Consumers prefer doing bank business in-person

During financially tough times, many consumers find themselves having increased contact with their bank as they look to manage debt and deal with bill consolidation. However, according to a new survey from Mintel Comperemedia, adults are somewhat picky about how that business is carried out.

According to a survey from Mintel Comperemedia, a majority of adult respondents – 65 percent – said they favored conducting financial business with bank employees at a branch in a face-to-face manner.

Doing business on a bank’s secure website was the second most popular method of contact with a bank, with 44 percent of respondents favoring it, while 43 percent said they were comfortable conducting financial business over the phone.

However, online banking methods gained with the generations, as 52 percent of both Generation X and Generation Y-ers said they were comfortable doing business with a bank over their website.

The survey also found that there seemed to be a marked difference when it came to how consumers preferred to be contacted by banks, as no one method was preferred. Being contacted by mail, email, or in person had similar amounts of respondents who preferred them as a means of contact at 43 percent, 42 percent, and 40 percent respectively.