The MSR Group Awards Huntington Bank Highest in Customer Advocacy for the Midwestern Region - The MSR Group

Omaha, Nebraska April 26, 2012 – The MSR Group today announced that The Huntington National Bank is the recipient of its APECS® Customer Advocacy Award for the Midwestern Region for the third consecutive year.

This award is given to the client retail banking organization receiving the highest Net Advocacy Rating (NAR®) among its customers within their respective region. To qualify as a potential recipient, clients must have achieved a rating significantly higher than the national or regional average (whichever is higher) and rank highest among all APECS® clients. Huntington posted a 2011 Net Advocacy Rating which is 24% higher than the 2011 APECS® Midwest Average and significantly higher than many of the nation’s largest banks, including: Bank of America, Chase, Fifth Third, US Bank and Wells Fargo, to name a few.

“Taking care of our customers is a top priority at Huntington and we’re honored to be awarded the highest rating in customer advocacy by The MSR Group for the third consecutive year,” said David Clifton, chief customer and marketing officer for Huntington. “While many banks have taken away features or added fees, at Huntington, we’ve adopted a simpler, more straight-forward approach we call ‘Fair Play’ banking that includes Asterisk-Free Checking and 24-Hour Grace. This award is validation of that commitment to listening to our customers and the hard work of our colleagues to ensure we’re providing the best service.”

Ratings are based on results from The MSR Group’s National Consumer Banking Survey, a telephone study which collects feedback on customer satisfaction and advocacy for more than 100 banks and credit unions. To ensure accurate benchmark comparisons for clients, an equal number of surveys are conducted within each of four quadrants across the US as defined by the US Census Bureau. This rolling tracking study interviews 2,400 retail banking consumers annually, employing a Random Digit Dialing (RDD) technique. Respondents are screened to be at least 21 years of age and represent customers who have utilized their bank within the previous two weeks for at least one of the following transaction types: branch visit, ATM, Internet, mobile banking or call center.

“Huntington epitomizes the attention and focus that we feel financial organizations must commit in this day and age to excel in the industry,” says The MSR Group President, Dick Worick. “While many banks talk about the importance of improving their customer experience, Huntington acts immediately on the real-time feedback they receive from their customers to deliver excellent service. That commitment shows in their customer ratings.”

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Huntington has $56 billion in assets and more than 11,000 employees. The bank has more than 660 local branches and an array of alternative distribution channels including internet and mobile banking, telephone banking, and more than 1,300 ATMs, throughout its six-state banking franchise: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

The MSR Group is a nationally recognized full-service market research company. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, The MSR Group offers a full complement of quantitative and qualitative methodologies across the financial, retail, advertising and agricultural industries. The firm’s proprietary APECS® System specializes in providing “real-time” voice of the customer research for financial institutions.