Regional bank outclasses majors

The regional bank ranked seventh in the 2015 Corporate Reputation Index conducted by research consultancy AMR and the Reputation Institute – up six places from 2014.

ING Direct was the next best-placed third-party bank, finishing 16th and down four places from the previous year.

Suncorp Group held on to its 24th placing in 2015, while ANZ was the highest-ranked major bank at 31st – up one spot from 12 months ago.

CBA dropped three spots to 33rd, while NAB went down one spot to 41st. Westpac was the lowest-ranked major at 52nd after dropping 13 spots from 2014.

Citigroup was the only other third-party player to feature in the index, securing 55th place and dropping seven spots from last year’s ranking.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank spokesperson Marnie Baker said the result reflected the regional’s commitment to its customers and the communities in which it operates.

“We have made significant investment in digital innovations and our people lead the pack in exceptional customer service, listening and responding to customer needs and building trust and goodwill,” she said.

“It’s recognition from our customers that shows we’re fulfilling our vision of being Australia’s most customer-connected bank.”

The 60 companies included in the index are the largest companies in Australia by revenue, and are sourced from IBISWorld’s Top 1,000 Companies list.