Wisconsin BBB 2011 Annual Report

Milwaukee, Wis., February 15, 2012 -- 2011 was a busy year for the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau (BBB), as it helped more consumers than ever before, opened a regional office in Madison and revamped its Business Review, making it an invaluable tool for consumers. All of these changes come on the cusp of the non-profit organization’s 100-year anniversary.

“In 2012, we celebrate 100 years of providing trustworthy information in ever more efficient ways,” said Randall Hoth, Wisconsin BBB president/CEO. “Ethical business practices have never been more important as we make quick buying decisions.”

In 2011, consumers turned to the Wisconsin BBB more than 3.6 million times, slightly more than the year before. Requests for BBB reports on businesses rose to 1,347,159, up 24 percent from 2010. In addition, requests from consumers for BBB charity reports almost tripled, jumping from 5,091 requests in 2010 to 13,782 in 2011. The BBB fielded 14,283 telephone calls in 2011, but the bulk of traffic came through the local BBB website, which logged 2.17 million page views for the year.

The number of complaints opened with the Wisconsin BBB dipped almost 12 percent to 13,357. The BBB was able to obtain responses for 83 percent of the complaints filed with the BBB by consumers, and, of those complaints, more than 93 percent were resolved.

In addition, the Wisconsin BBB sent more than 60 alerts to the public about bad businesses or scams, which resulted in at least one criminal arrest. In July, the BBB opened its southwest Wisconsin regional office on Capitol Square in Madison. The office, located at 14. W. Mifflin Street, serves 14 counties in southwestern Wisconsin: Dane, Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Monroe, Richland, Sauk, and Vernon.

Monitoring of advertising remains an important function at the BBB, which challenged 105 ads for questionable claims or noncompliance with BBB standards. The BBB asked the companies to modify their ads to eliminate false or misleading information.

Another important function of the BBB is consumer education, which occurs through media alerts, social media sites, consumer newsletters and educational events, such as ShredFest - the BBB’s bi-annual free community shredding event. In 2011, the Wisconsin BBB helped hundreds of people avoid identity theft by collecting, shredding and recycling more than 81,200 pounds of their personal documents.

In addition, last year the BBB enhanced its Business Review for consumers by packing it with more information for the consumer, adding more detailed information about the business, photos, videos, and feedback/reviews from customers. It’s also easier than ever to access these Business Reviews, which are mobilized for smart phone access or available via a free iPhone app.

BBB services to the public are free. Consumers may obtain Business Reviews online at bbb.org or by calling 414-847-6000 (metro Milwaukee), 920-734-4352 (Northeast Wisconsin), 608-268-2221 (Southwest Wisconsin) or 800-273-1002 (elsewhere in the state). Consumers can also receive news alerts from the Wisconsin BBB by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook.