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A service provided to the Accredited Businesses of the BBB serving Southeast Louisiana.

March 2010
In This Issue
Complaints up in 2009
Keep Personal Info Secure
Grandparent Scam
N.O. Home & Garden Show
WDSU/BBB Campaign
New Accredited Businesses
We Salute You

Quick Links...
Dear BBB Accredited Business,

This month, the BBB reports the national statistics on complaints for the past year with some interesting information on increases and decreases on complaints by industry. For businesses, we have a link to an FTC resource on how to keep your customers' personal data secure.

Seniors and other family members will be interested in the "Grandparent Scam," reported below, and as always we recognize our new BBB Accredited Businesses.

Last week, the BBB participated in the HBA of Greater New Orleans Home and Garden Show at the Superdome.  We were pleased to make contact with so many of our BBB Accredited Businesses and encourage them to proudly display the BBB Accredited Business logo for their consumers to see. If you would like digital copies of the BBB Accredited Business logos, please let us know so we can send you the appropriate graphics.

Remember if you have any groups, meetings, or shows that you would like the BBB to speak at or present to, please let us know, as we are always glad to help in whatever ways we can.

Dick Mitchell
President/CEO
BBB serving Southeast Louisiana
 
Complaints to BBB up nearly 10% in 2009

WDSU Channel 6
According to an annual report released by Better Business Bureau, consumer complaints to the organization increased by 9.7 percent in 2009. Not only did BBB receive nearly 1 million complaints filed by disgruntled customers last year, consumers turned to the non-profit more than 65 million times for help researching businesses across North America. As is expected, some industries' complaints increased and some decreased. 

For the entire article and how your industry compares, click here.
 
Keep Your Customers' Personal Information Secure

FTC-Protecting Personal Information
Does your company collect information on it's customers? If you record credit card information for purchases, collect client's addresses for mailing lists or demographics purposes, or e-mail addresses for promotional opportunities, it's very important to make sure that you treat that information with care.

The Federal Trade Commission has recently released a guide called Protecting Personal Information: A Guide For Businesses.  It steps you through the steps of identifying what you collect, minimizing what you need, securing the data, destroying what is no longer needed, and planning ahead. 

The entire publication is available online at:
http://www.ftc.gov/infosecurity/
 
BBB Advises Seniors to Be Aware of the Grandparent Scam

Well-meaning senior citizens who think they are helping a grandchild in distress are becoming victims of another wave of the so-called "Grandparent Scam," warns BBB. So far, the scam has targeted grandparents in more than a dozen states and Canadian provinces and stolen as much as $19,000 from one victim alone. 

Click here for more details on this scam.
 
BBB Participates in the New Orleans Home and Garden Show

WDSU Channel 6Over the past few days, March 11-14, 2010, the BBB was present with the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans at the 55th Annual New Orleans Home and Garden Show in the Louisiana Superdome. It was our pleasure to talk with both businesses and consumers alike. We were able to pass out BBB information as well as materials provided by the Federal Trade Commission about home improvements, and protecting your business and personal information. We were glad to greet many of our Accredited Businesses, and it was very encouraging to see so many BBB Accredited Businesses exhibiting.


If your organization or industry has a trade show, or event and you would like the BBB to be present, please let us know at: info@neworleans.bbb.org. We also have speakers available upon request for your groups or meetings.
 
WDSU/BBB Cooperative Advertising Spring Campaign

WDSU Channel 6We encourage all BBB Accredited Businesses to participate in the WDSU/BBB Cooperative Advertising Spring Campaign.

Each message will be sponsored by 6 participating members. Your business name and phone number will appear on the consumer message. Audio of your business name will be announced on the consumer message. All 10 commercials will air in news, information and entertainment programs. Additionally, participants will receive exposure on WDSU.com and the 24/7 Exact Weather News and Traffic channel.

We have kept the cost low, $150, in the hope that you might all participate.

The identification of your company as a BBB Accredited Business, as well as the high-profile television presence of the BBB will be beneficial to both your business and the BBB - while providing the public with important information.
 
Please contact Juan Nogueira for more information regarding this program:

Juan Nogueira WDSU-TV
(504) 679-0751
jnogueira@hearst.com
 
Welcome to New BBB Accredited Businesses - February 2010
WDSU Channel 6
The Better Business Bureau is proud to announce the following new BBB Accredited Businesses during December 2009. This means that these companies have agreed to uphold the BBB Standards of Trust, including advertising honestly, honoring promises, and being responsive to marketplace issues. 

Click here to view the BBB Standards for Trust.


A NEW U

Advance Steel Homes, LLC

Asphalt Paving

Bajada-Ricks & Associates, LLC

Bob Goines Auto Detailing

C & C Collision Repair

Carnival Beads Trinkets Plush

Chung's Heavenly Sweets, LLC

Clarkson Construction, LLC

Close Combat and Fitness, LLC

Copeland's of New Orleans

D. Cross Construction

Enviro-Clean Services Inc

Gil's Carpet & Tile Company, Inc.

Gold & Cash on Baronne, LLC

Gold Star Concrete & Construction, LLC

Green & Sons, LLC

Gypsum SubFloors, Inc.

Henry James Homebuilders Inc.

Holmes Enterprises

Home One Homes, Inc.

Hotel Management of New Orleans

Hotel St. Marie

Jo4tax

K C's A/C, LLC

Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry & Distinitive Gifts

Liberty Tax Service

Linda Lee Cleaning Service, LLC

Liuzza's By The Track

M D Signs, LLC

Metrowide Real Estate Appraisals

Mrs Vee's Auto Body

New Orleans Bamboo, LLC

Park Place Barber Spa & Barber College, LLC

Place d'Armes Hotel

Prince Conti Hotel

Professional Tax Service

Reeco Rentals & Supply Inc

Sideline Boutique

Star Spray Foam Systems

Superior Business & Tax Services, LLC

Tarka

The Crab Trap

Toogood Stone

Upick Storage, LLC

V E Services LLC

Westside Charters

Zydeco's

 
We Salute You

These companies are loyal and supportive BBB Accredited Businesses. They are representative of the many sizes and types of businesses that uphold the BBB Standards of Trust. Each has been randomly selected and the starting year of their BBB Accreditation is noted below.

Each BBB Accredited Business has committed to the BBB Standards for Trust.


                       We Salute You 3-2010
 
Please feel free to contact us if you find that this e-mail has been directed to an incorrect address, or if you need to change your company's contact information.
phone:  (504) 522-9363     fax:  (504) 524-9110     e-mail: info@neworleans.bbb.org