the echo - better business bureau...the bbb has a high trusted rating score with google, which, in...
TRANSCRIPT
THE ECHOTHE ECHOTHE ECHO The official newsletter of the
Better Business Bureau of Saskatchewan
MAR
APR
17
This issue
Top 10 Scams of
2016 are out
Canadian Anti-Scam
Legislation: What You
Need to Know
A Determined Win:
Leveraging Setbacks to
Fuel Success
Issue no.
2
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Phone: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone/Fax/E-mail:
Primary Business Address
Address Line 2
Address Line 3
Address Line 4
Organization
OFFICE STAFF
Address:
Organization
Phone: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone/Fax/E-mail:
Primary Business Address
Address Line 2
Address Line 3
Address Line 4
ACCREDITATION
CONSULTANTS
Address:
Organizat ion
Phone: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone/Fax/E-mail:
Primary Business Address
Address Line 2
Address Line 3
Address Line 4
Don Ramage - Chair
FocalPoint Business Coaching
Allan Millham - Vice Chair
DirectWest Corporation
Bim Pandya - Past Chair
Conexus Arts Centre
Marty Cobb - Secretary
Motor Safety Association of Sask.
Jim Deane - Treasurer
Access Communications Cooperative
Robert Millar - Legal Counsel
McDougall Gauley LLP
Arlene Roblin
JonesE Property Maintenance
Steve Laughlin
Regina Accounting Service
Chris McCannell
McCannell Financial Group Ltd.
Tracy Duff
Skye Planning Group Inc.
Jim Nichols
Housemaster Home Inspections
Ron Villeneuve
Quality Hearing Centre
Karen L. Smith
Chief Executive Office
Michelle P.
Operations Manager
Jody H.
Dispute Consultant &
Investigations
Kristin B.
Marketing Coordinator
Sharon M.
Administrative Assistant
Gwen B.
Administrative Assistant
Special Thank you to our
VOLUNTEERS!
Sarah V.
NORTHERN REGION
Ron Jacobs
(306) 384-1001
(888) 229-0569
Doug Birkmaier
(306) 249-1722
SOUTHERN REGION
Dave Scheirer
(306) 961-1023
Bob Hunko
(306) 529-3507
Tom Wendel
(306) 684-0984
@BBBSask @bbbsask 980 Albert Street
Regina, SK S4R
(306) 352-7601
(877) 352-9259
sask.bbb.org
*Better Business Bureau logo is a trade-mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. used under license.
BBB SASK in the HEADLINES
WHERE THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF
SASKATCHEWAN IS MAKING AN IMPACT IN MEDIA AND
COMMUNITY AWARENESS
Top 10 Scams of 2016 Campaign
Now in its third year, the Top 10 Scams in Canada have been compiled and
reported to you. This campaign was held nation-wide, bringing to attention those
scams that were most frequently reported through BBB’s ScamTracker program.
Always a topic of interest, CEO Karen Smith was a guest speaker on the John
Gormley Show (650 CKOM in Saskatoon, 980 CJME in Regina) on March 16, and
on CBC Radio Blue Sky program and CBC TV news April 4 describing the types of
scams and their impact.
National Change Your Password Day
The BBB’s National Password Day was March 15. Did you know? The average
person has 118 online accounts. That’s a lot of personal information floating
around. Did you change or bulk up your most used passwords? We recommend
12 characters long, using a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and
symbols to make your accounts difficult to crack!
Employment/Study Abroad Scam Targets Saskatchewan
The investigation team at BBB of Saskatchewan was busy in March bring
attention to four fraudulent job placement websites with posted advertising on
job search sites like Monster Inc. and Glassdoor. These ‘organizations’ were
using the addresses of reputable businesses based in Regina and Saskatoon - who
had no affiliation with the fraudulent job postings - aimed to mislead potential
applicants. The IP addresses showed the true location to be in Russia and the
Netherlands.
As of the beginning of April, three of the four sites have been shut down.
NE
WS
ACCREDITED BUSINESS NEWS N
EW
S
PAYMENTS NOW ACCEPTED ONLINE
The BBB’s Online Vault is now available. Purchase event tickets (Torch Awards are May 4th),
renew your Accreditation, purchase online sponsorship placements, and more. A digital invoice
will be sent to your mailbox with a direct link to pay by MasterCard, Visa, or American Express.
And in light of the recent provincial budget, we would like to remind you that PST is exempt for
Accreditation fees.
ACCREDITATION FEE INCREASE JULY 1ST
Accreditation fees for businesses will be increasing by 3% as of July 1, 2017. If membership
renewal is prior to this date, the fee scale will be at the current schedule. For any renewals or
new membership after this date, the new fee structure will be applied. If you have any questions,
please contact [email protected].
