CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont and Western North Carolina released its 2020 annual report January 15, 2021, detailing consumer activity related to businesses located in the BBB’s 37-county service area.
This report includes statistics on consumer complaints, verified customer reviews, website inquiries and the top five types of businesses that generated the most complaints.
Consumer Complaints
In 2020, consumers filed more than 22,000 complaints against area businesses, showing an increase in 36% from 2019.
“The large increase in customer complaints certainly coincides with the year we saw as a whole. With many businesses struggling financially and fighting to remain open, there was much more room for error,” said BBB of Southern Piedmont and Western North Carolina President, Tom Bartholomy. “We’re really hoping that 2021 is a much better year for our economy, and making sure consumers are satisfied is extremely important.”
In spite of the large increase in complaints, the BBB was still able to resolve 92% of all complaints submitted.
Verified Customer Reviews
In 2020, customers submitted more than 14,500 verified reviews about businesses, showing an increase in 12% from 2019.
“Customer reviews continued to grow in 2020,” said Bartholomy. “Potential customers always want to know what third parties say about a business they're considering working with, and the BBB is a great resource for that. We are thrilled to see customers continuing to take advantage of this outlet by sharing positive or negative feedback about their experience with a business.”
Website Inquiries
In 2020, total inquiries were up 37% over 2019, showing a total increase of just over 900,000.
According to Bartholomy, “It’s great to see the number of inquiries up, as this represents more consumers using our website to vet businesses before making purchases. It continues to prove how important Accreditation truly is to consumers.”
Top Complaint Generators
2020:
- Banks
- Home Improvement
- Gun Dealers
- Auto Repair
- Auto Dealers - New
2019:
- Auto Repair
- Auto Dealers - New
- Collections Agencies
- Banks
- Newspapers
Consumers can visit www.bbb.orgto check out a business, file a complaint or leave a review.
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