Santander Bank Polska Group serves individuals, small and medium-sized companies, large enterprises and corporations, as well as public sector institutions (7.5 million customers at the end of 2023).
We ensure a positive banking experience for all customers by:
In 2023, Santander Bank Polska S.A. prepared new customer service standards. The changes were inspired by qualitative interviews conducted with 24 customers and quantitative research with 467 employees. In 2024, the bank plans to implement the standards in the distribution network and launch training for employees.
Santander Leasing is also planning to refresh its customer service standards in 2024.
Wybrane standardy obsługi klienta Santander Bank Polska S.A.:
The bank has prepared a modern, comprehensive and tailored offering for customers, including bank accounts, loans, savings and investments, as well as settlement, insurance and card products. We are committed to making the use of our services simple, and we are also constantly increasing the number of features and operations that customers can quickly and efficiently execute through remote channels. In terms of business customer service, the bank is also taking measures to improve the standards of cooperation and improve the relationship between the adviser and the customer.
GOOD PRACTICE
Santander Factoring sp. z o. o. invites clients, as panellists, to participate in international conferences organised by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development together with the FCI. In May 2023, we took a premium client to the first panel organised by the EBRD with entrepreneurs.
GOOD PRACTICE
Santander Bank Polska S.A. organised 14 meetings on green investments in 11 Polish cities for clients from the SME and corporate sectors. The events were attended by 200 representatives of SMEs and around 500 corporate clients.
Santander Bank Polska S.A. is working extensively to improve customer satisfaction levels in the various segments.
GOOD PRACTICE
In 2023, Santander Bank Polska S.A. launched a programme called "Life Events" responding to the needs of those customers who feel unprepared for important life events and would like banks to help them deal with such situations by providing education and suggesting best solutions. We have created a 'Life Support' website which offers guidance on how the bank can support customers in relation to events at different stages of their life. The feedback collected shows that customers appreciate the non-commercial nature of the advice provided and expect the bank to help them through both positive and difficult moments. 80% of customers surveyed who remembered communication about the site found it valuable and said they would like to receive such tips in the future. The majority of visitors to the website also agreed with the statement that Santander Bank Polska S.A. wants to help them in everyday situations and life challenges.
GOOD PRACTICE
Santander Factoring sp. z. o. o. organised a series of more than 20 training courses for small and medium-sized companies covering eight thematic areas. These trainings, launched under the 'Business of a New Era' theme, were conducted by specialists and practitioners in the fields of management, strategy development, design, business processes, finance and marketing. Each participant was also given the opportunity to take advantage, free of charge, of the training courses offered on the PFP Platform, both conducted online and through e-learning.
We also take care to ensure the high quality of the complaints management process.
We respond to complaints in the manner chosen by the customer. The available forms of response are letter or message in online and mobile banking.
Customers have the choice of receiving the response by post or in online and mobile banking. They are also informed by a text message when their complaint has been accepted, the case has been closed and the response has been forwarded. If the case takes longer than 5 days and then longer than 10 days to process, the customer will also receive a text message with such information.
In 2023, we have continuously improved our responses to complaints and worked to reduce the time taken to respond. We try to write in a simple and exhaustive way, while avoiding banking jargon and complicated language. We use robots in our complaints processes to reduce the time taken to handle complaints.
If we cannot accept a complaint, we inform the customer how they can appeal against our decision, internally to the Customer Care Officer or to external institutions. We systematically check the quality and speed of our work and the level of satisfaction/ recommendation (confirmed by surveys). In addition, since September we have introduced a post-complaint telephone call for certain categories of complaints. Our advisors contact customers by phone to inform them about the response to their complaint, to clarify any doubts or questions and to suggest solutions that customers might benefit from. We use the findings and results to improve the process of reporting and handling complaints.
We have described the rules for accepting and handling complaints in the terms and conditions of the individual products (for loans in contracts). Customers will also find them on our website.
In order to allow serious concerns to be reported to the Management Board, a special unit (in the Compliance and Financial Crime Control Division) has been set up at the bank to analyse and report on complaint trends and incidents that contribute to a significant increase in the number of complaints. We present the complaints report quarterly to the Management Board and Supervisory Board. In addition, once a year, we discuss complaints at a meeting of the Management Board and at meetings of the Audit and Compliance Committee.
Complaints that come directly to the bank’s Management Board, the Board President and the members of the Management Board are dealt with by the Customer Care Officer. We also include information about these complaints in our quarterly and annual reports.