REMOVAL OF WEB LINKS IN ONLINE BANNER SPONSORSHIPS
The Council of Better Business Bureaus recently changed its online links policy, taking effect for
all BBB webpages as of March 31. The changes removes external web links featured at the bottom
of all banner sponsorship types (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze); however, business website
links are still available in the BBB Profile page. The reason for the change was to improve the
search engine optimization (SEO) of the BBB webpage, and by extension, Business Profiles. The
change will help ensure that a Profile will be placed closer to the top of search results.
From an SEO perspective, BBB Profiles were at risk of being ‘penalized’ by Google, and pushing
them down in the results, for two reasons: First, Google likes consistency, with some links
attached to BBB Profiles and others to a business website, was an inconsistency Google does not
like. Second, when a link is used from the Accredited Business Listing, Google interprets this as a
paid link, and drops it further down the displayed results from a search. The BBB has a high
trusted rating score with Google, which, in combination with the recent changes to the external
link policy for the BBB website, will place Business Profiles at a higher placement going forward.
PST IMPACTS CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES IN SK
With the release of the provincial budget on March 22, it was revealed that some industries
would see exceptions lifted on certain products and services. Among those who must now collect
PST is the construction industry. Effective April 1, the PST applies to all real property services
that result in property improvement. Snow removal and lawn care services remain exempt.
Contractors performing services identified in the budget will have to become licensed as vendors
who collect tax. Contractors building residential or commercial premises for resale will also need
to collect PST on the retail selling price, excluding the value of land.
Announcements ~ Items of Interest ~ Deadlines
INVESTIGATIONS ONGOING INTO RENTAL SCAM
Our investigators are looking into increasing occurrences of scammers claiming properties for
sale are theirs to rent out. Postings have been found on advertising sites like Kijiji. Potential
renters are advised to disregard any realtor’s signs on the property, and to provide financial
information on a renters form. Reports scams to the BBB, and check with the realtor or other
property owner to ensure that the space is available for rent.
Andrea Norberg Photography Photography - Regina
Atlas Sanitary Sewer Service Ltd. Plumbing drains & sewer cleaning - Regina
Brands Convenience Store Convenience Store - Regina
Dent Centre Automobile Paintless Dent Repair - Regina
Eagle Electric Company Ltd Electrician - Regina
Emery General Contractor Home Improvement Contractor - Regina
Francis Group Contracting Home Improvement Contractor - Regina
Hansen Electric Company Ltd. Electrician - Moose Jaw
Infinite PVC Fencing Fence Contractors - Regina
J Richardson Mechanical &
Contracting Plumbers - Saskatoon
Mahalo Electric Electricians - Moose Jaw
M C Woodworks Hardwood Flooring - Saskatoon
Multi Line Builders Home Builders - Moose Jaw
One Stop Immigration Services Ltd. Immigration & Naturalization Services - Saskatoon
T & T Renovations Home Improvements - Regina
The BBB of Saskatchewan would like to congratulate the following
businesses on their recent accreditation!
April 11
Institute of Corporate Directors Webinar:
Preparing for Mandatory Data Breach
Requirements
April 12
BBB Networking Luncheon; Regina
April 18
BBB Networking Luncheon; Saskatoon
April 21
Torch Awards for Ethics extended business
entry deadline
April 28
Torch Awards finalists will be notified of
their status
May 4
Torch Awards for Ethics event
May 10
BBB Networking Luncheon - Regina
May 16
BBB Networking Luncheon - Saskatoon
NE
WS
ACCREDITED BUSINESS NEWS
Calendar of Events
AR
TIC
LE
TOP 10 SCAMS OF 2016
TOP 10 SCAMS OF 2016
1. Employment Scams 4. Advance Fee Loans 7. Binary Options Scams 10. Fake Online Endorsements
2. Romance Scams 5. Online Purchase Scams 8. Fake Lottery Winnings & Sponsored Content
3. Identity Fraud 6. Wire Fraud 9. Canada Revenue Agency Scam
BBB’s across Canada have been working diligently to bring
you the most prevalent scams that targeted Canadians in
2016. The nefarious list is an amalgamation of
information gathered from BBB’s Scam Tracker website,
the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and concerns brought
forward by sponsors and community partners.
The truth is, it’s not good news and the numbers don’t lie.
Canadians lost more money in 2016 than the previous two
years. In fact, 50% more than in 2015. Last year,
scammers took over 90 million out of the pockets of
Canadians in a menagerie of ways from fake employment
to online dating to misleading reviews.
There is some good news. Our number one scam from last
year has been in decline. A call centre in India was raided
and the dreaded Canada Revenue Agency Tax Scam
dropped off dramatically. While the numbers for that
scam remain down, it has not gone away entirely.
