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F the Better Business Bureau

Discussion in 'General' started by Huey130, Jan 27, 2015.

  1. Huey130

    Huey130 Chief wrench thrower

    Any one in retail has those customers... THOSE customers.
    YOu don't have to read all of this just please understand my frustration and hear my plea for anyone with BBB experience. Because this guy slipped ONE review past them that now gave us an F with them!!!!!!

    I'm pretty good at (depending on the scenario) either flat apologizing to them, simply appeasing them, showing them why they're mistaken, in some cases showing them why they're an idiot and in a few cases just firing them and showing them the door.

    But there's always THAT GUY. Customer was a head case from the day he walked in. But hey we're a premier shop so we're ok with treating people good. Especially when they own what they feel to be the only pristine, red, 2007 R1 in existence.

    Long story short: lot of give and take, repeat customer, we always prepare for the worst when he shows up and we always try and treat him like everyone else... UNTIL he crashes the bike and brings it to us for the estimate / repairs. Long story sho... getting longer:
    Dude wants a bunch of stuff replaced that wasn't involved with the crash. We nix that but he actually starts demanding it!
    We found some issues on his pristine bike not involving the crash and ask if he'd like them repaired. "you did that!" "No, no we didn't. I called the shop you used to go to. They admidted they did that. And now it's leaking. They say you're not allowed there anymore. Would you like us to fix it." "Oh... Ummm... you did that!" Sigh
    Brings us parts in lieu of the ones we want to order. And then when they break during install or don't work after installed wants us to put the ones we wanted to order on for free.
    Scratches that looked like they'd been there since Keesler was a novice start to get pointed out...

    You can see where all this is going.
    So eventually we finish the work up to a point that we say we're going to and then I fire him. Holy crap the threats he makes! Texts, emails, Facebook, phone calls...

    Well he followed up on one and it slipped past. He made a BBB claim, BBB said they tried to contact me (which they have the wrong contact information listed), and now after 26 years in business (9 with me owning it) with no claims, thousands of satisfied customers, a Facebook 4.8, a Yelp 5 and Google 5 star rating we now have a F with the Atlanta BBB.

    What the hell can I do? Anyone else? Do I just pay their freaking fee? Does anyone even look at them anymore? What the hell? Anyone have experience with them / this?
     
  2. Huey130

    Huey130 Chief wrench thrower

    On a completely unrelated note does anyone know anything about defamation of character lawsuits?! :D Hahahaha
     
  3. peakpowersports

    peakpowersports Well-Known Member

    Pay the BBB. They charge for their accreditation. The whole thing is a scam.
     
  4. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    I didn't know the BBB was still around.
     
    TX Joose and turbulence like this.
  5. Hyperdyne

    Hyperdyne Indy United SBK

    I don't even look at the BBB anymore. There are far better solutions. I like yelp, Angie's list, and FB a heck of a lot more than BBB.
     
  6. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    F@ck the BBB, yelp, angies list and FB. I'd go to people my friends recommend and I trust. If I was closer, the Hooooey gang would be on that list.

    Good work at a fair price makes me a good customer.
     
  7. Woofentino Pugr

    Woofentino Pugr Well-Known Member

    have ya told him to never come back yet? Hell start calling other shops to warn them about him.
     
  8. gixxernaut

    gixxernaut Hold my beer & watch this

    I've never looked at the BBB. If they can't be bothered to do any better job of verifying information before passing summary judgment than that then it's on them. You're not that hard to find.

    Don't reward their incompetence with your hard earned money.
     
  9. Jay305

    Jay305 Well-Known Member

    Just another Govt supported shit show.
     
  10. gt#179

    gt#179 Dirt Dork

    blow it off. correct the info they have and I wouldn't worry about it. you have a good/great reputation so anyone in any way affiliated with bikes will send you referrals and back up your reputation.

    I had a customer like this the past week while I was in LV at a show. didn't seem to matter to him what logic might prevail. luckily we aren't a retail location (which he didn't seem to get, WE DON'T SELL TO THE PUBLIC).

    I think your credibility is safe even if it is only from the WERA forum. :)

    no one checks the BBB until it's too late. But having the correct contact information might be helpful for future reference.
     
  11. AZ-MilleR

    AZ-MilleR Well-Known Member

    Despite being past the date the BBB should still take your response and re-open his claim. I have a BBB accredited (I pay) business and they are generally pretty fair. I do have a problem with a complaint made by a psycho customer, made last year and they felt we adequately took care of it. She opens it up after her allowed response time, and they put it down as a separate complaint so now we show 2 complaints against us, both from her for the same incident.
     
  12. Metalhead

    Metalhead Dong pilot

    (un-banned)

    Huey don't sweat it. The BBB is an old antiquated way of business referral. Like it was said by the crackhead up there^, word of mouth is where it's at. I'm probably guessing that your clientlel other than this one dude prolly likes your business. Dicks are gonna be dicks. I think you and your shops rep says otherwise. :)


    (Re-banned)
     
  13. June-yer

    June-yer Well-Known Member

    BBB is a scam. I had a lemon law claim on a 6.0 powerstoke. If you know the 6.0, then you know what I was dealing with. My attorney said to go through the motions of the arbitration (thru bbb), but they "will never find in your favor". He said that it was the scam they'd set up to bully the uninformed and that the work started after the bbb rules against you. I didn't believe him.

    Arbitrator was a lying sack of shit (and a court judge). I called him and told him what I thought of him. Yet, 6 months later, Ford settled for my original amount.

    You should have fired him much earlier. You knew what you were dealing with. If I've learned anything in my business, it is to recognize and fire them earlier.
     
  14. dickie doo

    dickie doo Well-Known Member

  15. cav115

    cav115 Well-Known Member

    Received a complaint letter from them that they were pursuing for " a customer of ours."

    After some research, responsible shop was found three states away.

    But they were good enough to clear our name:rolleyes:

    Same as you Huey; in 30 yrs. never been sued, had a BBB complaint,etc.
     
  16. Huey130

    Huey130 Chief wrench thrower

    I still don't like it.
     
  17. Banditracer

    Banditracer Dogs - because people suck

    I got a horrible review on Angie's List a couple years ago from a woman that had never been in my shop. Said they brought a kids 4 wheeler in for carb work, wouldn't run and was leaking when they got it back. I knew I wouldn't have let something like that out the door. Went thru all my work orders and invoices for 6 months on either side of when she posted, no record of her at all. Wasn't enough for Angies List to take it down, they wanted way too much bullshit done before they'd remove it. All I could do was post my rebuttal saying it wasn't me.

    I know what shop it was, the one that's been known for lousy service for the last 30 years.
     
  18. tophyr

    tophyr Grid Filler

    Use their "You now have an F" letter (or however they told you) as TP for Affe and send it back to them. I've never used the BBB in my life and didn't even know they still existed. I've never heard of anyone ever using them.
     
  19. TrackStar

    TrackStar www.trackstar1.com

    Dont sweat it brotha... seriously, how many of your customers have ever looked at their website? None. Thats like asking someone to look you up in the phonebook.
     
  20. Spitz

    Spitz Well-Known Member

    Got the same thing, we didn't respond, although 14 years in the business and we're still here, getting new customers every week and positive feedback from actual people I'd want to serve. We ALL get that shit sooner or later.
     

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