1. Civic Ethics
National Civic
Summit

2. Civics and Ethics
Taking Action in the Marketplace
Civic Duty…
 Rights & Responsibilities
 Politics & Economics
 Issues
 Action
Ethical Duty…
 Trust & Integrity
 Politics & Economics
 Issues
 Action
Civics and ethics meet in the marketplace.

3. Better Business Bureau
Meet the BBB…
Or …take a new look at an old flame…!
About Us:
 Non-profit, membership organization, 1st in the nation
Our Vision:
 An ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each
other

4. BBB Mission
Mission:
To be the leader in advancing
marketplace trust.
How?
• Creating a community of trustworthy businesses
• Setting standards for marketplace trust
• Encouraging and supporting best practices
• Celebrating marketplace role models, and;
• Denouncing substandard marketplace behavior

5. History of the BBB
 Ethical Business Movement - 1912
 Evolution of BBB Services
 Self-Regulation of the Marketplace
 Trust in Action

6. Services of the BBB
 Company Reliability Reports
 Consumer Education
 Business Education
 Scam Alerts
 Conflict Resolution Services
 Conflict Management Training
 Advertising Review
 Charity Review
Trust in Action!

7. Consumer Trust

8. > Consumer Trust
Trust in business is declining
Only half of people say
they have a great deal
or quite a lot of trust
Complaints are increasing
Complaints have risen for
five straight years, and
have now topped more
than one million per year

9. What is
trust?

10. > What is trust?
Trust is…
Integrity
 Honesty
 Reputation for being truthful
Performance
 Good track record of producing
results
 Doing what you say you are
going to do

11. > What do consumers say?
Importance of Factors In Trusting Business

12. Is there a decline in Trust?
 Decline in trust in business
 Decline in trust in leaders
 Questions about ethical behavior
 Effects on politics and economics
What ACTIONS are being taken
to address the decline?

13. The Power of
Word of Mouth

14. The Value of Trust
From a consumer’s point of view:
When you don’t trust a business, you are more
likely to:
> Cut back on purchases
> Switch to the competition
> Share negative word of mouth

15. BBB in the Digital Age
What does the BBB learn about the marketplace by
monitoring word of mouth online?
New trends in advertising
New products and services
Complaints about advertising and selling practices
Learn what people are saying about the BBB
How we monitor:
 Google Alerts
 Tweetbeeps
 Online research tools

16. BBB in the Digital Age

17. Why follow the BBB?
 Find out the hot topics and
complaint trends
 Keep informed on important
marketplace tips and scams
 Share your questions with the
entire BBB community

18. Ethics in the Marketplace
What can YOU do?
 Be an informed consumer. Check company reports
before you buy! Follow the BBB on the web!
 If you experience a problem or see a misleading
ad, tell us!
 Take action in the marketplace as a responsible
consumer!
www.bbb.org

19. Thank you. Lisa Jemtrud
Director of Outreach and Industry Services
www.thefirstbbb.org