Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

Murph · **BBB ratings -** 04-13-2010, 06:44 AM

A friend was looking for photographers in Dallas and he was asking if the BBB rated photographers. I did not know, but suggested he look, and you know, they do. For those of you out there earning a living as a professional, does a positive Better Business Bureau rating give you any benefits, or conversely, is a negative BBB rating harmful to your business? Or does anyone really care about the BBB anymore?

Tom · 04-13-2010, 07:28 AM

I doubt a positive rating helps that much, but I bet a negative rating would hurt some.

When I am looking for a service, I sure don't bother looking at the BBB, and when I search for specific photographers, their site doesn't seem to be high on the hit list.

bondarnes · 04-13-2010, 08:06 AM

I just checked and I am not listed in Dallas or Ft. Worth. Denton doesn't have a BBB

lscottpht · 04-13-2010, 09:02 AM

Usually, I think, you only get positive ratings if you are a member of the BBB. I was a member for awhile, when I was doing my photo workshops, but it wasn't worth the money to me. I'm sure a negative one will hurt. You do not have to be a member to get the negative ratings because that's the first place people go to when they want to complain about a company, imo.

Steelsun · 04-13-2010, 09:02 AM

BBB Negative ratings do hurt.
BBB Positive ratings actually mean almost nothing.

Did an investigation a few months ago against a company that had a great BBB rating, but had at least 3 local lawsuits against it. including one they lost with a judgment against them big enough the plaintiff could take the business.

BBB stuff is actually not worth much (and alot of the "history/ownership" info is self reported).

Redneck · 04-13-2010, 09:22 AM

I believe people use BBB much more for complaining than for research.

XtremePhoto · 04-13-2010, 11:05 AM

I am not so sure the positive members (Paid) would be as useful as the negative ones. Remember, BBB is a trend reporting tool where only a few out of many actually register complaints for a particular company.

So when looking to do business with a firm, it can really give you an idea as to what their customer service, business practices and track record is all about. A negative rating in this case carries much more weight than a positive one. I was told at one time that for every 1 complaint a company has against them, there are at least 8-10 more that were not reported. So for those that have really low ratings, it means they are repeat offenders and are definitely NOT taking care of clients.

pbyd · 04-13-2010, 08:23 PM

The ratings by the BBB are only for members, unless they get complaints about a business, they then rate that business, after they try to get the business to take care of the client. You will not keep your membership if your rating is bad, as a member you agree to let the BBB handle the arbitration with the client and you have to agree to follow the BBB’s rulings. As for BBB ratings, there is a part of the public that is informed and I have found they do research the BBB before booking. Our BBB rating has been a deciding factor with many of our clients. I have found a large amount of people know nothing about the BBB, or the free services they offer to the public. You can look up some of the “Superstar” speakers in the Houston area and find that an “F” rating with the BBB doesn’t seem to stop speakers from impressing want-to-be photographers, it is only their clients that seem to care if they are decent business people.
Wayne
Photography by Design