2015
ANNUAL REPORT BBB DENVER/BOULDER
BBB STANDARDS FOR TRUST BUILD TRUST
Establish and maintain a positive track record in the marketplace.
OUR VISION An ethical
marketplace where buyers and sellers can
ADVERTISE HONESTLY
Adhere to established standards of advertising and selling.
TELL THE TRUTH
Honestly represent products and services, including clear and adequate disclosures of all material terms.
trust
each other.
BE TRANSPARENT
Openly identify the nature, location, and ownership of the business, and clearly disclose all policies, guarantees, and procedures that bear on a customer’s decision to buy.
OUR MISSION To be the
leader
HONOR PROMISES Abide by all written agreements and verbal representations.
in advancing
marketplace trust.
BE RESPONSIVE
Address marketplace disputes quickly, professionally, and in good faith.
SAFEGUARD PRIVACY
Protect any data collected against mishandling and fraud, collect personal information only as needed, and respect the preferences of consumers regarding the use of their information.
EMBODY INTEGRITY
Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions, and commitments with integrity.
THE BBB BOARD ESTABLISHED KEY INITIATIVES FOR 2016 AND BEYOND As the BBB expands its strength and value in the community for both consumers and businesses, it is important that 2016 is a year when we sharpen our focus on intentional outcomes, create key leadership initiatives within our community and enhance coordination to increase results throughout the organization. Our internal and external theme this year is to follow the mission and vision of the BBB with purpose, measurement and passion and that we do so with accountability and integrity. 2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO By all accounts 2015 was a year of positive change and success thanks to the continued support of ethical businesses in Colorado. In July of 2015, we moved into our new office building; we increased our media coverage through partnerships with local affiliates to ensure we are getting important messages to the community; our two annual events, Monte Carlo and Torch Awards, were the largest in our history; and finally, we realized our largest growth ever in Accredited Businesses. BBB helps people find and recommend businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. In 2015, your BBB hosted more than 2.5 million unique website visits. In addition, people clicked through more than 39,000 times on BBB Dynamic Seals on BBB Accredited Business websites. These are people checking to verify a business’ BBB Accreditation status. In keeping with today’s marketplace demands, your BBB realized its second year offering customer reviews, which gives consumers the voice they need to share experiences outside of our complaint process. The program continues to grow with nearly 6,500 reviews posted so far on denver.bbb.org, 75% of those positive. Your BBB continued to focus on promoting BBB Accredited Businesses through its 12-county service area. BBB partnered with media outlets and shared messages from educational tips to scam alerts and hard-hitting investigations, resulting in 7,044 news stories in 2015. BBB continues to be your key advisor, most reliable evaluator, and most objective expert on the topic of trust in the marketplace. That brings us to 2016. Through our collective focus and planning, we will have a very visible presence in our community, an increased focus on delivering meaningful products and services to our Accredited Businesses, and new tools to better serve consumers, businesses, and nonprofits. We are also offering more volunteer opportunities, a robust intern program to help us execute our strategic initiatives, as well as partnerships with University of Denver and Regis University to take our programs to the next level. And that’s just the beginning. These accomplishments would not be possible without strong support from the business community, a forward-thinking Board of Directors, and a dedicated staff. In closing, I want to express my gratitude to all BBB Accredited Businesses for your ongoing dedication to BBB’s mission of advancing marketplace trust. Without your continued dedication to our mission and vision for the marketplace and the community, our list of successes would be far less impressive. We appreciate you!
Kimberly S. States President & CEO BBB Denver/Boulder
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TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION, WE COMMIT TO THE FOLLOWING VALUES TO GUIDE ALL OF OUR DECISIONS AND BEHAVIOR, WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH ALL THOSE WE SERVE.
OUR VALUES EXCELLENCE Strive to do our very best. Be accountable to the general public, our members, and to each other for everything we do. Commit to providing the highest quality service with excellence and consistency everywhere we operate.
INTEGRITY Be honest and ethical in all of our business activities. Treat everyone with integrity, keeping our promises and learning from our mistakes. Have the courage to hold fast to our professional convictions.
TEAMWORK Communicate, cooperate and collaborate freely across organizational and territorial boundaries, and work as one team to fulfill our mission.
TRUST Trust in our colleagues throughout the BBB system and in ourselves. Say what we mean and mean what we say. Communicate with honesty and candor.
