Arlington, VA, December 10, 2003 - The BBB Serving Eastern Washington and North Idaho has been approved by the Board of the Council of Better Business Bureaus to expand services to the State of Montana.
With the addition of the “Big Sky” state, the nation’s Better Business Bureau system now serves all 50 United States and much of Canada.
“The Federal Trade Commission, Montana business and consumer groups and law enforcement partners had long encouraged the BBB system to extend services to Montana. We applaud the Spokane-based Bureau’s willingness to accept the challenge and devise a business plan that will provide an ever-expanding range of services to meet the needs of people who live and work in Montana,” said Ken Hunter, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB).
Jan Quintrall, president and CEO of the BBB Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho & Montana said, ”This is great news for the citizens of Montana, the many tourists who visit the ‘Last Best Place’ to experience its wonders, and the businesses that serve them. Consumers and businesses will soon have a resource to check the reliability of Montana businesses, and ‘Big Sky’ businesses will have an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to truthful advertising, quality products and dependable service.”
Hunter called the Spokane-based BBB a “well-run Bureau that wisely uses web-based technology, as well as the personal touch, to meet a popular demand for its services throughout the Inland Northwest.”
In 2002, the BBB Serving Eastern Washington & North Idaho responded to more than 79,000 phone calls for information, provided 62,000 business reliability reports, assisted more than 2,000 business and consumers to resolve their disputes, and conducted numerous educational seminars and fraud-prevention workshops for consumers and businesses. The average number of hits to the Bureau’s web site each month totals 355,000.
The BBB Serving Eastern Washington & North Idaho has adopted the new name: Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho & Montana to honor Montana’s inclusion in its service area, which currently serves 21 counties in Eastern Washington and nine counties in North Idaho. It is supported by a membership base of more than 3,000 businesses that believe in ethical and honest marketplace practices and “are not willing to compromise the integrity of their company or industry in order to be more competitive or make a quick dollar,” Quintrall said.
Consumers in Montana can file complaints and access general consumer information through the BBB’s web site at www.thelocalbbb.com or phone the Spokane-based Bureau’s offices toll-free at (800) 356.1007. The BBB Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Montana will begin to develop reports on businesses located in Montana in response to consumer inquiries.
The Bureau will also focus on developing support among the Montana business community. “We invite businesses throughout Montana to support the establishment of BBB services in their state,” Quintrall said. “Business owners and principals interested in affiliating with the Better Business Bureau can e-mail our membership director rdurbin@thelocalbbb.com or fill out a Standard Business Questionnaire on our web site at: www.thelocalbbb.com/newmembers/SBQ.htm.”
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NOTE TO EDITORS: Montana media interested in following up to this release, and the details contained therein, may directly contact Zan Deery, Media/PR for the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho & Montana at: zan@thelocalbbb.com or by calling: (800) 248-2356. We will be happy to speak with you. BBB WEB SITE AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR PUBLICATION: www.thelocalbbb.com (509) 455-4200 or (800) 356-1007.
