Credit Unions Top In Customer Satisfaction Among Financial Institutions

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Credit unions are ranked first in customer satisfaction, significantly outpacing all other financial institutions, according to findings released today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).  The 85 customer satisfaction score is first among financial institutions, where the average bank score lags behind at 76.

ACSI, a respected measure of customer satisfaction (based in Ann Arbor, Mich.), ranks credit unions substantially better than traditional banks on every component including expectations, quality, value, loyalty and having lower complaint rates. This is the seventh consecutive year that credit unions have ranked above banks.

People doing business at credit unions are referred to as "members" rather than customers, reflecting the cooperative nature of credit unions (where the members are the owners of the institution). However, the ASCI scoring accurately gauges the sentiments of members of credit unions and customers of other financial institutions.

"The ACSI score demonstrates how credit unions are best in class in financial services," said Jim Nussle, President and CEO of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). "Credit unions are steadfast in their dedication to member services, in large part because credit union members are credit union owners. Our not-for-profit structure allows us to serve our members rather than focus on maximizing profits for shareholders."

The report addressed key findings for all measures that accounted for credit unions number-one ranking in customer satisfaction. Members of credit unions have higher expectations of their credit union than customers of banks do – and over the past two years, not only have member expectations increased, but credit union satisfaction scores have increased as well.

Furthermore, member loyalty is greater at credit unions. The likelihood that a member will continue to do business with the credit union is far higher (nearly 20%) than all others measured in the survey.

In terms of value – credit union members recognize the value they receive by belonging. Their perception of the quality of service received for each dollar spent at a credit union is much higher than banks, according the ACSI survey results.

Additionally, credit union member complaints about service are very low. In fact, the complaints rate among credit union members is less than half that of banks.

Credit unions also outpace banks in a number of ACSI experience measures:

• 1^st in the availability of products and services
• 1^st in the ease of making account changes
• 1^st in interest rate competitiveness
• 1^st in understanding account information
• 1^st in courtesy and helpful staff 

The ACSI report aligns with other rankings that put credit unions at the top of their field, including a recent Harris Poll that found consumer trust in credit unions steady while banks were in decline. In August, the Chicago Booth Kellogg School Financial Trust Index showed that consumers trust credit unions more than banks. The index (which is sponsored jointly by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business) showed trust in credit unions is 60% while trust in big banks is 30%.

ACSI is the only national cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction in the United States. The Index measures the satisfaction of U.S. household consumers with the quality of products and services offered by both foreign and domestic firms with significant share in U.S. markets.

About CUNA:
With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association (CUNA) serves America's credit unions, which are owned by 100 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life. For more information about CUNA, visit www.cuna.org or follow @CUNA on Twitter. For more information about credit unions, visit www.aSmarterChoice.org and follow @asmarterchoice on Twitter. Visit the CUNA Press Room for a full listing of media mentions, press releases and resources to stay informed on current events within the credit union industry.

SOURCE Credit Union National Association

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