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Most consumers have been satisfied with the level of support provided by U.S. banks during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study by global analytics software provider FICO.

FICO’s research examined the level of communication and support U.S. consumers received from their financial service providers since the start of the pandemic. The California-based firm found that 84 percent of survey respondents were satisfied with U.S. banks. Conducted on behalf of FICO by Censuswide from Oct. 6-23, the research included responses from 3,000 adults in the U.S.

The pandemic has had a significant financial impact on households across the country, FICO said in a statement. While almost half of survey respondents in the U.S. remained fully employed during the pandemic, almost a quarter said they were either not at all or not very confident that their finances would remain stable over the next three months.

During the pandemic, 42 percent of survey participants had contacted one of their financial services providers to help manage repayment of existing credit commitments.

“2020 has been a challenge for all, with a large percentage of consumers struggling to pay their bills,” Michael Magaard, vice president of customer communication services at FICO, said in a statement. “Banks and financial service providers play a critical role in helping their customers navigate these uncertain times. It’s critical that lenders are ready to respond quickly to customers across multiple channels, while providing flexible payment options – otherwise they risk losing them.”

Credit card commitments were the primary reason consumers reached out to financial service providers for help managing repayments, with 48 percent reaching out to their credit card provider. Auto loans were another top reason, with 20 percent reaching out for help.

Most consumers were able to arrange a payment holiday within 2 to 3 days of the option being announced, FICO said. Most respondents also noted that it was easy to reach their providers to arrange a payment holiday or otherwise manage their existing debts, including auto loans (93 percent), online loans (91 percent), credit cards (88 percent), personal loans (86 percent) and mortgages (84 percent).

While households with incomes of $250,000 and above most often reported having financial service providers proactively reach out, the level and quality of service remained relatively consistent across all income brackets from $20,000 to $250,000, FICO said.

When banks proactively contacted their consumers about their repayment situation, 78 percent of respondents said the bank did so in the way that was most convenient for them.

A key driver of the high levels of satisfaction was communication method, with 51 percent of respondents citing good choice of communication methods as the reason for their satisfaction.

“By delivering improved customer engagement and communications, financial service providers have helped many customers across the U.S. navigate an unprecedented crisis,” said Anna Hamilton, vice president of customer lifecycle management at FICO. “At the end of the day, the investment banks made in their customer communications have proven to be invaluable in fostering good-will and customer loyalty.”