RESPECT Treat everyone with respect and dignity, valuing individual and cultural differences. People are our fundamental asset. We will empower them to develop and use their talents and capabilities to the fullest.
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STRENGTH OF THE BBB BRAND LOCAL IMPACT
7,20 7
707 0,
$4
13
EMPLOYEES ESS SIN BU
ACCREDI TED BU SI
S SE S E N
ACC RE DI TE D
62
ON
A CC E RE NU E DIT V RE ED B USINESS
BIL LI
LOCAL IMPACT BUSINESS & NONPROFIT REVIEWS READ
4.1 MILLION
NATIONAL IMPACT BUSINESS & NONPROFIT REVIEWS READ
172 MILLION
BBB is a private, nonprofit organization that provides services and programs to assist businesses, consumers, donors, and nonprofits. The focus of BBB’s activities is to promote an ethical marketplace by encouraging honest advertising and selling practices, effective dispute resolution, and accountability in the nonprofit sector. BBB was established in 1912 with your local BBB Denver/Boulder opening in 1951. Today, there are 113 BBBs across North America representing more than 400,000 Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits and serving millions of consumers and other companies. Locally, your BBB offers services and outreach initiatives throughout a 12-county metro service area. Having more than 100 years of strength in its brand, your BBB continues to be competitive and relevant by offering educational programs and services in the ever-changing global marketplace. 4
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2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
BBB ACCREDITATION BBB Accreditation is offered to businesses that meet and maintain our eight Standards for Trust. BBB Accreditation raises the level of ethics in the business community and helps consumers and donors choose trustworthy organizations with which to interact. BBB Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits support the BBB’s free public services and accreditation monitoring by paying annual dues. The highly-recognizable BBB logo is authorized only for Accredited Business use. The logo is a trademarked symbol that is synonymous with trust. Each business is provided a BBB Dynamic Seal for use on its website. In 2015, there were 39,958 dynamic seal clicks by consumers searching for a trusted BBB Accredited Business. As of December 31, 2015, there were 7,207 Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits in the BBB Denver/ Boulder’s 12-county area.
NEW BBB ACCREDITED BUSINESSES
1,406
T O TA L R E N E WA L S
$2.9
MILLION
ACCREDITED BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS
7,207
NEW SALES REVENUE
RETENTION R AT E
DY N A M I C S E A L CLICKS
$890,446
87.5%
39,958 2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
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BBB LAUNCHES SCAM TRACKER BBB Scam Tracker provides consumers across North America with a place to report scams and fraud, and to warn others of malicious or suspicious activities. The free interactive online tool—found at bbb.org/scamtracker—offers a heat map showing where scams are being reported. Users can search using a variety of filters to see what scams are happening in their area, or track a particular type of scam, or even see how much money has been lost. Users can also report scams that they hear about, whether or not they have fallen victim. In addition, BBB Scam Tracker reports will also prompt BBB tips and alerts, or serve as the basis for investigations, news releases, warnings, and trends analysis.
Showing 254 Scams of 18,317 Reported
For 2015, the Top 15 Scams were determined by the first 10,000 scam reports processed by BBB Scam Tracker.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION In 2015, out of more than 7,000 BBB Accredited Businesses, 90.13% of all complaints were resolved. BBB acted as a neutral third party and as a facilitator for communications between the complainant and the organization that received the complaint, showing the ethical business practices that Accredited Businesses employ. We are proud that a large number of our BBB Accredited Businesses make a good-faith effort to resolve the issues raised by complainants. By providing BBB Business Reviews to the public, we hope to assist with resolution in all sectors of the marketplace. Unfortunately, problems still occur, which create a demand for dispute resolution services. BBB’s general complaint services are free to the public.
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2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
ADVERTISING REVIEW With roots dating back to 1912, Advertising Review was BBB’s founding principle. The Ad Review program creates a space for advertisers to voluntarily substantiate claims made in their advertising. If no substantiation is available, the program provides insight into the BBB Code of Advertising to act as a resource in modifying or discontinuing those claims. This space bolsters the relationship between BBB and our community as well as cultivates self-regulation within the marketplace. Today, we continue that tradition; in 2015, 335 Ad Challenges were made to advertisers in our region and 89% of those challenges were resolved favorably.
