How should a small business respond to a BBB complaint?
Answer it. The BBB forwards a complaint to the business, asks for a response within 10-15 days and makes a second request if none arrives. Reply once and calmly: acknowledge the problem, explain what happened and offer a fix you can keep. The BBB says it is a nonprofit, not a government agency, and cannot force a business to act, but an unanswered complaint can affect the rating.
What the BBB does with a complaint
The BBB says everything the customer submits is forwarded to the business within two business days, and that the business is asked to respond within 10-15 days. If no response arrives, a second request is made, and complaints are generally closed within 30 days.
The BBB's FAQ says "BBB is not a government agency and holds no regulatory power". It describes itself as a nonprofit that acts as a neutral intermediary and cannot force a business to act.
Do you have to answer?
The BBB says responding is a good business practice and "the right thing to do" whether or not a business is accredited. For a business that is not accredited, it calls cooperation voluntary, but says failing to respond may have a negative impact on the BBB rating of any business. Accredited businesses have made a commitment to respond; the related answer on whether BBB accreditation is worth it covers what that asks.
A calm reply in three parts
The BBB's article on answering complaints describes the steps of a reply to a review as beginning with recognizing the customer's dissatisfaction, giving insight into what caused the misunderstanding, and allowing further reconciliation. As general advice, that becomes three short paragraphs: say what you heard, say what happened in plain facts, and make one offer you can keep, with a date.
The BBB says it may post the complaint and response text publicly, so write for a stranger reading it later and leave out private details, as the related answer on responding to a negative Google review advises. If you settle it with the customer directly, the BBB asks businesses to tell it about any resolution reached.
Why silence usually costs more
The BBB's closing statuses include Answered, Unresolved and Unanswered, the last meaning the business failed to respond. Complaints appear on a BBB Business Profile for three years from the date filed. The BBB's FAQ says complaints can affect a rating while reviews do not, and its article calls how a business responds "one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating".
As general advice, a reader comparing businesses usually sees a calm, specific answer as better than none. The related answer on responding to a customer complaint covers complaints made to your business directly.
Sources
- Better Business Bureau, "How BBB Complaints Are Handled"
- Better Business Bureau, "Questions about BBB, answered"
- Better Business Bureau, "Why you should answer customer complaints"
Related answers
- Is BBB accreditation worth it for a small business?
- How should a service business respond to a customer complaint?
- How should a business respond to a negative Google review?
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