Clients of the nation’s banks have mixed feelings about their experiences in key areas including customer experience and digital deliverability, a PwC Middle East and DataEQ report seen by Enterprise showed.

What’s the survey? Billed as the first KSA Banking Sentiment Index, it tracked and analyzed some 5 mn posts on X.

The report analyzed sentiment toward seven leading retail banks, includingAl Rajhi Bank, Alinma Bank, Al Bilad Bank, Riyad Bank, Saudi National Bank, Saudi Awwal Bank and Banque Saudi Fransi.

What went right last year: The report showed an 11.3% y-o-y uptick last year in net sentiment on the back of a 9.1% rise in reputational net sentiment due to factors including customer service initiatives, among others.

Where the banks fell short: Despite improved performance last year, the industry’s average net sentiment was down 0.8% due to challenges in all three net sentiment categories, including turnaround time to resolve issues, delays, and system outages.

What they said: “This index not only highlights the challenges facing the Saudi banking industry, but also outlines clear opportunities for transformation,” said Melanie Malherbe, Managing Director at DataEQ. She urged banks to embrace consumer feedback on social media so that they can “turn the tide of negative sentiment and pave the way for a future where consumer trust and satisfaction are at the heart of their operations.”

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