Customer Service Area

Bankinter's customers can contact the Customer Service Area through any channel with their complaints and claims in relation to banking and financial transactions or services, provided that these derive from agreements and prevailing legislation or from good practices and financial uses.

In 2017, a total of 26,329 cases were handled: 1,626 complaints (6.2%) and 24,703 claims (93.8%). 91.3% of these claims were decided in favour of Bankinter and the remaining 8.7% in favour of the customer. 40.2% of these events were resolved in less than seven days, well below the legal maximum period of two months.

In compliance with the recommendation of the regulators, during last year an ambitious training plan was prepared for all employees that form part of the department. The purpose of this plan was to expand the team's legal and regulatory knowledge, and to take a more in-depth look at practical aspects of banking management.

The optimisation process of the apps that are used also continued, in order to further develop digitalisation and improve customer service. The Customer Service Area has a specific tool to control complaint and claim subject matter, reasons and response times.

Other authorities

If customers do not accept a decision of the Customer Service Area, they can contact the Bank's Ombudsman, or, depending on the case, the pertinent services of the Bank of Spain, the Spanish National Securities Market Commission or the Directorate General of Insurance and Pension Funds.

The Ombudsman processed 626 claims during 2017. In 122 it found in favour of the customer (19.5%) and in 456, in favour of the Bank (72.8%). At 31 December there were 48 cases pending resolution.