A happy camper with your bank?
Banks have been struggling to regain consumers' trust after various scandals. In its Global Consumer Banking Survey, consultancy Ernst & Young (EY) takes a look at how Germans and others feel about their lenders.
Can you trust your bank?
While the banking sector keeps reeling from a number of scandals globally, German banking clients appear optimistic, or just gullible? Half of respondents polled by EY say they fully trust their favorite lender. Mind you, in Ireland it's only 21 percent.
Money and data in good hands?
Fifty-six percent of Germans insist their money and private data are safe with the banks of their choice. But only about a third is content with the lenders' fee and cost transparency. Only 26 percent are happy about banks' efforts to make tailor-made offers.
Need to have a chat?
Globally, and in Germany for that matter, most people still love to go to their brick-and-mortar bank branch. Seventy-four percent of Germans says the branches are vital to them - not much different from the 75-percent worldwide average.
Smartphones not deemed safe?
According to EY's study, 74 percent of German respondents have used their desktop PCs or laptops for online banking in the past 12 months. Only 28 percent have used their feature or smartphones for mobile banking over the same period - in Sweden, it's been a staggering 59 percent already.
Can you find your way around?
Speaking of banks' online presence, only 26 percent of Germans are really happy with the sites' user-friendliness and the services offered. But half of those polled suggest lenders could learn a lot from the online presentations of tour operators and entertainment portals. By contrast, e-government sites are considered to be the worst.