The poll by Which? Money assessed the performance of banks in their mortgage, savings, current account and credit card departments and found smaller institutions are providing a better service than their larger counterparts.
First Direct come top of the People’s Choice poll in terms of customer satisfaction, scoring 82%, while One Account and Smile follow with 81% and 79% respectively.
Meanwhile, Bank of Scotland and Halifax, both owned by Lloyds Banking Group, come bottom of the survey, with Santander and Cheltenham & Gloucester also faring poorly.
Along with Government-owned Northern Rock, they all received customer scores of less than 50%.
All scores were calculated by combining satisfaction in the various categories with the likelihood customers would recommend the provider to a friend.
Which? chief executive, Peter Vicary-Smith says: “Whether it is a current account, mortgage, credit card or savings account, we consistently see the same names keeping their customers happy.
“Time and again, the big high street banks are found to be lacking when it comes to good customer service. People who are unhappy with their bank must vote with their feet and move to a better financial provider.”
