Business

Better Business Bureau offers tips to prevent snow removal scams

Submitted by mdynia on Tuesday, November 1st, 10:13 am

Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland

Forecast: Heavy Snows Followed by Periods of Complaints

Winter storms have already affected northeastern states and will be visiting us soon. Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns homeowners to make wise choices when selecting a snow removal service. Each year, BBB hears from unhappy consumers who hired unreliable snowplowing businesses and find themselves stranded during heavy snowfalls.

Last winter, homeowners in Solon and Twinsburg began complaining about The Snowplow Guys shortly after the first heavy snowfall. According to the complainants, they had contracted with Snowplow Guys for snow removal services for the 2010-2011 season. The contract stated the company would “…provide snowplowing services …when the snow depth exceeds 2”-3” or a reasonable amount of snow has fallen.”

Many customers contacted BBB when the business failed to plow driveways and did not respond to phone calls or text messages.

The Snowplow Guys has a record of failing to respond to consumer complaints forwarded from BBB and has an “F” rating. Calls to BBB indicate the business has been placing flyers in area mailboxes to advertise its service for this season.

Prestige Landscape & Design located in Mayfield Heights also has an “F” BBB rating for not responding to similar complaints. Homeowners told BBB the business failed to provide service and yelled at customers who called to complain.

The BBB offers these tips for choosing a snow removal service:

Choose a Reputable Company – Check the company’s BBB Business Review at cleveland.bbb.org or by phone at (216) 241-7678.

Get Written Estimates - Don’t just pick the first company that leaves a flyer at your door.

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Customer Service Training Seminar

Submitted by JTullos on Thursday, October 20th, 8:37 am

The DiJulius Group brings you the #1 customer service conference in america. A once in a lifetime event and the summit of the customer service revolution.

This November 3rd & 4th, Cleveland, Ohio, hosts the world renowned Secret Service Summit, a two day customer service conference. More than10 presenters including best-selling authors, subject matter experts and global brand executives will be sharing their expertise after years of delivering world-class customer service.

Learn how brands like Nestle and Starbucks provide superior customer service while still operating a growing and profitable business in today's economy.

This year's panel will consist of subject matter experts in e-commerce, business to business, sales and customer satisfaction measurement. The 2011 Secret Service Summit delivers the best customer service training you'll ever experience including a solid plan to take your company's customer experience to the next level and make price irrelevant.

The DiJulius Group brings this much acclaimed customer service conference back to 700 Beta Banquet & Conference Center. Expecting over 300 leaders in attendance, 700 Beta Conference Center, with its 17,000 square feet of meeting space and their professional catering staff will make this event one to remember.

Conference Location:

700 Beta Conference and Banquet Center

700 Beta Drive, Cleveland, Ohio, USA 44143

Phone: 1-440-646-1777

http://secretservicesummit.com/ to register.

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Seniors, Who Have Faced Rising Food, Energy, and Drug Costs, Will Get Cost-of-Living Adjustment

Submitted by tpatterson on Tuesday, October 18th, 4:24 pm

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown today applauded the expected news that Ohio's nearly two million Social Security recipients will see a 3.5 percent increase in their Social Security benefits beginning in 2012.

"The economic downturn has been particularly hard for seniors, who often struggle to balance the high cost of their prescriptions against grocery and utility bills. The 3.5 percent increase for Social Security recipients will help ensure that nearly two million Ohio seniors are able to afford their daily necessities," Brown said. "No elderly American should have to choose between paying for medicine or a meal. That's why it is critical that we preserve Social Security by rejecting plans to privatize the program or raise the retirement age."

Brown has urged a revision of the formula used to calculate the COLA for Social Security recipients, since the cost of many items that seniors buy-such as prescription medications-have risen faster than inflation. Brown also strongly pushed for legislation <http://brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id=ceb33042-29a4-48ea-b4b3-ee771a15d5f0> to give a one-time, $250 check to Social Security recipients to help offset the rising cost of prescription drugs and other necessities-and last year, Brown was one of six senators to send a letter <http://brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id=75b94039-4668-47ec-9086-de0c09340074> to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) asking him to support legislation that would provide Social Security recipients with an emergency $250 payment in lieu of a COLA increase.

