Close to 80 percent of retail bank customers want financial advice from their banks, but only 28 percent of retail bank customers say they are actually getting it, according to a new survey from J.D. Power.

The study finds that customer satisfaction surges when banks get the advice formula right.

“In recent years, large U.S. retail banks have steadily improved customer satisfaction because of technology investments to provide greater banking convenience and more-consistent products and services,” Paul McAdam, senior director of the banking practice at J.D. Power, said in a statement. “The industry’s service improvements have led more customers, particularly younger ones, to view their retail bank as a viable provider of advice. In response, many banks are increasing their emphasis on providing practical advice and guidance to help customers gain greater control over their finances and meet specific financial goals. The challenge for banks is getting the advice formula right and delivering it in a personalized manner across all channels — not only at the branch, but also via the website and mobile app.”

Among other findings in the survey,  58 percent of those who received face-to-face advice felt it completely met their needs. But that number falls to 45 percent among customers who received advice digitally and to 33 percent among those who received advice via email. Furthermore, 58 percent of customers want to receive advice through their bank’s website and mobile app, but only 12 percent of them have received advice in this manner.

Millennial customers are among the most receptive to bank advice.

According to the survey, 34 percent of customers younger than 40 years old say they are “very interested” in receiving advice from their bank, and bank customers ages 25-39 have the highest levels of satisfaction with bank-provided advice. Only 9 percent of customers ages 25 to 39 feel the advice received from their bank added no value.

The inaugural study further measured retail banking customer satisfaction with 17 large U.S. banks as well as best practices related to retail bank-provided advice and account opening processes.

Chase ranked the highest in the study with a score of 829 on an 1,000 point scale, followed by Regions Bank, M&T Bank and Bank of America. Citizens Bank ranked last in this category with a score of 777.

Survey: Banks Missing Opportunity to Connect with Retail Customers

by Banker & Tradesman time to read: 1 min
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