Empirical Evidence of the Effectiveness of a Network in Improving the Quality of Banking Services

Customers have shown increasing disaffection regarding the quality of banking services. This element constitutes a fundamental aspect since the competition between banks will turn from the activities to the relationship with and the defence of the customer base. The banking business model will have to be re-thought and the level of service will be the key criteria of the banking offer. In this context, the paper investigates two different clusters of Italian banks in order to verify if and to what extent they promote or guarantee a strong relationship with customers. Drawing on available literature, the paper aims to verify customers’ perceptions and experiences relating to banks that have merged into another (larger) bank or are members of a network and still operate on a stand-alone basis. In this sense, the research project tries to investigate which of the bank clusters is considered more as “my bank” by customers and why. The research intends to offer insight into the effectiveness of a structure – such as a banks’ network – in strengthening the quality of service and satisfaction of their clients. The data were collected through different focus groups and during one-to-one interviews. The results highlight important differences in the two clusters of customers. Results are discussed and managerial implications are drawn.