Brits plagued by bad banking

Updated 12.46 Wed Jun 13 2007
Keywords: Europe, customers, UK, bank

Bank customers in the UK are getting a raw deal compared to some of their European counterparts in terms of service, according to a global report.

A study of banking in 17 countries found British consumers endured long queues in branches and limited customer information.

Overall the UK banking market did not score highly in the index - long waiting times at branches, a lack of relevant information for the consumer were some of the problems identified

Although on an equal footing with banks globally, financial service providers in the UK lag behind other European countries such as Switzerland and Spain.

The study, by consultancy firm Booz Allen, used mystery shopping techniques to look at the experience of customers using branches, call centres, online services and other banking facilities.

Overall the UK market did not score highly in the index - long waiting times at branches, and a lack of relevant information for the consumer were some of the problems identified.

When contacting bank call centres, customers were found to have difficulty in accessing a human being, no indication of waiting time and experienced delays in being connected to an adviser.

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