It’s no secret that in the business world, trust plays an integral role in establishing strong customer relationships. Shiny Smile Veneers recognizes the concerns surrounding the recent revocation of our Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation. We hope to dispel any uncertainties you may have, and we’ll provide tangible proof of our reliability and trustworthiness in this process.
A predominant question on your mind might be: “Can I trust Shiny Smile Veneers?” We believe in transparency and we’re presenting the facts to help you form an educated opinion about our business.
Our company held BBB accreditation since 2019 and consistently maintained an excellent A rating. Despite the loss of this status, our customer feedback continues to overwhelmingly validate the quality of our service. Our impressive BBB Review rating of 4.8 out of 5, as voted by 899 customers, testifies to this fact. In comparison to our competitors, we have received significantly less complaints, with only 42 out of 52,000 customers voicing dissatisfaction in the past three years.
Our reputation extends well beyond BBB. We have received exemplary ratings across multiple platforms, including a 4.9 rating on Google reviews, 4.8 on Birdeye reviews, a consistent 5-star rating on Facebook, 4.6 on Trustpilot, and 4.8 on Shopper Approved. These numbers are supported by over 4,000 customers’ votes. Furthermore, numerous video testimonials shared by our customers on platforms like YouTube and TikTok echo our commitment to delivering outstanding products.
Highlighting our credibility, independent dental review companies like Smile Prep and New Mouth have ranked us the number one Snap-On veneers company in the U.S. This accolade stands testament to our unwavering commitment to quality and service.
Shedding Light on the BBB Accreditation
BBB accreditation isn’t strictly a measure of a company’s reliability or reputation. It involves sponsorship and annual fees paid by a company to be deemed accredited. In essence, the BBB, a private third-party organization, bases their accreditation partly on financial considerations, as explained in a CNN article.
Interestingly, renowned companies like Wells Fargo Bank, BMW USA, and Uber have low BBB ratings or lack accreditation, further illustrating that BBB accreditation doesn’t always correlate with the quality or reliability of a company.
The Revocation Story
The revocation of our BBB accreditation raises eyebrows, and we believe it’s essential to address it. We see two significant factors at play.
To begin with, BBB reached out to us with a request for a face-to-face meeting with our CEO regarding an ongoing complaint – a matter we were already addressing and resolving. Though our CEO was out of state at the time, he promptly responded and offered to supply all the required information through an online video conference or email. However, BBB suggested that one of our managers could come for the discussion instead. In response, our CEO made it clear that he was personally overseeing the complaint and was the sole person equipped to attend such a meeting. From this point forward, BBB seemingly began to disregard us.
To resolve the situation, our CEO made several attempts to call BBB. Despite these calls being made during business hours and numerous voicemails left, he received no answers nor any return calls. Frustrated by this lack of communication, our CEO sent an email expressing concerns about BBB’s approach to customer service. This email, however, seemed to have been taken personally, leading to a drastic escalation: the revocation of our BBB accreditation.
Secondly, considering the diverse backgrounds of our team members, we cannot help but question whether bias or prejudice played a role in the revocation, particularly from the Houston office of the BBB.
BBB’s Reasons for Revocation
According to BBB, the revocation occurred because the business failed to comply with the following guidelines:
1. Address disputes forwarded by BBB promptly and in good faith: Our response: This statement is entirely unfounded and lacks merit. It demonstrates a clear bias and animosity towards our business. We have consistently responded to complaints in a timely manner and with genuine intention to resolve customer issues. To validate our claim, we invite you to review the filed complaints, where you will find two important points: a) Many of the complaints are marked as resolved, indicating our commitment to genuinely rectifying customer problems. b) The remaining complaints are marked as answered, and upon review, you will discover that we addressed the customer’s concerns or provided refunds when appropriate. In many cases, customers simply forgot to mark the complaint as resolved. Moreover, our complaint numbers are significantly lower than those of our competitors, including Brighter Image Lab, Pop on veneers, and Instasmile veneers.
2. Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions, and commitments with integrity, good faith, and the intent to meet reasonable expectations. Our response: Once again, this allegation lacks factual basis. If we were not conducting our business with integrity and good faith, it would be impossible for us to have such overwhelmingly positive reviews from satisfied customers across multiple platforms, including BBB. Additionally, numerous videos posted on social media by our customers themselves showcase their use of our product and express their satisfaction with both the product and our service.
3. Cooperate with BBB in efforts to eliminate the underlying cause of patterns of customer complaints identified by BBB. Our response: This claim is quite amusing. We have diligently responded to every inquiry and correspondence from BBB. Our CEO made multiple attempts to contact them by phone during their working hours, leaving voicemails each time. Unfortunately, we never received a response or a callback from them. It’s important to note that our CEO’s calls were made in response to a concerning complaint that has already been resolved. In addition, we sent a detailed response letter to BBB a few days after receiving their initial suspension letter. This letter addressed all their concerns with supporting evidence and provided a clear indication of our willingness to cooperate with BBB if they had any further questions or differing opinions regarding our explanation or resolution.
