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Bank services still lagging, customers say

By Tuo Yannan (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-05 13:59

Chinese banks must cater to the maturing and sophisticated demands of their customers by improving their services, a survey by an independent marketing firm shows.

The survey on Chinese bank customers' loyalty and satisfaction was conducted by Synovate, a member of the world's leading marketing communications company, Aegis Group. It was carried out between 2005 and 2007, a period that saw dramatic growth in China's banking industry.

It randomly picked 800 customers from China's major banks, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China Construction Bank (CCB) and China Merchants Bank.

Rapid industrialization, urbanization, expansion in foreign trade and investment, and the emerging middle class have led to a strong demand for high-quality and standard banking services, creating many new challenges for domestic banks in the area of customer services.

According to the survey, the number of respondents who said they were "extremely satisfied" with the banking services dropped to 11 percent in 2007 from 18 percent in 2005. Those who said they were "dissatisfied" rose to 25 percent in 2007, compared to 15 percent two years earlier.

Dissatisfied respondents said that the failure of banks to meet their specific needs was the main concern. Only 37 percent of the respondents said they were satisfied with domestic banks' products, and 41 percent said they were happy with the banks' counter services.

The other bank services, including monthly statements, self-service banking and a hotline service, had won the appreciation of less than 50 percent of those questioned.

Synovate separated the reasons for customer loyalty into two parts: emotional and rational motivation. Research from the Chinese banking market suggests that emotions drive loyalty more than rational thought.

The survey showed that 53 percent of the interviewees said they chose banks emotionally, while 33 percent said they did so rationally.

The survey pointed to a number of factors that account for customer experience including product offering, branch services, interest rates and fees, and self-service banking.

Online banking, customer hotlines, information communications, as well as billing and statements were also considered important points.

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