do people call the BBB to find a contractor?

[huggytree]

a contractor friend of mine belongs to the BBB ($360 a year)

he claimes people go to their website or call them to find a contractor in their area....im having trouble believing him...i think people call to check up on a contractor, but not find one they dont know.

any opinions or knowledge?

ill join if it means a few jobs a year.

[vangogh]

I can't speak for anyone else, but it would never cross my mind to call the BBB to find anything. I'm with you. I might use the BBB to check up on someone, but I couldn't imagine calling them to find someone.

That doesn't mean it won't be worth joining. The BBB doesn't really wield any authority, but some people will probably trust your more and consequently make the decision to hire you based on a good listing with the BBB. I'd think you'd be able to add a seal of sorts to your website and your marketing materials. $360 a year isn't all that expensive and you could always try it for a year and see if it leads to more business.

[Dan Furman]

The BBB will bring you back that money a few times over, Huggy. Not directly, but being a member of the BBB says something. It definitely makes me trust a business more, even if it really is a "paid seal of approval".

[huggytree]

Im already a member of the local remodeler association and home builder association..most people know who they are because they advertise heavily and have home & remodeler shows 2x a year....i tell potential clients im a member & have it all over my cards/fliers/website....i never notice anyone caring....i tell them im bound to the associations arbitrator if there are problems....they never ask a question or seem to care...

yea the BBB is more well known and wouldnt hurt, but i wouldnt join unless i knew id get a few jobs from it....i checked it over tonight and saw alot of names i knew....ill have to ask them next time i see them.....

[Steve B]

I haven't joined the BBB - I don't really care if it would get me a lot more business or not. I don't like their business model for several reasons.

I did find out when I looked into it one time that they charge a lot extra to use their logo on a website. It's not included in their regular fee.

[Patrysha]

That's a great way to research...see if they can attribute business to it at all.

[huggytree]

called one of my plumbing friends today to ask about the BBB. He says he gets 50-100 people checking on him a year from it...some are cold calls, some are referrals checking on him...$500 a year is what it costs for me...

he compared it to Angies list

im joining.

[Steve B]

Let us know how it goes. Does the $500 include the right to put their logo on your website?

[huggytree]

im planning on using their logo & linking to their website....ill let you know

[KristineS]

It wouldn't occur to me to check the BBB for a plumber, but it might reassure me if one I hired was a member. Can't hurt to try it for a year and see if it makes a difference. If it doesn't, you don't have to join again.

[huggytree]

$395 + a 1 time $75 joining fee ....for that price i can use their logo on my advertising.

a couple of jobs per year and ill stick with them..i join next week.

[Steve B]

Double check to make sure that includes use on your website. It's been several years since I looked into it, but use of their electronic logo was extra back then.

[huggytree]

Steve B

i specifically asked the question: 'does that price allow me to use BBB on my cards and website'...she even asked me who my website manager was and that she would need their contact info.

ill end up paying $200 just to have my web designer add a link to the BBB from my website

[vangogh]

If you're paying $200 to have your web designer add a link then you're web designer is overcharging you. It shouldn't take any more than 5 minutes to add a link to a site.

[huggytree]

i went with the web designer who does all the builders websites...they do a decent job...service is poor...they charged $300 for 3 different layout options....then charged me $225 just to modify the one i chose...

that $200 is just an educated guess...

they set up my e-mail account in a place where i cant attatch my bids because the file size is too large...my free yahoo account handles the size just fine...i complained and it took them 3 phone calls to understand...then they said i needed to get a different browser....then they said i needed to find the browser myself...i couldnt...so i just use my wifes yahoo e-mail account to send builders my bid....when your a busy person you settle for poor service at top dollar...July is going to be slow...i plan on complaining to them at the same time i discuss adding BBB to my website...

can anyone take over my website and modify it? or do they own it?

[vangogh]

It wouldn't surprise me if they own it, however I just looked up your site on whois and you are listed as the owner and the administrative contact, which means you control the domain. Even if your designer won't give you access another designer could easily replicate your site on another server and then the domain could be pointed at the new site on the new server.

All less than a couple hours work actually.

That initial price to choose a layout and then modify it seems fair. Hopefully it's not really $200 to add the link. That's the kind of thing I'd do for free for a client. It literally is just a couple minutes of work.

The email thing doesn't sound right. Most hosting initially won't let you send or receive attachments above a certain size, but it something you should be able to change fairly easily. Telling you to find another browser is just wrong. I can understand if you're using a browser that's been out of date for years, but we're still at a place where supporting IE6 is expected and I think that's been out for 8 years already.

In order for someone else to modify your site they need access to the files. Ask your designer for FTP access. FTP stands for file transfer protocol. Any web designer who can log into the server via FTP can modify the site.

[Steve B]

HT - Vangogh does all my website work and he knows what he is talking about and is very fair on the price of things. He actually replicated my site from work that a previous designer did - so our situation was fairly similar.

[vangogh]

Thanks for the compliments Steve.

[huggytree]

I joined the BBB yesterday and Im alittle excited about it.

they showed me statistics that Plumbing Contractor was the 5th most popular BBB search (Roofer was #1)...they showed me a local plumber who gets 1-2 leads a month from the BBB.....ill be thrilled with 3-4 jobs a year from it.

It all goes by Zip code, so i should get work close to home.

or maybe the salesman fed me a line of B.S.

she didnt seem smart enough though.....or maybe im not smart enough..time will tell

[KristineS]

Good luck. I hope it goes well for you.