Positive customer experience (NPS)

  • GRI:
  • Key actions to increase customer satisfactionCustom indicator
    Key actions to increase customer satisfaction
  • Customer satisfaction measurement resultsCustom indicator
    Customer satisfaction measurement results

The Group has adopted a strategic approach that we call 'customer-centricity’. According to our strategy, we want to be a market leader ”in the service quality, focused on the needs and expectations of customers”. The detailed description of our customer-centricity approach can be found in the Customer Experience Management Policy implemented in 2022.

The standards we have adopted include:

  • the Compass standard for the design of products and services, which is based on customer-centric principles of modern design,
  • the ‘Clear Thing’ standard of simple communication which we have implemented both in the process of exchanging information with customers and internally
  • the standard of empathetic customer service, in which it is increasingly important to combine digital solutions with in-branch customer experience.

GOOD PRACTICE

The number of areas in which the 'Clear Thing' standard of straightforward communication is being implemented is growing. The style of correspondence sent to customers regarding debit and credit cards, mortgages, accounts and insurance was changed in 2023. New rules for the preparation of promotional terms and conditions were also adopted and guidelines for the preparation of documents for people with special needs were developed. In 2024, we will implement new service standards in the distribution network.

In the future, we will continue the activities from 2023 with a focus on:

  • digital availability of our communication on the website and the mobile application, including model documents,
  • the creation of a database of model texts, terms and definitions.
  • implementation of text usability studies.

At Santander Leasing S.A., we revised and implemented leasing agreements, general terms and conditions and accompanying documents written in plain language, significantly increasing their clarity and readability for recipients. Similar measures were carried out in terms of mass communication addressed to customers, implemented through emails, text messages, information on platforms and the website. In 2024, at Santander Leasing S.A., the documents of other products (loans, rental) will be amended to adapt them to the requirements of plain language.

At Santander Bank Polska S.A., the quarterly action planning process takes into account the customers’ point of view. The results of the NPS (Net Promoter Score) for each business segment are analysed and the most important initiatives to improve its value are identified. We view this indicator as a measure of the degree to which customer needs are understood and met.

Customers’ needs, aspirations, problems and requirements are the basis for the initiatives we take.  And one of the key metrics by which we check the extent to which we are responding to customer expectations is the Net Promoter Score (NPS). In 2023, we saw that the actions we took were appreciated by our customers. In the case of mass customers, we were among the top three most recommended banks, which means we were up one position on the previous year.

Among affluent customers, we maintained our third NPS rank, and the nominal value of this indicator increased by 6pp, compared to the previous year. Among small and medium-sized businesses, we were ranked second. We also see a significant improvement in NPS performance among corporate and investment banking customers (by 12pp year-on-year) and Private Banking customers (by 14 pp year-on-year).

NPS increase among Private Banking customers by
14pp

Santander Bank Polska S.A. is a co-initiator and signatory of the Declaration of Responsible Selling. This is a project initiated by financial institutions to improve ethical standards in customer relations. In 2023, the Bank once again successfully completed an audit of the Responsible Selling Declaration, which confirmed that our internal regulations and processes are transparent and customer-friendly.

Responsible selling in the Group is governed by our General Code of Conduct.

The principles we follow are:

  • fair treatment of the customer at all stages of the sales process,
  • full information on the risks and costs associated with the product or service,
  • competitive, transparent pricing at a reasonable level,
  • impartial, understandable and relevant to the target customer group product- and service-related information,
  • information on channels and decision-making processes regarding applications, incidents and claims that is understandable to customers.

At Santander Bank Polska S.A., we ensure that marketing communications sent to customers are ethical and in line with the law, recommendations of regulators and good market practices.

The general rules for the preparation and verification of marketing materials are set out in the Santander Bank Polska S.A. Advertising and Marketing Communications Manual. Detailed standards for a given product group are contained in the guidelines, developed by the Compliance and Financial Crime Control Division. The basic rule is that marketing materials should be reliable, honest, truthful and written in clear and simple language adapted to the target audience.

Before publication, each material is reviewed to ensure that it meets the standards set out in the guidelines. In addition, training and workshops for units preparing marketing communications are held periodically to strengthen the knowledge and skills of employees.

At Santander Bank Polska S.A, we recognise that customers’ decisions to purchase products are increasingly driven by a desire to reduce environmental damage or have a positive impact on the environment. We want to provide customers with reliable and honest information that they can rely on when making purchasing decisions. To this end, the Compliance and Anti-Financial Crime Division has prepared Sustainability Communication and Advertising Guidelines to combat greenwashing. Compliance with the guidelines is checked before the material is published. Furthermore, business projects and new product proposals are checked for the risk of greenwashing in order to ensure at an early stage in the preparation of an offer that the change does not generate a risk of customer misleading and greenwashing.