WM wins back Better Business Bureau accreditation

HOUSTON In May 2013, company leaders were disappointed to learn that the national Better Business Bureau (BBB) had revoked its accreditation of Waste Management. Once revoked, an accreditation cannot be reinstated in less than a year.

“Right away, we knew we needed to take action,” said Bryant Dobbs, senior director of Customer Experience. “The revocation showed that we weren’t focusing on our customers through this public forum. Our competitors are accredited, and our customers noticed our status when visiting the BBB website.”

Along with CE and WM Cares leadership, Dobbs did jump into action. The team formed a strong partnership with the BBB and proved that WM could resolve customer escalations within guidelines. The result is that, less than a year after being revoked, WM now has an A+ rating and is accredited nationwide. And complaints to the BBB have been reduced by 15 percent since last year.

Getting it back wasn’t easy. The Customer Experience team took this approach:

• Devoted a senior specialist to resolve all BBB complaints in a timely manner
• Worked with Area leaders and implemented action plans to address root causes
• Updated contact information on the WM BBB website so customers come directly to WM with complaints rather than the BBB

“Our priority has always been on our customers. Our A+ rating and BBB accreditation reflect our values as a company, and that’s something we can all be proud of,” Dobbs said.