CUSTOMER SERVICES, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND PROFITABILITY IN SERVICES: A BANKING CASE

Abstract

The subject of this paper is banking services and its importance for customer’s satisfaction and profitability in the service sector. In an increasingly competitive market, costumer service tends to be one of the main differentials for organizations. The objective of this study was to
investigate the relationship between individual customers of a bank and its service channels, and profitability. The study was developed through a case study at Banrisul, in the city of Dois Irmãos, RS. A population sample of the 1000 most profitable bank customers was studied focusing in identifying their levels of satisfaction with personal assistance, ATM’s
and internet banking. After comparing the satisfaction levels with the known profitability levels of each customer it became possible to identify which attributes and services determine more the customer’s satisfaction and profitability. The main statistic tools used were the Spearman correlation coefficient and Regression Analysis. The research identified that the dimensions empathy and personal assistance response were the main determinants for customer’s satisfaction. It was also evidenced that there is a positive correlation between customer satisfaction and profitability, and also that an increase in the customer’s satisfaction
level corresponds to a more than proportional increase in the profit level.