STAFF from Chester bank, Handelsbanken, are celebrating after they topped a national opinion poll for customer satisfaction.
The survey by EPSI Rating is the first of its kind for the UK banking sector and is based on a pan European model already used to benchmark banks in 11 other countries, over 20 years.
Professor Jan Eklof co-ordinator of the survey said: “This survey shows that customer satisfaction with Handelsbanken is significantly higher than the industry average and that the bank’s customers are also very loyal. This separates Handelsbanken from other specially analysed banks in the study and depicts results which are consistent with surveys undertaken in other countries.”
Handelsbanken employs seven staff locally, was ranked top by both its business and personal customers in terms of satisfaction and for customer loyalty.
Anders Bouvin, head of Regional Bank Northern Britain, said: “This is the first time an independent customer satisfaction survey of this kind has been undertaken in the UK and it is of course very important for a relationship bank like ours to come out on top.
“We have been running the bank according to the same principles for the last 40 years and it appears that our decentralised and customer orientated model is more appreciated now than ever.
“The fact that we don't have sales targets or bonus schemes allows us to focus on what really makes a service organisation like ourselves successful in the long run, customer satisfaction.”
The Chester branch was the 42nd UK branch to open in 2008 and is now one of 62 across England, Wales and Scotland.
Haydn Aird, branch manager of Handelsbanken Chester, said: “The fact that we are a large Swedish bank with stable finances and a good credit rating by international rating agencies, also gives comfort to our customers.”