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COSE Business Pitch Competition

Submitted by JTullos on Tuesday, September 13th, 8:32 am

Sink or Swim?

Been circling around a great business idea just waiting to sink your teeth in?

Submit your great idea to COSE's Business Pitch Competition for a chance to pitch it to Daymond John from ABC TV's "Shark Tank," and a local panel of experts. The top two proposals will win money to help get their ideas off the ground.

Your business could be one of four that will have the opportunity to present their concepts to Daymond and the rest of the panel at the COSE Small Business Conference Kick-off Event on Tuesday, October 18 on the Pickwick & Frolic main stage.

Need more bait? Those submitting the top four proposals will also be invited to join Daymond for breakfast the next morning to get an expert's insights on turning their business dream into a reality.

Contest Details:

1. Provide an Executive Summary of your business or business idea (2 pages maximum). Executive Summary should include:

• Product or service description

• Target market and size of the market

• Business model (how does your venture make money?)

• Key resources - e.g. patents, design etc

• Management team, their experience and the functions each member performs

• Why your business is unique and why your team has an advantage over others offering a similar product or service

2. Film a quick 2-minute video pitch.

This video should complement your executive summary and show our judges why your idea is more worthy than others.

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Family-Owned Cleveland Company Celebrates 50 Years!

Submitted by A.Hake, Web Producer

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011, 7:56am

Family-Owned Cleveland Company Celebrates 50 Years!

Cleveland, OH - A major milestone for a local company.

Conveyer and Caster just celebrated 50 years in business!

This third generation family-owned business is a material-handling distributor that provides storage and handling solutions that improve material flow in manufacturing, distribution and warehousing.

The company also works with Max Hayes Vocational High School to hire interns.

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Giant Eagle Customers Invited to Taste the Tropics

Submitted by tpatterson on Monday, September 12th, 5:01 pm

WHAT: Discover sweet and juicy tropical delights including mango, papaya, pineapple and coconut as Giant Eagle locations host Frieda’s Produce University®.

WHEN: Saturday, September 17, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: In the produce department at all Giant Eagle locations.

WHY: School is in session and Giant Eagle produce departments are hosting a Frieda’s Produce University.

Giant Eagle produce team members will be handing out free samples and educating shoppers about featured fruits throughout the day. The fruits include Mangos, Sunrise and Maradol Papayas, Zuluand Queen Baby Pineapples, Young Coconuts and Brown Coconuts. Select stores will also feature Rambutan! Giant Eagle’s produce experts will show shoppers how easy it is to bring the fresh taste of the tropics home.

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BBB Alert - Selling your Gold? Shop Around for the Best Deal Despite Ad Claims

Submitted by tpatterson on Tuesday, September 6th, 7:21 pm

With gold near an all-time high, many consumers hope to cash in on their unwanted or unused gold jewelry, coins, and other items. This can be a lucrative source of extra cash, but a BBB investigation dramatically illustrates that sellers should shop around to get a good price for their gold pieces, and not rely on a seller’s claim to be offering the best prices.

BBB visited 12 area jewelers and coin dealers seeking offers for two pieces of gold jewelry - an 18K ring, and a 14K bracelet. The value of the jewelry’s gold content (using the “spot price” for gold on the date and time in question) was compared to the prices offered by the businesses.

Offers for the two pieces varied wildly, ranging from $120 to $318. The low offer was only 37% of the value of the gold content in the jewelry, while the best offer paid 86% of the gold’s value. Five of the 12 offers were for greater than 72% of the value of gold content, while 6 of the 12 were at or below 57%.

“This affirms the critical importance of comparing offers from several outlets if you want to be assured a solid price for gold items you’re selling,” said David Weiss, President of BBB/Greater Cleveland.

Nine of the 12 stores touted their price superiority, claiming “We pay top prices,” “We pay the most for gold jewelry,” and “Best prices on gold,” Price superiority claims were made by outlets that provided 5 of the 7 lowest offers. “Claims that one business is offering more than all the others don’t carry much weight and shouldn’t be relied on,” Weiss cautioned, “Our investigation was in part done to demonstrate that price superiority claims, whether in this or any other industry, usually need to be taken with a grain of salt.” BBB will use its findings to aggressively encourage businesses that buy precious metals to modify the inflated claims.

What’s a good price for gold?

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