Bank saving successfully introduced
Customer satisfaction again higher
Delivering customer value is a central value to Rabobank as a cooperative bank. High-quality services
must result in satisfied clients and this is what Rabobank again achieved in 2008. A survey by Blauw
Research shows that satisfaction with Rabobank is highest among private clients, with an average score
of 7.7 (7.5). This number 1 position is due to high scores for reliability, expertise, reputation and sympathy.
A survey by MarketResponse ranks Rabobank among the three most customer-friendly enterprises in
the Netherlands. In its report, the jury praises Rabobank for its reliability, availability and openness,
the expertise and customer-friendliness of its staff and the transparency of its website. Internet users,
through both onlineawards.nl and websitevanhetjaar.nl, voted www.rabobank.nl as the best and most
popular financial site of 2008. Customer satisfaction among private-banking clients was rated by a score
of 7.6 (7.5). The reasons that were stated, were high reliability and services that had been improved on
several points according to clients. In a survey by the business periodical Incompany, Rabobank again
had a very high score for customer satisfaction, with Rabobank Private Banking in a stable second
place. The higher-than-average customer satisfaction with Rabobank among SME clients is a clear
improvement on 2007. Reasons include expertise, faultless handling of banking transactions and ease of
use. According to Incompany, Rabobank continued to be the most favoured business partner in 2008.
Market researchers from the Management Team business magazine arrived at a similar conclusion.
On 1 January 2008, Bank Savings Act ('Wet Banksparen') came into force in the Netherlands.This Act grants
favourable tax conditions to consumers saving via a bank account for a home or a pension. Rabobank was
one of the first banks to introduce new products in this context: the RaboOpbouwHypotheek and the
RaboToekomstRekening. Transparency and favourable rates have contributed to the success of these
products. Partly as a result of this, the RaboOpbouwHypotheek is a new and attractive alternative for
existing mortgage types. The Rabo Springplankhypotheek, which was introduced in 2008, won silver at
the Mortgage product of the Year contest. Collaboration with municipal councils and housing
corporations makes it easier for starters in the housing market to buy a house.
Nearer to the client through multichannel services
Clients increasingly use virtual channels such as the Internet and the telephone for banking services.
In the autumn of 2008, Rabobank passed the milestone of 3 million active Internet clients. Rabobank
invests enthusiastically in furthering the development of Internet banking. Customer service through
virtual channels is an important element in the Rabobank 2010 programme. Increasingly, local
Rabobanks use www.rabobank.nl to provide their clients with services and information from a virtual,
yet near-by environment. A prominent link on the website has brought the information from local
Rabobanks considerably closer to clients. This has caused the number of visitor hits on local web pages
to double. In addition, the ease of use of www.rabobank.nl has been improved.
In 2008, Rabo Mobiel launched the new Rabo SMS Betalen service. The mobile purse makes it possible
to transfer and receive money via SMS. Using a simple process, clients can transfer amounts up to
EUR 150 to each other via their cell phones, regardless of which banks or telecom providers are involved.
Early in 2009, consumers voted Rabo SMS Betalen 'Product of the Year'for 2009 in the Services category.
Besides via the Internet and by telephone, Rabobank can also be accessed through the TV remote
control. Rabobank was the first bank in the Netherlands to offer TV banking via innovative platforms
such as Windows Media Center® and Wii®. Growing numbers of households can access the Rabo TV site
via the set top-box supplied by their cable television provider. Since the end of 2008,Tele2 also features
this interactive TV channel with Rabobank information. Rabobank is conducting a number of experiments
around cell-phone video calls to see how this new phenomenon could be utilised properly and in a way
that respects the client's privacy, from the banking hall, the offices or via the website.
Down-to-earth private banking
Rabobank offers private banking along cooperative lines by being near to the client, showing engagement
and emanating confidence.This approach, combined with dynamic market conditions, resulted in a
significant increase in both client numbers and amounts due to customers in 2008. The'Private banking
met beide benen op the grond'asset campaign ('Down-to-earth private banking') was launched with the
aim of strengthening Rabobank's positioning as a stable private bank. The campaign shows that Rabobank
is always ready for its clients and provides them with sound asset advice. The Private Banking formula,
which is available to clients worth at least EUR 80,000, was improved further with the introduction of
customer contact strategies. With this formula, every client receives the attention he needs.
30
Rabobank Group Annual Report 2008
