High-income earners are harder to please

High-income earners are the hardest customers for a bank to satisfy, according to new research.

Roy Morgan Research broke down its consumer banking satisfaction ratings by income level and found that customers earning more than A$90,000 a year reported satisfaction levels well below the average.

Commonwealth Bank had a satisfaction rating of 81.1 per cent in September - the highest among the big banks. CBA customers who earn less than $45,000 gave the bank a rating of 81.3 per cent, customers earning between $45,000 and $90,000 gave the bank a rating of 79.4 per cent and customers earning more than $90,000 gave it a rating of 74.1 per cent.

The outcomes for the other big banks were similar, with ANZ's high-income customers giving it a rating of 74.1 per cent, NAB's 72 per cent and Westpac's 75 per cent.

Roy Morgan industry communications director Norman Morris said the data showed banks faced a challenge to raise the satisfaction level of higher value customers.

Morris said: "Raising the satisfaction of the higher income groups is likely to yield a greater result than it would be for lower income groups who have far less potential."

Morris said another reason banks needed to increase satisfaction among high-income customers was that they faced more competition for the business of this lucrative segment.

Overall satisfaction levels for most banks, building societies and credit unions rose in September, as they have done throughout most of this year.