The purpose of business is to make a profit from a sustainable service or product. Sustainability requires value and consumer acceptance, it motivates hiring and the business prospers. It's important consumer advocate groups exist to 1) hold businesses accountable, and 2) give consumers a voice.
These two consumer advocate groups want business to be held accountable, but Angie's List brought about a paradigm shift by giving consumers a voice. The Better Business Bureau is aligned with the businessess that pay for membership and Angies List is aligned with sustainable businesses by offering them acknowledgment for their good service and give consumers a voice.
ANGIE'S LIST
Angie's List is the contemporary 'Open' model formed on principles of transparency which allows only consumers to rate the businesses based on the consumer experience.
You can trust Angie's List becausse they will never accept money in exchange for ratings. Angies List rated businesses don't pay a membership fee, they earn their rating with services of good value and Angie's List brings that awareness to consumers.
We all work hard to 'earn our way', home owners pay for many services to maintain their honmes, real estate investors manage ROI for their properties, lenders and tenants and commercial operations all 'earn' trust and confidence from the people they do business with, and that's true of Angie' List and TradeMark too.
So, if you own a home, a condo, you are a Board member, investor, institution or a consumer that wants access to the best services, join Angie's List. It will cost you the price of a nice dinner for one and if you think you can't afford it, you won't believe how expensive it is to hire 'one' bad service company.
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB)
The BBB is the old 'Closed' model of consumer advocacy because the BBB alone rates its member businesses. No consumer ratings are allowed. Members of the BBB pay an annual fee of $750 minimum for a small business to thousands of dollars and up based on the number of employees. The BBB provides an 'A' rating the 1st year and an A+ rating for the 2nd year renewal regardless of merit.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
There is no charge for a consumer to use the BBB website to check on a business. The consumer will see an 'A' or 'A+' rating but no reason will be sited why the company received such a high rating. The consumer receives a false sense of assurance the business of interest 'deserves' the highest rating. How reliable do you think the rating is knowing the business paid the BBB for a membership to receive the rating?
21st century consumers are like detectives in their use of the Internet, and their consumer experience tells them to 'follow the money'. However, many consumers don't know businesses pay the BBB for the rating.
Everyone is becoming more savy, use critical thinking when marketed to and are not likely to be sold without questioning, qualifying and substantiating a business service claim of superiority or value.
So, if you own a home, a condo, you are a Board member, investor, institution or a consumer that wants access to the best services in your town or neighborhood, join Angie's List. It will cost you the price of a nice dinner for one. If you think you can't afford it, you won't believe how expensive it is to hire 'one' bad service.
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