Small Business Banking Still the Red-Headed Stepchild

Posted By Karen Licker

Our J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Small Business Banking Satisfaction StudySM  suggests that banks should focus on small business customers because of the value they represent, when compared to retail customers. On average, small businesses hold deposits four times greater and loan balances 15 times greater than retail banking customers.1 Small business customers also carry higher levels of personal banking business than the average consumer. In addition, the profit margins on small business customers are typically larger than those on larger corporate banking customers.

Yet, based on the results of the study, just released today, it appears that small businesses, like Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect. Despite overall satisfaction increasing by 19 index points year over year to 736 (on a 1,000-point scale) in this year’s study, it still represents one of the lowest-scoring financial services businesses that J.D. Power and Associates examines. Only mortgage servicing is lower. Even its perennial low-scoring counterpart, credit card, has surpassed small business banking in satisfaction to levels enjoyed in the retail banking sector.

Now in its seventh year, the study measures small business customer satisfaction with the overall banking experience by examining eight factors: product offerings; account manager; facility; account information; problem resolution; credit services; fees; and account activities.