“The positive take away right now, is that there appears to
be more reporting going on which would explain some of
the increase in money lost,” says Karen Smith, CEO of
BBB of Saskatchewan. “But at the end of the day it still
only represents at most 5% of what was actually taken
from Canadians. There is a lot more work to be done and a
lot more awareness to be raised and a lot more reporting
to do. Don’t be ashamed, let someone know if you’ve been
scammed. Those that report are warning others, and are
heroes in my eyes.”
“BBB derived much of the information from our new web
page, BBB Scam Tracker,” adds Smith. “While we have
focused on these ten scams, there have been nearly 50
thousand scams reported across North America in 2015.”
Spot a business or offer that sounds like an illegal scheme or
fraud? Help us investigate and warn others by reporting what you
know. Visit us at www.bbb.org/scamtracker.
THE BBB NATIONAL TOP 10 SCAMS OF 2016 HAVE
BEEN ANNOUNCED, AND IT’S NOT GOOD NEWS...
CASL LEGISLATION NOW
PERMITS PRIVATE LAWSUITS
AR
TIC
LE
In 2014, the Canadian federal government introduced anti-spam
legislation that required businesses to be mindful of electronic
communications with clients and customers, and obtain express
consent before using online methods of communication.
But starting July 1, if your privacy policy is not properly in place,
it could cost you!
The next stage of Canada’s Anti-
Spam Legislation takes effect July 1st
July 1, 2017
Private individuals and organizations affected by a violation of
CASL can seek legal redress through civil actions.
January, 2015
Additional measures under CASL come into force, protecting
Canadians from viruses and malware.
July, 2014
CASL comes into force, with an intent on increasing protection for
Canadians from malicious spam communications.
Businesses sending a
commercial electronic message
to an electronic address must:
Obtain the recipient’s express consent to
receive communications from you (implied
consent is permitted if given in the past 2
years).
Clearly identify yourself and your
organization, including a phone number to
reach an agent, email address or web address
of those who are sending messages on your
behalf.
Unsubscribe mechanism that is functional for
60 days.
Truth in advertising: Your message cannot
have false or misleading sender info, subject
matter info, URLs and/or metadata.
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
Pursuit of damages for violating CASL was at the discretion of the federal government. But July 1 will open the field and give private individuals the right to pursue civil actions on top of the previously engaged government agencies. Not only that, but the penalties are marked to be increased.
While most businesses are informed by notices and warned to make changes to their electronic communication policies, financial penalties are also possible - anywhere from $750,000 - $1,000,000 for individuals and $10,000,000 - $15,000,000 for corporations. Not to mention financial remedies to individuals.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU
DON’T HAVE CONTROL
OF YOUR WEBSITE
Contact the BBB office to receive a current privacy policy for your site. But what do you do if you can’t make changes to your site?
You can use a site such as https://www.register.com/whois.rcmx to find who ‘owns’ the website and attempt contact.
Or, you may need to contact the host service (i.e, Wix, SquareSpace) and request control, especially if the reset password mechanism did not work. The host services will likely require proof of billing to ensure the website is yours.
A DETERMINED WIN A
RT
IC
LE
LEVERAGING SETBACKS TO FUEL SUCCESS
The road to success is not always a straight line. It’s often marked
by ups and downs, failures and frustrations, anxiety and fears, and,
most importantly, comeback stories. Today we’ll talk about
companies that almost went out of business but came back strong,
businesses that reacted to customer complaints in a positive way to
make them better than ever, and personal stories of individuals
who faced challenges and overcame them. We’ll share what our
current research teaches us about how organizations and
individuals can approach difficult times in a positive way.
BUSINESS COMBACKS
On the road to long-term business survival, ups and downs are a
normal part of life. Even though you could debate if businesses are
built to last - for example, 88% of the companies listed on the 1955
FORTUNE 500® aren’t on the list anymore (Govindarajan & Faber,
2016) - those that do survive seem to keep learning and bouncing
back.
To find out how they do it, we asked more than 1,000 customers
in the United States and Canada to think of businesses that faced
difficult situations and came back stronger. We asked them to
describe, in one word, what it takes to achieve that feat. The
consumers’ perspectives were enlightening since they are the ones
who vote with their wallets to allow a business to survive, or not. To
bolster our data, we did an extensive review of brands such as
Apple, LEGO, CBS, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Nintendo,
Marvel, General Motors, Delta Air Lines, Netflix, J.Crew, and
Burberry ((Bedu, 2014; Feloni, 2014; Nazario, 2015; Smart
licensing, 2014; The biggest business comebacks, 2015).
Here are the common ties that bind most of these comeback
stories:
Faith: Comebacks take time, and faith will keep your business
going when others have given up. It will help you be patient while
you keep moving forward, and it will motivate you to keep trying
after failures. Faith was identified by customers as a key comeback
ingredient. To maintain faith, celebrate small wins and don’t lost
focus on your bigger goals.