LOCAL IMPACT ADVERTISING REVIEW CHALLENGES
335
NONPROFIT REVIEW PROGRAM The BBB Nonprofit Review program’s mission is to promote accountability for local charities, help establish confidence in the sector, and encourage charitable giving. Organizations are reviewed using the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability which address its governance, finances, effectiveness, fund raising, donor privacy, and other issues. We provide the public with information on specific charities and wise giving practices, and we also advise nonprofits on how to meet and maintain high ethical standards of operation.
NONPROFITS REVIEWED
81
NONPROFIT REVIEWS ACCESSED
28,832 ts.org enverNonprofi
Visit BBBD nfidence. give with co
Charity and B Accredited to find a BB
LDERS
TY SEAL HO
BBB CHARI
9Health Fair Chapter Cross Mile High American Red s ARC Thrif t Store s Art from Ashe Bank, Inc. Food ity mun Arvada Com ue of Denver Assistance Leag Health Center Aurora Mental rprises, Inc. Bayaud Ente rado, Inc. Sisters of Colo Big Big Brothers lion Butterfly Pavi of the Rockies of the Canine Partners munity Services Com & ities Catholic Char of Denver Archdiocese hip Education tions Rela Center for Inc. Clinica Tepeyac, dation, (CIHAD) A Dream” Foun Colorado “I Have tian Services Colorado Chris for the Homeless ition Coal Colorado Inc. eless Families, Colorado Hom tute ological Insti Colorado Neur n profit Associatio Colorado Non s Land n Ope Colorado es of Colorado Community Shar ces Choi & ion Compass ation Fund Colorado Educ Conservation Center ren’s Advocacy Denver Child Foundation and Hospital Denver Health ion Miss ue Denver Resc dation Foun ip larsh Denver Scho UM) n Ministries (Den Denver Urba urce Center l Disabilities Reso Developmenta Colorado Disability Law ue Leag ds Dumb Frien Colorado n, Inc. Energy Outreach Center Associatio Family Resource Family Tree, Inc. for Humanity tat Habi Flatirons ies Rock the of Food Bank d Way Foothills Unite ice Dogs, Inc. Freedom Serv Friends of Man er stries of Denv Indu Goodwill o Denver anity of Metr Hum for Habitat rs International Healing Wate ities mun Hope Com
ts do ren and Adul JEWISHcolora ptional Child Society for Exce Laradon Hall Colorado Foundation of Make A Wish Chapter rado Colo s March of Dime er al Adoption Cent Maxfund Anim er Center of Denv Mental Health Metro CareRing er Cent urce Mi Casa Reso d Way Mile High Unite mpowered s OUR Center Rocky Mountain nthood of the Planned Pare Heart Project Angel Communities Rocky Mountain Services an Hum Rocky Mountain PBS Inc. Rocky Mountain ities of Denver, d House Char ce Ronald McDonal for Nonviolen ressive Alliance Safehouse Prog Center ce Senior Assistan er, Inc. Cent urce Seniors’ Reso Raza La Servicios de Foundation Shining Stars er Inc. The Action Cent Exchange The Adoption lience Trauma & Resi The Center for Center The Conflict rado Branch America Colo Volunteers of Inc. Warren Village, er opolitan Denv YMCA of Metr
2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
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BBB LOCAL IMPACT
7,207
39,958
Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits
7,038,484
5,714,631
Total website page views in 2015
Unique Page Views in 2015
4,067,484 Business & Nonprofit Inquiries
25,331 Request a Quote Emails Sent
$ 8
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2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
6,467
75%
23%
1%
CUSTOMER REVIEWS Adding to the many free services BBB offers, BBB Customer Reviews provide consumers with the opportunity to post a ‘verified for authenticity’ review. BBB Customer Reviews give further insight into a company’s behavior and are processed by BBB staff to ensure validity. This program allows the customer to post a review on a business experience received to which the business can respond. In 2015 we had nearly 6,500 customer reviews at denver.bbb.org.
