Survey: Majority Of Customers Feel Undervalued By Banks

Consumers in the U.S., France, Great Britain, and Germany say they do not feel valued by their banks, but indicate that a multichannel environment enhances the banking experience, according to a survey by GMC Software Technology, a provider of multi-channel customer engagement tools.

Only 27% of customers in the U.S. believe that their bank really values them. Six percent of customers feel valued in France, 10% in Great Britain, and 20% in Germany. Only 19% of respondents across all four countries believe banks understand good customer service and 67% believe banks are pushing online statements in order to save money.

The survey also shows that a customizable multichannel environment provides a better baking experience. About 72% of consumers across the board prefer to customize the format in which they receive information while 74% want to select the time the information is delivered.

[For More On Improving Customer Experience Check Out: Better Customer Experience: It’s In The Details]

About 45% of U.S. consumers have indicated that being enabled to bank when and how they wanted was a way banks could improve customer experience. Additionally, 60% and 40% of U.S. customers indicated that having a knowledgeable staff and easy access to the branch would also improve the banking experience.

“It is time the banks started to show that they value their customers by listening and allowing customers to be involved in decisions that affect the banking experience,” says Bill Parker, CMO at GMC Software Technology. “[Banks] should ask consumers which channels they want to use, not tell them.”

Customers are also beginning to embrace paperless banking, according to the survey. About 36% of all banking customers have an online-only statement. Broken down by age, 37% of consumers under 31 years old and 33% between the ages of 55-70 years old use online-only statements.

Customers who have online statements also tend to engage with them more frequently than those who still use paper statements. About 66% of customers go online and 61% of customers use a mobile device to view statements weekly, yet 58% of those that rely on paper statements view them monthly.

Some of the reasons cited by the respondents for preferring online statements over paper included convenience (80%) and environmental benefits (71%).

Zarna Patel is a staff writer for InformationWeek's Financial Services brands, which include Bank Systems & Technology, Insurance & Technology and Wall Street & Technology. She received her B.A. in English and journalism from Rutgers University College of Arts and Sciences in ... View Full Bio