Local Bank Rated Britian's Best for Small and Medium sized Businesses

Handelsbanken, the local relationship bank with a branch in Dunfermline, has been rated the top provider of current accounts in a Government-backed survey of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)*.

The Business Banking Insight (BBI) survey, which is run by the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chambers of Commerce, asked 20,000 SMEs across the UK to rate their bank’s performance in twelve different areas, including: clear and transparent, understands your business, and treats you fairly. Handelsbanken came top, or joint top, in ten of these twelve categories.

Customers were then asked to provide an overall score for their bank, based on their willingness to recommend to other businesses. Handelsbanken was, for a second year, comfortably rated highest by its customers, across all three SME size categories (1-9, 10-49 and 50-249 employees).

The BBI survey findings echo the recent announcement (in October 2016) that Handelsbanken was rated top for customer satisfaction for the eighth year running, in an independent survey of British banks’ personal and business customers**.

The bank is committed to putting its customers first, believing local branch teams like Jim Donnelly’s in Pitreavie Drive, Dunfermline, are best-placed to serve and make all decisions relating to their customers.

Donnelly commented “As a bank built on strong and lasting relationships, we focus first and foremost on satisfying our customers by providing the best local advice and service we can every day. It is encouraging to see that this commitment to customer satisfaction is reflected so positively by our corporate customers in this Government-initiated survey.

We make the everyday decisions that matter to our customers here in the branch, free from head office targets or bonus incentives. Since we conduct no national marketing, we are only able to develop our business by building a strong reputation within the communities we serve. And it is this reputation for customer service, across our banking and wealth management services, which sometimes attracts wider positive attention.”

Overall, Handelsbanken operates over 800 branches in more than 20 countries worldwide. As well as the branch in Dunfermline, teams of experienced local bankers now serve individual and corporate customers in another 206 communities throughout Great Britain. Dunfermline branch staff have full power to advise customers on their banking needs, and agree tailored solutions and individual pricing, free from targets or bonus incentives.

In October last year, the Swedish-headquartered bank was named the world’s fourth safest commercial bank, by Global Finance magazine ***.

Businesses and individuals can contact the branch by calling 01383 726064 or by visiting 1 Pitreavie Drive, Dunfermline.