Focus: Traits like relying on your core principles, borrowing from
the past, reflecting on who you really are, and keeping it simple
while staying resilient are key to comebacks. LEGO, Apple, and
General Motors are a few companies that leveraged focus to reduce
complexity, streamline processes, and close weakening business
sectors and product lines. Over time, businesses may forget where
they came from and lose focus on what matters.
Funding: Another strong word that emerged from our research
was “money.” Our review of comeback stories showed that access to
funding during difficult times was the key to many business
resurgences. It’s important for businesses to exercise financial
Excerpt from TRUSTED
Magazine, Winter 2016. By
Rubens Pessanha Filho.
Research contributions by
Tiffany Scott.
discipline so reserves are available to help
them weather difficult times.
Innovation: The building blocks of
innovation - creativity, ingenuity, and
ideas - matter. Innovation also includes
new ways to operate in a changing
marketplace, like partnerships and
strategic collaborations. It takes courage
to innovate when things are bleak, so it
pays to build innovation into your culture
to help ward off stagnation.
Leadership and teamwork: Leaders
who orchestrate comebacks understand
the importance of teams and recognize
that success requires the best of people.
They inspire faith that a comeback is
possible, and they lead the charge to find
a new focus and discover innovations.
Several of the comeback stories we
reviewed - such as Apple, LEGO, Walt
Disney Animation Studios, J.Crew, and
CBS - started with a change in leadership
at the top.
To add a new dimension to our
research, we looked at businesses from
the perspective of consumers, specifically
their negative experiences and
complaints and how businesses reacted.
Almost 1 million complaints are received
by BBB [offices] every year, and some
complaints target businesses that have a
good reputation. The upside is that
complaints can humanize a business -
57% of consumers are suspicious of
brands that have only positive reviews -
and serve as a platform for betterment
(PowerReviews, 2014). What can we
learn from businesses that approached
consumer complaints as a way to
improve? How are these negative
experiences best handled from a
customer’s point of view?
We asked consumers in the US and
Canada to think of situations when they
gave a business some form of negative
feedback, and we asked them what
response would be most likely to
preserve their loyalty to the business.
The top responses were to provide a
positive resolution; tell the truth and
don’t make excuses; see criticism as an
opportunity to improve; listen to the
feedback or complaint; and say you’re
sorry (Figure 1, above). Transgressions
are forgivable - less than 15% of
consumers expressed the contrary - if
businesses have the courage to face them
and can learn from them. It takes a
strong sense of ethics for businesses to
admit their mistakes, but taking the
voice of consumers to heart and
maintaining open communication can
minimize the need for comebacks by
avoiding troubled times in the first place.
LESSONS LEARNED
How are the comeback stories of
businesses and individuals connected?
Interestingly, several key words were the
same for both: faith, determination, and
resilience. Organizations are made of
individuals, and perhaps not
surprisingly, we found that some
organizations that staged a comeback
had individuals at the helm who
overcame personal challenges
themselves. Personal comebacks can
shape a person’s character and
leadership abilities. They make us a
better version of ourselves.
You don’t need to wait for a low point
in organizational or personal life to build
the character and leadership that will
help overcome difficult times when they
come. As we have learned from those
who have gone before us, comebacks
start from within. Make good choices,
aim to be better, and view failure as a
precursor to success.
EVENT UPDATES
Our celebration of those businesses serving our communities in
Saskatchewan who exemplify the highest standards leadership character
and organizational ethics - the Torch Awards for Ethics - is back in town
for its 13th year!
Requests for business submissions have been ongoing, and we sincerely
hope you will consider submitting your business for the competition. We
want to hear the story of how you care for your business, industry,
employees, clientele, suppliers, and community.
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2017?
What will catch everyone’s attention first is the change to the competition
categories. We understand that a small business of two people being
compared to a national chain can be intimidating.
So, starting this year, there are new company categories based on the total
number of full-time and full-time equivalent employees:
Companies with 1-9 employees
Companies with 10-49 employees
Companies with 50 - 99 employees
Companies with 100+ employees
Non-profit organizations We are also at a new venue, with the Panel and Gala being held at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?
Become a Sponsor - There are many packages available, with varying
degrees of brand exposure.
Attend the Panel or Gala - Tickets can be reserved online now.
Donate a Silent Auction Item - Needed urgently! All profits help the
BBB of Saskatchewan to continue its educational programing and service
reach.
Enter Your Business - The entry deadline for businesses has been
extended to April 21. Go online for a new, simpler entry guidebook.
NOW AVAILABLE
Tickets can now be reserved online!
Gala Tickets
Individual $75.00
Table of 8 $500.00
Panel for the Pursuit of Ethics
Individual $40.00
Visit go.bbb.org/sask-torchawards
EV
EN
TS
May 4th, 2017
~
Conexus Arts
Centre
~
Regina, SK