(Australia) – Around one-third of Australian businesses have experienced an unsolicited approach to change bank in the past six months and a growing number are thinking of doing so, according to new research from corporate banking specialists East and Partners.
East’s second
six-monthly survey of Australia’s Commercial Treasury Markets shows that
14.7 percent of the corporates surveyed saw themselves as
“definitely” or “probably” changing their primary banker
in the next six months – a 25 percent acceleration of predicted churn rates
since the last survey.
A further
10.9 percent said there was a “possibility” they could change
bank.
East
interviewed chief financial officers or their equivalents at 651 companies
turning over between A$20-100 million a year. The research, completed during
December 2002 and January 2003, represents around 10 percent of the
6000-7000 companies within this business sector.
The sector is
becoming increasingly important to the banks, and is shaping as a major
battle ground and growth area for those banks that can get it right in 2003.
Commercial
customers are starting to experience an explosion of interest for their
business as banks look to move down the “feeding chain” with
products and service built originally for the “top of town.”
East’s
research shows that the banks have an enormous opportunity to develop new
business with more sophisticated offerings than most business customers have
been using up until now.
All but one
of the 23 product areas surveyed have shown an increased uptake over the
past six months (Forward Rate Agreements being the single exception).
The report
also shows:
-
That
this mid-market segment view their primary banking relationships to be
with their transaction banker. From this platform, banks are looking to
leverage their relationships and introduce new and more sophisticated
products. -
The
dominance of the Big Four banks in this mid-sized sector is slipping.
The Big Four banks had a combined 82.9 percent share of primary
transaction banking relationships in the current survey, down from 83.8
percent in the last research round. -
In
terms of poaching business, competitors are targeting the ANZ and
Westpac. 6.0 percent of ANZ customers have been approached to change
banker in the past six months, with 5.5 percent of Westpac’s customers
also receiving an approach. -
On
Call Accounts, Term Cash Deposits and Overdraft facilities remain the
three most important product areas for Australian businesses. The three
least important are Commodities, Floating Rate Notes (Investments), and
Foreign Currency Term Loans. -
Of
13 relationship service factors surveyed, the three most important were
Quality of (Bank) People, Loyalty to the Relationship, and Understanding
(Customer’s) Business Needs. -
These
mid-ranked businesses are dissatisfied with their banks’ performance in
A$ term loans. This is the fourth most commonly engaged product, and was
rated sixth most important out of 23 products. Despite this, businesses
rated it as the bank offering they were most dissatisfied with. -
At the
same time, business customers are showing an increased appetite for debt
products such as, leases, overdraft facilities and A$ term loans. This
is good news for the large domestic banks looking to compensate for
softer demand in housing debt in the retail market, but customer
dissatisfaction with term debt offerings may act as something of a brake
on demand growth unless suppliers can deliver.
Commenting on
the report, East and Partners principal analyst Paul Dowling said:
“This commercial sector represents a very fertile hunting ground for
service providers looking to extend their account base, but not all of them
are getting it right.
“The
fact that a product like A$ term loans is rated by mid-sized businesses (the
real powerhouse of the Australian economy) as the product they are most
unhappy with is extremely concerning, and points to a wider problem.
“It
illustrates the anecdotal feedback we receive frequently during interview
programs, that customers don’t think their banks are getting the simple
things right, and yet the banks are starting to talk about new, more
sophisticated services.
“That
the survey also indicates a growing demand for debt in this commercial
sector, is good news for those banks who do get it right in 2003.”