We’ve always been seen as reluctant complainers in this country but it seems as though we are now doing better than most of our fellow Europeans. Research from Nationwide Building Society show that 48% of us will send food back if we’re not happy compared with 20% in France and only 14% in Italy. It also seems that we are the least likely to tip if we are unhappy with service. Only 15% of us will always leave a tip while one third of Germans will always tip even if they are not happy
Despite this, there is still one area where we are reluctant to create a fuss. When it comes to complaining to our bank, we are the second least likely group to complain about bad service, just behind the Germans. Only 17% of us said we would be likely to switch our bank in the near future, with a third saying that they believe there is not much difference between one bank and another, and we use that as a reason for not switching accounts.
Phil Smith, Nationwide’s Head of Current Accounts is disappointed with this aspect of the research. “It’s surprising that us Brits are less likely to put up with bad service and will send food back in a restaurant, but will put up with bad service from a bank. If you’re unhappy with the service you receive from your financial provider, we would encourage you to stand up to this and consider other options. The new Current Account Switch Service means it has never been easier to move current accounts.”
It is indeed easier to move accounts than ever before, and still we are strangely reluctant to do so. We should be more willing to treat the service we receive from our banks in the same way as the service we receive from the restaurants we visit. It’s our money after all, and if our bank isn’t doing when we want them to do with it then it should be time to move on and find another bank that can.
