BBB St. Louis: Serving over 15M consumers and businesses in 2024

Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) St. Louis served consumers across greater Missouri and southern Illinois over 15M times in 2024, exceeding its goals for the year to create marketplace trust. 

BBB St. Louis also celebrated the addition of a new service area in Ottawa, Canada in late 2024, and began providing support to roughly 2,000 new Accredited Businesses and an audience of international consumers. 

“We’re pleased to have gone above and beyond our service goals this year, thanks to the hard work of BBB employees and volunteers who are dedicated to making this region a better place to do business,” Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “We look forward to continuing that work in 2025, connecting more consumers with trusted businesses and promoting an ethical marketplace.” 

BBB furthers marketplace trust by educating consumers and businesses on ethics, connecting consumers with trusted businesses and charities, and preventing and reporting scams. 

Key 2024 stats: 

• People reached... 
  • ...through BBB's website: 6.5M
  • ...via email newsletters and social media: 8.4M
  • ...by phone and live chat: 47.4K
  • ...with community presentations, networking and webinars: 5,539
  • ...through news coverage: 1.5B
• Businesses that earned BBB Accreditation as of Dec. 31: 8,429
  • BBB Business Profile inquiries: 4.2M
  • BBB Customer Reviews published: 14.7K
  • Complaints closed: 20.9K
  • Percent of complaints answered or resolved: 90%
• Instances of potential fraud reported to Scam Tracker: 2,201
• Total instances of service: 15M 

 

Educating consumers and businesses on ethics 

Educational resources 

Most everyone has questions about how to navigate the marketplace. Consumers seek information online about how to shop safely, businesses to trust and scams to look out for. Companies want to learn how to grow their business and better understand and meet customer expectations. When they search, they’ll find BBB. 

• People reached through BBB's website: 6.5M
• People reached through email newsletters and social media: 8.4M
• People supported via phone and live chat: 47.4K
• Consumer polls conducted to educate Accredited Businesses on customer needs: 12
• Businesses reached with BBB’s quarterly Torchlight magazine: 8,500 

In the media 

BBB is meeting consumers where they are, and that’s not just online – it's also at local news stations. BBB provides marketplace tips to consumers and issues warnings to notify them about businesses that have shown a pattern of unethical behavior.  

• Instances of news coverage: 15.6K
• People reached through news coverage: 1.5B
• Press releases issued: 111
• Warnings issued: 27 

Community outreach 

BBB is active in the community, hosting educational presentations with local students, consumer and business groups. BBB staff connect with underserved businesses and provide resources that help local businesses thrive, including a new professional development platform and webinars featuring local experts. Through its In Pursuit of Ethics (IPOE) program, BBB educates high school students – our region’s up-and-coming-business leaders – on ethical behavior and decision-making.  

• Presentations to...
  • Business groups: 46
  • Consumer groups: 115
  • Student groups: 62
  • Total presentations: 223
• Business owners and employees reached via webinars: 493
• Total impressions from community outreach: 5,539 

Connecting consumers with trusted businesses and charities 

Connecting trusted businesses and consumers 

When consumers call or check BBB’s website to inquire about a business, they learn how it serves its customers. BBB Business Profiles include information that helps consumers make informed decisions: The business’ Accreditation status, letter rating, customer reviews, complaints and the business’ responses, and any active warnings about the company. 

• Businesses that earned BBB Accreditation as of Dec. 31, 2024: 8,429
• Charities that earned BBB Accreditation as of Dec. 31, 2024: 179
• BBB Business Profile inquiries: 4.2M 

Top 10 Business Categories for BBB Business Profile Inquiries in 2024* 

General Construction & Home Improvement	929,672
Vehicle Service Contract Companies	420,915
Roofing Contractors	296,027
Real Estate Companies	157,003
Health & Medical – General	155,017
Auto Repair, Products & Service	151,491
Heating & Cooling Contractors	130,423
Loan, Mortgage & Financial Services	99,967
Collection Agencies & Related Activities	87,251
Plumbers	77,800
Total Inquiries for All Business Categories	4,203,695

*Statistics are based on inquiries about companies in the 116 counties served by BBB St. Louis. 

Helping businesses and consumers work together 

BBB offers services that help businesses and consumers connect and work together for a better marketplace. The Get a Quote service allows consumers to get a quote from an Accredited Business right from BBB’s website. Customer reviews at BBB.org keep businesses accountable, giving customers the opportunity to provide feedback or to commend a job well done. Customer complaints allow consumers to share an experience that did not meet expectations; they also create an opportunity for dialogue and reconciliation, as businesses must respond to complaints to maintain their BBB Accreditation. 

• Quotes requested through Get a Quote service: 8,152
• BBB Customer Reviews published: 14.8K
• Complaints closed: 20.9K
• Percent of complaints resolved: 90% 

Top 10 Business Categories for Complaints in 2024* 

Loan, Mortgage & Financial Services	2,315
Car Rental Services	2,231
Vehicle Service Contract Companies	1,912
Health & Medical – General	1,873
Collection Agencies & Related Activities	1,298
General Construction & Home Improvement	1,110
Vehicle Dealers – New	962
Real Estate Companies	900
Auto Repair, Products & Service	874
Vehicle Dealers – Used	564
Total Closed Complaints for All Business Categories	20,874

*Statistics are based on complaints from consumers in the 116 counties served by BBB St. Louis. 

 

Preventing and reporting scams 

Scam Tracker reports 

Reports to BBB Scam Tracker are critical to help track new and trending fraud in its service area. BBB uses this information to share scam resources and awareness with consumers and businesses, helping them prevent, avoid and recover from fraud. 

• Instances of potential fraud reported to Scam Tracker: 2,201 

Using research to create a better marketplace 

BBB conducts research to hold bad actors accountable and make the marketplace safer for everyone. Staff members investigate local businesses that show a pattern of consumer complaints and release a consumer warning if necessary. BBB St. Louis also collaborates with four other regional BBBs to conduct Scam Studies, which focus on international trends such as gift card fraud, puppy scams or business email compromise. 

• Local investigations conducted: 358
• International Investigations released: 4
• Full studies: Phishing scams, investment & cryptocurrency scams
• Updates: Virtual vehicle vendor scams, online shopping fraud 

Encouraging ethical advertising 

BBB’s roots over a century ago were in ensuring accurate and ethical advertisements. It continues to provide that critical service to this day, identifying ads that do not adhere to BBB’s Code of Advertising and asking the businesses involved to rectify them. 

• Ad challenges: 56