Newsroom

May 20, 2015

Index report: Consumers most satisfied with CUs

Credit unions had the highest satisfaction score of any financial institution, followed by community banks, large and mid-sized banks and the four "universal" banks, according to the Consumer Banking Expectations Index released Tuesday by banking-technology firm FIS.

Credit unions scored a 91. American Banker reported on the survey and noted that an average score of 100 means the customer, or member, is satisfied with their financial institutions; financial institutions can score above 100 if expectations are exceeded. The average score for financial institutions in the U.S. was 80.

"As credit unions are consumer/member-owned, it's no wonder they rank so well for meeting their members' needs," said NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger. "Credit unions know their members and their individual needs and concerns and tailor their products accordingly."

The survey found that, in general, the larger the financial institution, the less satisfied the customer.

The index, the first released by FIS, is based on online responses from more than 9,000 retail customers in nine countries, including 1,000 in the U.S., American Banker reported. Respondents ranked the importance of 18 different attributes of their financial institution along with their level of satisfaction in each category. The index report was also covered by CNBC.

Financial institutions, especially banks, ranked lowest in the survey on their meeting customers' expectations for safety and security, which customers ranked as their highest priorities. Financial institutions also ranked low on fairness and transparency, the article stated.