You may find yourself wondering why in the world would you ever need to know what the Better Business Bureau is all about. But, as a swimming pool business owner, best practice says you should at least know what they’re about, and maybe consider becoming accredited. There’s a lot you can learn and benefit from with the BBB, especially when it comes to marketing. However, it’s not without its cons. Here’s the swimming pool business’s guide to the Better Business Bureau.Â
Who is the BBB & how do they work with swimming pool businesses?
The Better Business Bureau (or BBB) is a nonprofit organization that offers accreditation to small businesses. They also run interference between small businesses and complaining customers.
As a swimming pool business or installer, you’ll be interacting with clients on a regular basis and doing a job that has a lot of variables. This means there’s a lot of room for client positive references … and complaints.Â
Review management is an essential part of any business. For swimming pool businesses, reviews are often the tipping point for a lead becoming a customer. Whether you receive a bunch of good reviews, or you handle negative reviews well, can be very telling to a potential pool lead.
What does BBB accreditation mean for swimming pool businesses?
The Better Business Bureau puts forth eight standards that it requires its accredited businesses to follow. The standards, according to the BBB website, are to build trust, advertise honestly, tell the truth, be transparent, honor promises, be responsive, safeguard privacy, and embody integrity.Â
As a swimming pool business, you’d be the one to seek out a BBB accreditation for your business. They’d assess your business practices according to their standards and then assign you a letter grade from F to A+.
Reasons for your swimming pool business to consider a BBB accreditation
There are some good reasons to consider pursuing a Better Business Bureau accreditation. Most businesses really appreciate the potential visibility they gain from having the accreditation. The BBB will list your business on their website, and that feature is a searchable option. It’s another way to get your business’s name out in front of people.
Another reason to consider a BBB accreditation is that it can set you ahead of the competition who doesn’t have an accreditation and make potential customers more likely to trust you. The BBB does hold it’s accredited members to a high standard. And there are a lot of people who build swimming pools who may trust the Better Business Bureau’s accreditation process, if they know who the BBB is.
Reasons for your swimming pool business NOT to consider a BBB accreditation
There are also a few reasons you might skip the BBB accreditation process. The first reason being that there are some fees associated with it. The accreditation will cost you money, but it might be worth it, depending on your swimming pool business and your clientele demographics.Â
The BBB isn’t as well known as they once were, which is another reason you might decide their accreditation isn’t worth your investment. If your leads don’t check the Better Business Bureau, it won’t benefit you to be listed there. So, know your clientele. It is worth mentioning that it seems to be the older generations who do trust the BBB, and they’re also the generations that are more likely to invest in a swimming pool.
Whatever you decide in your interactions with the Better Business Bureau, the team at The Get Smart Group can help. Schedule a free consultation with us today to see what we can do for your swimming pool business.
