundation awarded three scholarships to top presenters to further their educational goals.

BBB MILITARY LINE PROGRAMAttending over 22 events in San Diego, BBB Foundation volunteers supported over 2,400 military service personnel and their families this year through education and outreach in the areas of fi nancial literacy and consumer protec-tion.

BBB DIRECTORY OF ACCREDITED BUSINESSESAnother successful year as over 600,000 directories were delivered to single-family homes in San Diego county.

FAMOUS FACESThis co-op advertising campaign grew in 2014, with 11 participating compa-nies and ever growing success. Famous Faces appeared in television commer-cials throughout the year in support of BBB and their respective businesses.

STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAMThirteen students from seven differ-ent schools fi nished this scholarship program reaching a record-setting 4,839 students in 2014. All partici-pants received a certifi cate of recogni-tion, while the tops three individuals/groups received a scholarship- fi rst place winning $2,500, second place winning $1,500 and third place win-ning $1,000.

MARKETING PROGRAMThe co-op program continued to see success. Allowing Accredited Busi-nesses to take advantage of advertising across radio, TV, magazine, newspaper and online as well as other unique opportunities with Pandora and CBS Outdoor.

SPEAKERS BUREAU PROGRAM In 2014, the Speakers Bureau program gave over twenty presentations and expanded it’s targeted audience to include Seniors, Homeowners, Young Professionals and PTA’s. The goal of this program is to give these groups the tools necessary to spot the red fl ags and telltale signs of a scam and how to report one. Over twenty presentations were given last year.

2014 HIGHLIGHTS

BBB THANKS OUR 2014 MAJOR SPONSORS

diamondsponsors platinumsponsors

goldsponsors

march

11 noon-1pm Torch Awards Entry Workshop


april



may



june


08 19th Annual Gerry Wilson Golf Classic


july


09 4-6pm B2B Networking Mixer


august


november

05 4-6pm B2B Networking Mixer

december

TBD Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics Award Luncheon

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU4747 VIEWRIDGE AVENUE, SUITE 200SAN DIEGO, CA 92123

858.637.6199 bbb.org

Presorted Std.U.S. Postage

P A I DSan Diego, CA

Permit No. 2686

2015 AT A GLANCE

happy reviews live here - better business bureau...by the numbers (january to december...

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