Businesses are increasingly becoming victims of "friendly fraud"--fraud carried out by customers to get items free of charge. The Better Business Bureau warns small business owners to be on the lookout for “friendly” fraud and offers advice on how to protect against this growing online threat.
According to the Wall Street Journal, many companies--for example, the travel site Expedia--are currently seeing up to a 50 percent spike in friendly fraud since October 2008. The most common types of friendly fraud involve cases in which a customer falsely claims they:
- never received an item ordered online;
- received the wrong item ordered online; or
- had their credit card stolen and were charged for items they didn't order.
The customer then demands a refund from the business. When "friendly fraudsters" are unable to coax reimbursements from a business directly, many then issue chargebacks to their credit card companies. Creditors will investigate the situation, asking for the business owner's side of the story before deciding whether or not the business is at fault.
Defending a business against friendly fraud is no easy task, but there are steps to take. The BBB offers the following advice to small business owners:
- Verify the buyer's billing address before sending merchandise. Some retailers require that the billing and shipping address match before fulfilling an order. However, some businesses have found that simply paying for an Address Verification Service, which confirms that the billing address matches the address associated with the credit card, is sufficient.
- Use a shipper that tracks delivery. Some shipping firms provide tracking information and signature confirmation. Such information can help shed light on whether or not the customer really didn't receive the goods.
- Deactivate or deny access to products. For retailers that do not ship tangible items, but rather items such as downloads or access to sites, a plan for denying access is both prudent and practical.
- Clearly state your return policy on your Web site. This includes any product guarantees, time restrictions, condition requirements or fees--such as for restocking.
- Be prepared to make your case to the credit card company. Staying organized and presenting a solid case--including records of delivery or reimbursement and your return policy--in the face of a chargeback will assist the credit card company and increase your chances for a favorable resolution.
- Analyze sales records. This can help you identify consumers who charge back items on a regular basis, enabling you to decide whether or not to stop doing business with them.
For more advice on defending your small business from fraud, visit www.bbb.org.
SPONSORED POST
Who knew the center of plate could be such a lonely place? A new website called www.grilledandlonely.com, that's who.
Ostensibly a way for "centers to find their true sidemates," Grilled & Lonely lets foodservice operators search for recipe ideas to accompany grilled proteins according to compatibility factors like snuggling, commitment, or a fresh start. You can also "speed date," instant random pairings, and there's a section of success stories called "happily menued after."
As if that weren't fun enough, on Twitter, you can also solicit grilled relationship advice from Mr. Lonely Grill (@mr_lonely_grill), who offers entertaining responses like "don't blame the potato" and "all steaks fall for asparagus at some point." Mr. Lonely Grill is, of course, also there to help you solve your center of plate pairing woes.
The site and tweets are sponsored by Bush Brothers, the good people behind Bush's Best® Baked Beans, the number-one brand of baked beans in the country. So it's no surprise the sides on Grilled & Lonely are bean-based. Sides that incidentally look pretty good.
The site was created for Bush Brothers by Marlin and The Alchemedia Project, both based in Springfield, Mo.
Most Americans consume 10 times more salt than needed each day, and less than 10 percent of the U.S. population meets the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) suggested nine to 12 servings of daily fruits and vegetables. Learn more about healthful cooking techniques and easy ways to cut back on the amount of fat and salt used in your dishes in this month's issue of "Culinary Nutrition News," provided by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University at www.acfchefs.org/CNN.
Also included in this month's article is a list of suggested fat substitutions, such as replacing sour cream with plain low-fat yogurt or vegetable oil with applesauce. In addition, authors describe how to "cook by color" and how to make nutritious meals appeal to children.
The American Culinary Federation's Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University have partnered to offer a series of monthly "Culinary Nutrition News" articles. Written by experts, articles will bridge the nutrition gap for chefs by providing up-to-date research information. Articles are free, and are posted on ACF's Web site, www.acfchefs.org/CNN, the first Monday of each month.
The National Restaurant Association announced the election of its new officers during the Association's September Board meeting in the nation's capital. Michael Gibbons, president and CEO of Mainstreet Ventures Inc., was elected chairman of the Board of Directors. Sally Smith, president and chief executive officer of Buffalo Wild Wings Inc., was elected vice chair; and Rosalyn “Roz” Mallet, president and CEO of PhaseNext Hospitality, was elected treasurer. Each will serve until January 2011.
The chairman, vice chair and treasurer are volunteer positions held by members of the association's board of directors, who are exceptional leaders in the restaurant industry. When electing officers, directors consider the individual's level of participation in board activities, his or her leadership skills, stature and involvement in industry activities. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org.
The Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) has launched a series of three online seminars providing skills and training to help women and men advance in the foodservice industry during a time of tight schedules and budgets. Open to both members and nonmembers, the 2009 WFF Fall Leadership Webinar Series will begin Sept. 29 with an interactive webinar presentation titled "Emotional Talent--The Final Frontier," from author, speaker and technology trends guru Tim Sanders. Sanders will share personal technologies designed to help industry leaders maximize their own level of emotional talent.
