- December 2024
December 2024
Customer satisfaction with the digital offerings of Swiss banks has improved compared to the previous year. However, questions remain about whether banks are adequately addressing the growing demand for specialized services, notifications, and secure messaging.
As the digital age progresses, e-banking and banking apps are becoming increasingly important for providing banking services. At the same time, customers continue to demand traditional communication methods, prompting banks to invest further in strengthening their omnichannel strategies.
Key Takeaways
- High satisfaction: Most Swiss customers are satisfied with the digital services of their primary bank.
- Core functionalities matter: Basic e-banking activities – money transfers and account and credit card management – remain top priorities across all age groups.
- Growing demand for innovation: Customers increasingly value specialized tools for mortgages and financial planning. Chatbots and secure messaging are also gaining traction.
Strengthening the omnichannel offering – Finding a balance between digital and personal customer care
Although e-banking and banking apps have gained importance compared to the previous year, with over 60% of customers relying on digital interactions, banks must ensure they meet the diverse needs of their customers. More than 30% of respondents still use email, phone, or in-person visits to their bank as their main communication channel. Banks must not lose sight of their commitment to providing seamless and comprehensive customer care.
Expanding the digital service catalog – Responding to the growing demand for specialized tools for mortgages and financial planning
As in the previous year, a significant number of respondents believe there is still a lack of basic functionalities, such as money transfers (20%) and account or (credit) card information (18%). At the same time, the demand for expanded digital offerings for specialized services continues to grow. To address this trend, banks must invest in new and enhanced functionalities. The survey highlights a high demand for mortgage and financial planning services, particularly among younger customers. These tools provide users with valuable resources to better manage their finances, thereby increasing customer satisfaction.
Driving modern technologies – The key to customer retention in banking
The survey reveals that notifications remain the most important feature in e-banking and banking apps, with their relevance increasing significantly among 18- to 24-year-olds (from 42% to 61%) and 24- to 34-year-olds (from 53% to 63%). Younger customers, in particular, criticize the lack of notifications in e-banking or banking apps, and banks should focus on notification concepts, including personalization and targeted information to customers, to better meet the needs of younger generations.
Additionally, secure messaging, chatbots, and voice assistants have grown in importance across nearly all age groups compared to the previous year. To meet rising user expectations, banks should proactively invest in technologies like AI-powered assistants and data analytics, ensuring efficient and customer-focused communication.
High satisfaction with digital services – Improvement potential in user experience and communication about security measures
Overall satisfaction with banks’ digital services is high, increasing by 5 percentage points compared to the previous year (from 86% to 91%). Furthermore, the sense of security when using digital services has also improved (from 84% to 89%). Only 9% of respondents feel unsafe using digital services, with fears of cyberattacks, hacking, and data theft remaining the most significant concerns at 24% (2023: 27%).
Despite high satisfaction, there is still room for improvement in user-friendliness, as was the case last year. An optimized user experience simplifies operations and reduces complexity, further enhancing customer enthusiasm. Banks should particularly focus on intuitive navigation and clearer user interfaces, which improve usability for all age groups.
About the survey
The data used in this study is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, with 1,035 participants between September 2 and 9, 2024. The results were weighted to be representative of the Swiss population aged 18 and above. This survey was conducted in Switzerland for the second time.
