Canadians rate RBC Royal Bank first in branch service and
value for money
TORONTO, August 29, 2007 — An independent study
of Canadians by a leading market research firm has ranked
RBC Royal Bank as first among the country's five major banks
for the service it provides clients in its branches (Branch
Service). The Synovate survey also gave RBC top honours
by ranking it number one in the Value for Money category
in 2007.
"In 2004, we launched our client first strategy to re-focus
our entire organization on our clients. We took action to
revitalize and reenergize our branch network to focus on the
branch experience," said Jim Westlake, group head, Canadian
Banking. "Our strategy is to be the leader in client
service, and receiving these top rankings confirms that this
strategy is being welcomed by our clients. This breakthrough
also reflects the tremendous dedication of our branch staff
in understanding the needs of our clients and developing strong
relationships with them."
RBC has made a concerted effort towards service enhancements
to earn the loyalty of existing clients and give new clients
more reasons to switch to RBC. This was accomplished by:
- Expanding branches and putting more staff in front of
customers
- Introducing new products and services such as e-savings
accounts, new chequing account line-up, loyalty rebates,
and accounts that waive the fees on using a competitor's
ATM.
While RBC has always had one of the largest branch and ATM
networks in Canada, together with its national network of
mobile financial planners and mortgage specialists who are
available around the clock, RBC has the most customer service
access points of any bank in Canada.
"The Synovate rankings prove that our clients are noticing
positive changes at RBC and seeing value in being able to
meet face-to-face with knowledgeable and helpful staff when
making major financial decisions," added Westlake. "We
know it's not enough to have the largest branch and ATM network
in Canada, if you don't also have excellent branch service
and provide value for money too. We also understand that we
need to keep improving in order to keep pace with the growing
expectations of our clients."
The 2007 Synovate study, known as the Customer Service Index,
was launched in 1987 and is conducted annually. Synovate's
survey results were taken from July through mid August 2007
using a nationally representative sample of more than 17,500
customers at banks and other financial institutions across
the country.
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Media Contact:
Beja Rodeck, RBC Media Relations, (416) 974-5506
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