Online banking customers in the UK are increasingly pleased with the service they receive, according to the latest results from the Virtual Surveys' Online Banking Survey (V-OBS). 65% of all customers rated their online bank as excellent or very good in the second quarter of 2003, compared with 58% a year before and 49% two years ago.
Smile and First Direct, who have previously topped the table, are now fully half a point clear of the rest of the field, although other banks such as Alliance & Leicester, NatWest and Egg are also improving.
The higher levels of customer satisfaction seem to be primarily due to online banks improving the speed and usability of their banking sites. The range of products and services offered online has also improved. In particular, customers are rating online money transfer, direct debit and standing order functions more highly than at the same period last year.
Virtual Surveys' Online Banking Survey (V-OBS) League Table for Q2/2003
Bank | Mean Score |
All Online Banks | 3.8 |
Smile | 4.4 |
First Direct | 4.4 |
Co-operative | 3.9 |
RBS | 3.9 |
Nationwide | 3.9 |
HSBC Bank | 3.8 |
Cahoot | 3.8 |
Egg | 3.8 |
IF | 3.8 |
Halifax | 3.7 |
Barclays | 3.7 |
Lloyds TSB | 3.6 |
NatWest | 3.5 |
Abbey National | 3.4 |
Bank of Scotland | 3.3 |
Woolwich | 3.3 |
Alliance & Leicester | 3.3 |
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.
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