TOP 10 MOST INQUIRED ABOUT INDUSTRIES
TOP 10 MOST COMPLAINED ABOUT INDUSTRIES
1. Roofing Contractors 2. Collection Agencies 3. Plumbers 4. Contractors - General 5. Property Management 6. Landscape Contractors 7. Movers 8. Heating Contractors 9. Painting Contractors 10. Auto Repair & Service
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Telephone Communications Television - Cable, CATV & Satellite Airlines Internet Access Provider Referral - Contractor Property Management Auto Dealers - New Cars Money Orders & Transfers Roofing Contractors Home Warranty Plans
2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
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SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK IMPRESSIONS*
1 MILLION
FACEBOOK LIKES*
1,592
With social media proving to be the most instantaneous and heavily-used source for online media, we are continuing to evolve our presence. We recognize that it provides an excellent way to distribute vital information to a number of groups: consumers, Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits, and businesses and nonprofits who would like to become accredited. Over the last year we have seen our Facebook likes and Twitter followers increase rapidly as we are further developing content that is more creative and relatable with messaging that has given a more personable voice to our organization. We seek to create content that is both informative and fun in order to keep our followers interested in, and excited for, upcoming posts. We are not stopping there though as we plan to continue to expand our online presence throughout the upcoming year with a focus on not only more video creation to highlight our Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits but also further development of our overall social media presence through new channels.
NVER BBB SERVING DE
2015-16 FREE | Winter
/BOULDER
GUIDE
TWITTER FOLLOWERS*
559
Special Issue
WINTER PS! -U WFurnAacRe FiM xes • r Plants • Indoor Winte m • Find YOUR Gy
B FEATURES: PLUS THESE BB le Giving Charitab
Smart
cling Holiday Recy y Recap Torch Ceremon
VERTISING BBB BUZZ | AD
YOUTUBE VIDEO VIEWS*
72,096
SEA SONAL TIP DISCOUNTS |
com S | BBBGuide.
| BBB.org
BBB Community Guide
2015 BBB COMMUNITY GUIDE REACHED
300,000 CONSUMERS
*January 1 - December 31, 2015 10
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2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
NEWS MEDIA APPEARANCES & INTERVIEWS
VALUE OF EARNED MEDIA
AIMEE CHARLTON
BBB MEDIA EXPOSURE
MEDIA BBB Denver/Boulder is a respected voice in the media, delivering messaging to both the business and consumer base. News media regularly seek BBB’s expert advice on businesses, nonprofits, scams, and general information for consumers. BBB reaches the population through regular appearances on local television, radio and print media. In 2015, your BBB was featured in 201 interviews with over 2,022 earned media stories and mentions garnering over $3 million in value. BBB further developed partnerships with local governmental agencies to deliver joint-messaging to the public via interviews on media outlet platforms.
PANDORA & DIGITAL IMPRESSIONS
BILLBOARD, TRANSIT, & DIA ADVERTISING IMPRESSIONS
SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO & TV MEDIA SPOTS
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ADVERTISING In 2015, our advertising was very successful thanks in part to using the award-winning advertising agency, Sukle, we were able to deliver a creative campaign that was prominent on various highlyviewed mediums. “The inspiration behind this year’s advertising campaign came from the understanding of how difficult it is for people to tell a good small business from a bad one, even when they do their homework. Finding accurate information can be a challenge. Online reviews are often biased. Claims can be misleading. This insight led directly to the campaign idea: bad isn’t always so obvious. The campaign used humor to capture attention and to educate people that the BBB helps connect consumers with businesses they can trust, eliminating the apprehension and frustration that comes with selecting the wrong business.”
-Dan Schultz, Sukle Advertising
Through strategic placement, the ‘Because Bad Isn’t Always So Obvious’ campaign was seen from the Denver International Airport (DIA) to buses and shuttles around downtown and 16th Street Mall, bumpable billboards at over 8 high-traffic spots, streaming radio to specific demographics and more.
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2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
NETWORKING, AWARDS, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
A Fun Night of Gaming, Music, Dancing, and Food! Each year, BBB Denver/Boulder recognizes its Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits with an annual event. This event is a celebration and thank you to our loyal Accredited Businesses and Nonprofits where they can connect with other business leaders while enjoying an exciting night out. Moonlight Over Monte Carlo offered a fun-filled evening of casino gaming, music, food and drinks to more than 500 in attendance.
The BBB is available to answer questions to those going through training at Mi Casa. Through our partnership with Mi Casa, we provide business trainings which help families prosper through career advancement or business ownership.
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BUSINE SS
•
I• RO
R I• O
WTH GRO
BUSINES S•
OWTH GR
BBB ROI SERIES ®
Results of Integrity
BBB ROI SERIE S ®
Results of Inte grity
SOCIAL MEDIA How to Make
Fa Harder For Yourcebook Work Business!