The other two WFF webinar presenters are Marilyn Sherman, author and motivational speaker, who will host the October seminar; and Mary Shapiro, consultant, executive trainer and Simmons MBA faculty member, who will present the November seminar.
Each of the webinars begins at 3 p.m. CST. For more information or to register, click here.
Students and staff returning to school this fall at St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel, Calif., won't see any mystery meat on the menu as local chef/restaurateur Azmin Ghahreman has taken over the school's dining program with the launch of a healthy dining program called Every Child is My Child. Ghahreman, chef of Sapphire Laguna, conceived of the idea to prepare healthy breakfast, lunch and snack choices for students in response to the Obama administration's increased focus on better nutrition for schoolchildren. Ghahreman is a father of three young children, which also contributed to his commitment to healthy eating in kids.
Chef Azmin Ghahreman, founder of Every Child is My Child
Each day, he will prepare and deliver healthy hot lunches, á la carte breakfast and lunch choices and healthy snacks to the 800 students in kindergarten through middle school and staff with help from the staff at Sapphire. His menus are based on the Mediterranean Food Pyramid, which emphasizes a balance of protein, grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and healthy oils. Ghahreman and the Sapphire staff worked closely with pediatric specialists and a registered dietitian to develop the menus, which include items like turkey bolognese with whole wheat pasta, albacore tuna salad pinwheels, breakfast burritos, salads, wraps, pita pizza and all-natural snacks.
"We believe more and more schools will jump on the healthy food bandwagon," Ghahreman said in a press statement. "And we are positioning our program to be at the forefront of school lunch reform."
Ghahreman also provides health-conscious items for the hot lunch program at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano. He has plans to implement Every Child is My Child in other nearby Southern California communities and schools. For more information about the meal program at St. Anne School or Chef Ghahreman, visit www.st-anne.org or www.sapphirelaguna.com.
Tea educator and event organizer World Tea Expo for the first time will conjoin a new East Coast educational program, World Tea East, with the Natural Products Expo East later this month at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
The event will unite top tea educators and vendors with educational sessions and focused tastings on Sept. 23 and 24, and the exhibit hall will be open on Sept. 24 through 26. Session topics will include health benefits of tea, tea's carbon footprint and specialty tea. Interactive tastings include a tea and cheese pairing and a tea and chocolate pairing. And World Tea East Pavillion will showcase leading tea industry companies, which include winners of the 2009 World Tea Championship held this past June in Las Vegas.
For more information, visit www.worldteaexpo.com/east.
The month of September marks the end of the hop harvest and the introduction of seasonal releases, including harvest ales and lagers. These unique beers are created by adding fresh hops or other recently harvested ingredients, like pumpkin, to a brewer's beer recipe. These field ingredient additions impart rewarding flavors and aromas including citrus, earth, pine and spice from the practice of adding freshly picked whole hops, known as "fresh" hopping.
"The harvest ale is the brewery's celebration of the amazing variety of ingredients available," Julia Herz, spokesperson for the Brewers Association, said in a press release. "When beer lovers think fall, they think harvest ales. Fortunately, many restaurants and better beer stores have prioritized stocking these limited releases from small and independent craft brewers."
The popularity of harvest ales is so strong that 'Fresh Hop' beer, 'Field Beer' and 'Pumpkin Beer' are all sub-categories in the Great American Beer Festival, North America's most prestigious commercial beer competition, which takes place in Denver Sept. 24 to 26.
Through the Web site www.SeasonalBeerandFood.org, the Brewers Association provides information on seasonal releases straight from the brewers who brew them. This site highlights current and future lists of special release beers in their state complete with detailed descriptions and food pairing suggestions.
- Fresh hop craft beer: smoked meats and foods with strong and spicy ingredients; blue cheese or a sharp and rich American cheese; and sweet, decadent desserts like carrot cake, caramel cheesecake or crème brûlée
- Oktoberfest lagers: meat dishes like roasted pork tenderloin and pot roast
- Pumpkin ales: pork chops, roasted corn and chicken chowder and pumpkin pie
Students of the International Culinary Tourism Association's Certified Culinary Tourism Professional program are now able to listen to recorded interviews from industry professionals who are able to give them first hand information about the ins and outs of the culinary tourism industry. Included in these interviews are such culinary tourism professionals as:
- Tommy Klauber, chef/owner, Polo Bar and Grill and Fête Catering, Lakewood Ranch, Fla. - Dine Category
- Pamela Sheldon Johns, owner, Food Artisans, Italy - Culinary Education Category
- Sean Doucet, executive chef, Delta Halifax and Delta Barrington, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - Culinary Lodging Category
- Renee Areng, executive vice president of sales & marketing, Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Baton Rouge, La. - Destinations Category
- Robert O'Keefe, executive producer and partnership marketing executive, Vegas Uncork'd, Las Vegas - Culinary Events Category
For more information on the CCTP program, visit www.culinarytourism.org.
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Chef's Stirrings is the official blog of Chef Magazine, the industry publication for restaurant and foodservice professionals. The blog offers culinary news and online exclusives from the editors ofChef.
