Whenever I hear someone remark, “I’m going to report them to the Better Business Bureau,” I have to silently chuckle. I seldom hear the words ‘Better Business Bureau’ these days, although the organization still exists.
Wanting to know a bit about their history, I discovered enough to ‘whet my appetite.’ Folks from the millennial generation no longer use this statement and most likely haven’t a clue what it means.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB), formerly called the National Vigilance Committee, was founded in 1912 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing marketplace trust.
It began in response to the increasing prevalence of misleading advertising in the early 20th century, with business leaders and advertising executives coming together to promote honesty and integrity in business practices.
Over the years, the BBB has expanded across North America, offering services such as business accreditation, consumer education, dispute resolution, and facilitating trust between businesses and the public.
Today, the BBB is supposed to serve as a valuable resource for consumers seeking reliable information about companies and their reputations, though I have some reservations here.
I’ve never reported a business to the BBB, because as my father always said, they’re nothing more than a meddling complaint department with zero legal authority to do anything. My dad was a businessman for a good many years, and I recall one instance when he received a letter from the bureau.
He read it and then tossed the professionally written paper in the trash. Later that day, out of curiosity, I fished it out. An agent from the BBB was asking for a reply to a customer’s complaint, the exact problem I no longer remember.
Dad owned an auto parts store at this time, and I worked for him, so most likely someone wanted to return a part, and my father refused. This happened on occasion with electrical parts—for good reason. A customer would install a part, and if that part wasn’t the problem, the new part could then be ruined in the process.
Dad had a large sign hanging above the counter explaining this policy, and it was also printed on invoices. Employees were taught to verbally mention it as well.
Some customers evidently couldn’t read, and I say that because, on occasion, someone still tried to return electrical switches or relays regardless of the chiseled-in-stone store rule.
Refusing to reimburse money could be dangerous. I once had someone toss a heavy starter solenoid at me when I told him it couldn’t be returned. Another time, after hours, someone chucked a starter through the front store window.
Getting back to that BBB complaint, over time, Dad received at least two more letters regarding the same issue, and each time he laughed and told us employees what was inside. They all ended up in the wastebasket, ripped in half. Always curious, I made sure to remove and read them for myself.
There came a day when a man in a suit walked in and asked if Troy Hankins was around. When I said he was out to lunch, the fellow left a business card with his name on it. Better Business Bureau was typed on top.
I was busy when the BBB agent reappeared. Finding my father this time, there were a few choice words as Dad immediately showed him the front door. I can vaguely remember the fellow saying as he exited the premises, “You’ll regret this!”
As far as I know, nothing ever happened afterwards. Quite unusual, though, was the morning I walked in and found a fairly large plaque behind the counter, hanging next to the first dollar bill that Dad’s company ever made. On it was written:
Presented to Troy Hankins – Muldoon Auto Parts – Business of the Year! Above it was printed “Better Business Bureau” with their logo.
I never asked, but I have a sneaky suspicion that my father’s friend in the trophy business created that award. In Dad’s way of viewing things, I suppose that phony plaque meant about as much as the agency itself. Hearing other stories about BBB from friends who own businesses, I tend to feel the same.
I like to write junk... 