Why You Can’t Trust The BBB
Given the facts and case examples that we have investigated, the question arises: Can business owners and consumers reliably trust the Better Business Bureau? Based on our in-depth analysis, our conclusion is one of skepticism. In the subsequent sections, we will provide concrete examples and evidential instances that have led us to question the reliability of the Better Business Bureau. These surprising findings are certain to give you pause for thought.
1. Brookstone Law Firm Accusations: A lawsuit claimed that the BBB heavily favors firms that pay to join its partner program. The law firm alleges that its accreditation was revoked, and it received an ‘F’ rating after it refused to submit to BBB’s “shakedown. (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/lawsuit-alleges-better-business-bureau-is-a-mafia-like-racket-122612.html)
2. CNNMoney Investigation: This investigation found over 100 businesses that maintained A- ratings or higher despite facing serious regulatory governmental actions, including multimillion-dollar penalties. It pointed to a flawed BBB rating system with seemingly arbitrary and erratic grades. (https://money.cnn.com/2015/09/30/news/better-business-bureau/index.html)
3. Pay-to-Play Scandal: An ABC News show revealed that the BBB’s accreditation and A ratings were essentially purchasable. Businesses that paid annual dues received high ratings, while non-paying businesses were given lower ratings. Notably, the investigators successfully received accreditation and an A- rating for a completely fictional business. (https://business.time.com/2013/03/19/why-the-better-business-bureau-should-give-itself-a-bad-grade/)
4. Connecticut Attorney General’s Comments: Connecticut’s Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, deemed the BBB’s rating system “unworthy of consumer trust or confidence,” citing it as “potentially harmful and misleading.” (https://www.championinspect.com/canyoutrustthebbb)
5. Elliott Advocacy’s Experience: In a revealing article on Elliott.org titled “How a company could easily get a false F rating from the BBB,” Christopher Elliot exposes the incompetence of the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The article highlights a peculiar incident involving Elliott Advocacy, a well-respected non-profit organization committed to assisting consumers in resolving complaints free of charge. Despite its credibility, Elliott Advocacy was controversially assigned an ‘F’ rating by BBB.
The BBB, known for its profitable accreditation program, had ranked a potential competitor, Elliott Advocacy, with the lowest possible rating. This was even though, as a non-profit entity, Elliott Advocacy was outside the purview of BBB’s rating system. Another peculiar aspect highlighted by Elliot was that some of the complaints allegedly lodged against Elliott Advocacy on BBB were, in fact, directed towards other companies. Yet, these complaints had no bearing on BBB’s insistence on maintaining the ‘F’ rating for Elliott Advocacy. Despite Elliot’s numerous attempts to address these inconsistencies with the BBB, his concerns were ignored. However, following the publication of his exposé on BBB’s deceptive practices, the bureau finally responded and resolved the issue. (https://www.elliott.org/blog/better-business-bureau-ratings-mean-nothing/)
6. The John More Case: The Story of John Moore: John Moore was an established business, accredited in Houston since 1971, boasting an A+ rating and a ‘certificate of excellence’ from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Notably, its president, Don Valentine, held the position of Chairman at the Houston Bureau between 2007 and 2008. However, in 2010, John Moore voluntarily withdrew its association with the Bureau due to disagreements over its grading system. Intriguingly, this withdrawal coincided with the BBB’s decision to rescind its accreditation. The BBB claimed the revocation was the result of multiple complaints lodged against John Moore. Yet, these complaints didn’t seem to have affected the company’s former A+ rating. What makes this case noteworthy is John Moore’s claim that the current president of the BBB in Houston initiated a personal crusade to tarnish the company’s reputation. They alleged that the president used misleading tactics and manipulated the BBB board and committee members to rescind John Moore’s membership. Interestingly, we have reasons to believe we were subjected to a similar campaign by the same Houston office and president to strip our membership. This suspicion was particularly validated when we received no response to our appeal letter sent to the purported committee. We had written the letter to defend our position against the initial suspension letter, riddled with baseless allegations with ample proof. The committee’s silent response led us to conclude that they were potentially swayed by the president’s words or recommendations, even if they stemmed from personal motives. ( https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/better-bus-bureau-of-891140397)
We urge you to weigh the evidence and decide for yourself about the trustworthiness of the BBB. Despite Shiny Smile Veneer’s standing with BBB, we assure you of our commitment to providing exceptional service. We invite you to research various review platforms, watch customer testimonials, and make an informed decision about our company. We firmly believe our track record, positive customer feedback, and independent accolades speak volumes about our reliability and the quality of our products and services.