Banks Still Need a Lot of Work in Customer Service

Aaron Baar mentions in this latest post on Marketing Daily that although retail banks have spent a lot of time and energy investing in the look of its retail locations, it is still lacking when it comes to customer service according to new research from J.D. Power and Associates.

In some examples where mystery shoppers visited different branches, many representatives lacked basic customer service skills like smiling, shaking hands, and cleanliness. According to the survey, half of 475 customer service respresentatives shopped did not smile when greeting a prospective customer and 1/3 of those reps did not shake hands.

Rockwell Clancy, executive director of financial services at J.D. Power mentions:

"Overlooking these simple gestures conveys a lack of respect for the customer or disinterest in their business, and can destroy the foundation of a relationship before it's even started. Where is the retail in retail banking?"

Are banks too focused on the appearance of its branches and neglecting the simple customer service essentials that improve the overall customer experience?