This content is in partnership with the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin. For more information on how the BBB Wisconsin can help you, click here.
Have you ever ordered something online and it looked nothing like it was advertised? It's a common experience known as “online vs. IRL” (in real life). There is no shortage of photos of people showing what they bought online and what they received.
this is what happens when you order your prom dress online pic.twitter.com/z3Q07SGdjn — hal (@marrahaley) May 8, 2016
What may be a funny trend online, however, is far less amusing in real life when it happens to you. Consumers are increasingly susceptible to running into scams online. Last year, Americans lost at least $8.7 billion to scams. So how can you, in the world of online sales and Googling for businesses, ensure that you get what is advertised?
Meet the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin (BBB)
The BBB is a non-profit organization focused on promoting trust in the marketplace. Their mission is to create an environment where buyers and sellers trust one another when making a transaction. Basically, the BBB helps ensure you won’t run into that “online vs. IRL” conundrum.
The BBB achieves this through its accreditation program, which recognizes ethical businesses. The BBB shows consumers, like you, businesses that deliver on what they advertised. For those that don’t deliver, you’ll won't see their names listed amongst the BBB's accredited businesses. Plus, the BBB will expose substandard behavior like scams and fraud.
The BBB does not just accredit legit businesses; they reward businesses that go above and beyond. These awards are the Torch Awards for Ethics and the Spark Awards. Their application period is open to nominate your business or a business you love to show everyone in Wisconsin that they are a top-tier business.
Torch Awards: Rewarding ethical businesses
The BBB Torch Award for Ethics is a prestigious recognition that celebrates businesses and non-profit organizations, regardless of size, for their unwavering commitment to the highest standards of ethics and trust. This award exemplifies the BBB’s core mission of advancing trust in the marketplace.
The businesses are judged on four criteria. The first is the business’ character, which evaluates the business’ leadership. The second is culture, which assesses your organization's ability to unite around a mission, empower employees and value individual contributions. The third is your customers, which centers on customer relationships through proactive issue resolution, transparency and honesty as a differentiator in challenging interactions. The final is community, which explores your organization's involvement, employee participation in community service, and financial or in-kind support to local programs.
BBB Torch Award recipients earn recognition from multiple Wisconsin media partners and socials in addition to receiving the coveted BBB award winner logo to be displayed for all of your customers and potential clients to see your commitment to trust and ethics.
If your business or a business you know meets the exemplary requirements noted and meets the eligibility requirements, you are invited to apply or nominate a business.
Spark Awards: Rewarding young businesses
The Spark Award seeks to honor and recognize young companies or companies with young leaders in recognition of the importance of trustworthy entrepreneurs in Wisconsin. These nominees will emulate the “three C’s of trust,” or Character, Culture and Community. Spark Award recipients are the future of reliable business here in Wisconsin.
The BBB Spark Award recipients earn recognition from multiple Wisconsin media partners and socials in addition to receiving the coveted BBB award winner logo to be displayed for all of your customers and potential clients to see your commitment to trust and ethics.
If you meet those requirements, you are invited to apply or nominate a business with the BBB of Wisconsin.
