Handelsbanken retains top spot in CMA business banking survey, one year on

Local relationship bank, Handelsbanken, has retained its top-ranking position in four of the five categories in the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) independent service quality survey for business banking. The results were published for the third time today, one year on from their original publication last August.

Handelsbanken Lincoln, one of over 200 branches across the UK, says that it has for many decades recognised the value of long-term relationships with customers in the running of a successful bank.

It says that this has led to the CMA’s survey once again naming Handelsbanken best for overall service quality (85%); relationship / account management (89%); SME overdraft and loan services (81%); and services in branches and business centres (78%)¹.

John Gell, manager of Handelsbanken’s Lincoln branch commented: “The team here at Handelsbanken Lincoln work really hard to deliver the best service we can, we are delighted that this has again been recognised in the latest survey results – thank you to all our customers who took part”

Mikael Sorensen, UK CEO, says: “We are delighted with the results of the CMA’s third service quality survey for business banking and would like to thank our SME customers for rating us the leading bank for overall quality of service, yet again.

“At Handelsbanken we focus on building long-term relationships with our customers: We know them personally and, when it comes to decision-making, we always put their interests first.

“Our branches are empowered to make the majority of banking decisions so our customers are able to talk directly to a decision maker who knows them and their financial circumstances. We believe that makes a difference.”

Handelsbanken has no product or sales targets, helping to ensure customers’ best interests remain at the front and centre of the decision-making process. Its approach has also led to Handelsbanken receiving the highest rating for customer satisfaction for the tenth year running in an independent survey of British banks’ personal and business customers².

The CMA’s ongoing survey, most recently conducted from July 2018 to June 2019, is intended to help customers compare the quality of service offered by Britain’s 14 largest business current account providers. The survey looks at customers’ willingness to recommend a financial provider to other SMEs based on factors such as their overall service quality and their online, mobile, lending and branch services.

All banks participating in the CMA’s service quality survey will be required to display the latest results in their branches and on their websites from today onwards. The survey will be ongoing and the results will be updated every six months, in August and February.

The survey will interview approximately 1,200 customers per provider across Great Britain each year. Results will only be published where at least 100 customers have provided a score for a service in the survey period.

¹ BVA BDRC, August 2019. For more information, please visit – https://www.bva-bdrc.com/products/business-banking-service-quality-great-britain/
² EPSI Rating, October 2018. For more information, please visit – http://www.epsi-rating.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/EPSI-Rating-UK-Banking-2018.pdf