Small business operators have faced difficult conditions over the past year, and while sentiment has improved in 2010 there are still a number of factors that will cause them difficulty. While credit is currently hard to obtain for SMEs, rising interest rates will add to the difficulty of managing credit and cashflow. In this environment it is easy for tensions to arise between SMEs and their business banks, although there is also the opportunity to build relationships by adding value for SME clients.Using data from RFI’s surveys of 500 SME operators conducted for the ASBC, this report will look at the importance of a quality service proposition in building relationships with SME clients. It will also examine the needs of SMEs to see how they value service and communication, and how these needs can be met effectively to improve satisfaction among business banking customers.
