Have you been and had a look round your branch for this vital consumer information ? I have not but then I have not set foot in a bank branch for many months now. However if you do then have a look for the customer service league tables. Are they lurking behind a pillar way back in the branch or proudly displayed as you come in? Ironically enough, you won’t see the winner displaying its info because First Direct does not have any branches. (Is there a clue there?)Two ‘Scottish’ banks Clydesdale and Royal Bank of Scotland come bottom. I had a look on the Barclays website and could not find the table anywhere – found the news about their Modern Slavery Statement. Good to know but not at the forefront of the retail customers’ routine day to day concerns.
Whatever you think of the individual rankings, I think this publication is a significant event when customer-based data and its importance is fully recognised. The institutions affected will have to learn how best to use this information for their own purposes and not just treat it as another poster in the branch. Many companies routinely display Trust Mark or similar ratings based on opinions volunteered by users. The bank league tables are based on a questionnaire sent to and answered by a random selection of current account and small business customers. More details about the survey and how it was done can be seen here
We welcome this becoming universal practice with robust and credible customer ratings for satisfaction and readiness to recommend routinely published in shops, on websites, where-ever.