Bendigo Bank tops ratings:KAREN SWEENEYBendigo Adveriser22 Dec,...

Bendigo Bank tops ratings:

KAREN SWEENEY
Bendigo Adveriser
22 Dec, 2010

BENDIGO Bank has posted strong results in the November customer satisfaction survey.
While the big four banks struggled again last month, Bendigo Bank was a clear winner 87.3 per cent of its customers were happy with services.

The Roy Morgan Research figures show Bendigo Bank is more than 10 per cent ahead of leading major bank ANZ, which has a 76.8 per cent rating.

Overall, the four banks scored an average 74.6 per cent satisfaction rating.

Bendigo Bank also scored high in satisfaction surrounding home loans, with 91.7 per cent of customers happy.

Roy Morgan industry communications director Norman Morris said low satisfaction for the big banks compared to smaller banks and credit unions would probably continue.

The extent of the publicity surrounding the recent rates rises and the ongoing senate inquiry will ensure that public awareness of the issue remains high for some time and as a result is likely to negatively impact on satisfaction levels for a while yet, he said.

With the governments objective of providing more competition for the major banks, it is worth noting that in the six months to November 2010 the three clear leaders in terms of home loan customer satisfaction are Bendigo Bank (91.7 per cent), credit unions (90.6 per cent) and building societies (85.9 per cent).

Bendigo Bank customer and community executive Russell Jenkins said the bank was especially pleased with the results this month, passing ING, which had an 86.7 per cent customer satisfaction result.

ING had been pipping us for the last 12 months or so... but weve moved just above them now, Mr Jenkins said.

Its another positive in terms of where we are at the moment, given all the talk and comment in the media about increased competition and ways of making it easier to move between banks.