Brand values
Complaints management
20 Rabobank Group Annual Report 2005
Customer value
Rabobank wants to be seen as a bank that is near the client, committed
and leading. These are Rabobank's brand values. These values are
measured using a brand value monitor, in which private individuals and
businesses (both clients and non-clients) are asked with which of the
five large banks they most associate these brand values. In 2005,
Rabobank scored highest on all three aspects among both private
individuals and businesses. Rabobank may therefore justifiably be called
the most committed and leading bank near-you. The following table
shows the percentage of survey participants stating that the three
characteristics best applied to Rabobank.
Sound complaints management is essential to an organisation that
focuses on excellent service to its clients. Nonetheless, instances may
occur where a client is dissatisfied with a particular product or service.
And it is precisely such circumstances that enable the bank to show
what service means. Taking complaints seriously and respecting the
client's feelings opens the way to reaching a solution together.
It is important to be clear about the complaints handling process, i.e.
what the client is entitled to expect and what the bank is doing about
his/her complaint. Serious investigations can then reveal what the pro
blem really is and where a solution could be found. Finding a solution
together strengthens both the relationship and mutual appreciation.
The local Rabobank is the client's first point of contact. If the client and
the bank are unable to find a solution together or if the solution is not
satisfactory to the client, he/she can submit the complaint to the
Complaints Service of Rabobank Nederland.
In 2005, the Complaints Service received 2,906 (3,246) complaints.
Having shown increases for many years, the number of complaints
showed a slight decrease for the first time. Likewise, the Disputes
Committee for the Banking Industry reported a decrease in the number
of appeal cases. In the year under review, the bank focused strongly on
service and customer satisfaction. In addition, clients are becoming
familiar with new forms of service, for example Internet banking.
Increasingly, information on banking services is accessible via the
Internet. Clear information reduces the number of misunderstandings.
The Complaints Service expressly involves the local Rabobanks in
complaints handling. More than one third of complaints submitted to the
Complaints Service was subsequently still dealt with in the first line, i.e.
at the local Rabobanks, with the Complaints Service providing advice
where necessary or desired. The Complaints Service sends monthly
reports on the data recorded by it to the departments involved and
submits relevant improvement proposals based on an analysis of the
complaints.
The top 5 of subjects giving rise to complaints in 2005 was as follows:
1. Disputed withdrawals made with bankcards stolen or lost in the
Netherlands (266);
2. Electronic banking (237);
3. Protests against entries in the incident register (122);
4. Payments processing (87);
5. Penalty interests for premature mortgage redemptions (84).
Question: with which of the five large banks do you most
associate the following characteristics?
Brand values
2005
2004
Rabobank
Rabobank
ranking
ranking
Private individuals
Near-you
54
1
56
1
Committed
43
1
44
1
Leading
41
1
42
1
Businesses
Near-you
58
1
60
1
Committed
46
1
47
1
Leading
44
1
44
1
Source: Millward Brown Centrum research agency