Thursday, Novem ber 19th — 11:15 am - 1:00 pm Wings Over Th e Rockies Harris on Ford Theater 7711 E. Academ y Blvd., Denver, Colorado 80230 Lunch is provided. PRESENTED BY
Learn: • How to create engaging conten t for your custom • How to buy, bu ers ild and measure the success of Facebook ad a • How to calcul ate your return on investment • How social imp acts search res ults • And much mo re!
ROI Training Events are designed to bring practical training material to all businesses and nonprofits throughout the year. These lunch and learn events cover a wide variety of topics and allow for questions and answers as well as networking time with those in attendance. In 2015 there were seven ROI Events that brought in more than 250 attendees.
This year’s e-cycle event raised nearly $44,000 for the Denver Metro Crime Stoppers, and safely recycled tons of electronics.
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2015 BBB DENVER/BOULDER ANNUAL REPORT
Presenter: Charles Aikens CEO/President - Volume Nine Chuck is a 15-yea r search vetera n and the founder of V9. Over the last 10 years, V9 has helped companie s big and small ge nerate more tra ffic and grow their business.
Charles Aikens
Started in 2005 by Chuck Aikens , Volume Nine wa founded on the s belief that good SEO isn’t just ab getting a websi out te to the #1 spo t in Google, it’s driving tangible about results and RO I for businesses providing the too and ls and training so that those bu can really unders sinesses tand the “why” behind each str ategy. Volume Nine is an SEO compa ny in Denver Co specializes in SE lorado that O Audits, SEO programs, Socia Marketing, Blog l Media Marketing, Conte nt Marketing & Outreach. Influencer
Attracting more than 500 attendees in 2015, this event recognized one small, medium and large business as well as one small and large nonprofit that actively demonstrated ethical practices in the communities in which they operated. Heidi Hemmat, award winning investigative reporter, with Fox 31, served as the evenings emcee. Wings Over the Rockies served as an amazing venue for this high-flying event.
2015 TORCH AWARDS WINNERS SMALL NONPROFIT
SMALL BUSINESS
LARGE NONPROFIT
MEDIUM BUSINESS
LARGE BUSINESS
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BBB Denver/Boulder had the opportunity to showcase our beautiful state as we hosted the 45th International BBB Assembly. Colorado Governor, John Hickenlooper, was on hand to give a welcome in the opening ceremony. Approximately 300 CEO’s, VP’s and staff from BBBs internationally enjoyed a Colorado welcome.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper 16
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Support and leadership are crucial, and we are grateful for the time and talent brought to BBB by our volunteer board.
2015 BBB BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR Carlos Pacheco
CHAIR ELECT Vicki Pine
TREASURER Greg Livin
SECRETARY Brenda Jones
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Trish Thomas
CEO, Premier Members Credit Union Director of Administrative Services, Swingle Lawn, Tree & Landscape Care Principal, Stratagem CPA President, Premier Commercial Interiors President, Atomic20
MEMBERS
Chris Boumeester
Bill Cook
Juli Dimos
Creative Director, Voco Creative
John Eckstein
Director, Fairfield & Woods, PC
Sam Hosfelt
Kim Oberg
Executive Director for Healthcare Strategy & Consulting, Kaiser Permanente
Mark Renn
CEO, The CS Team
Scott Shields
Christopher Stengle
Kirby Slunaker
Jerry Vigil
Vice President, Colorado Asphalt Services, Inc. President, Howard Lorton Galleries
Sr. Project Manager, Kiewit Building Group
CEO, Family Tree, Inc. Director of Business Development, Public Service Credit Union President & CEO, REColorado CIO, Bill Barrett Corporation
BBB DENVER/BOULDER’S 12-COUNTY SERVICE AREA Boulder
Broomfield Denver
Gilpin on
Adams
Yuma Washington
Arapahoe
Jeff ers
Clear Creek
Douglas
Elbert
BBB Denver/Boulder is a membership-based nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization dedicated to promoting and fostering the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary selfregulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence. Founded locally in 1951 and an active member of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) based in Arlington, Virginia, BBB Denver/ Boulder offers free information on businesses and charities in addition to dispute resolution, mediation, and arbitration services. BBB provides 24-hour services through its automated inquiry line at 303.758.2100 and website at denver.bbb.org.
3801 E. Florida Avenue, Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80210 Phone 303.758.2100 March 17, 2016
denver.bbb.org • findacompany.org • becomeaccredited.org • bbbdenvernonprofits.org This publication designed by Vickie Denham, Graphic Designer, BBB Denver/Boulder.