This week, the results of a Freedom Information Request to the Information Commissioner’s Office revealed that complaints about banking nuisance calls and texts rose by 35% in 2020. This is particularly concerning as many consumers needed urgent assistance from banks last year as the pandemic took its toll.

The data shows that 6,367 complaints were registered by UK consumers about nuisance calls and texts related to banking, compared with 4,183 in 2019. While many of the calls that were reported may have come from spammers or scam artists, even legitimate businesses need to be careful they aren’t crossing the line into nuisance calling, especially when a growing number claim to be ‘customer-centric’.

With physical branches closed, it’s more crucial than ever that banks focus on providing support to customers and deliver quick responses to questions and proactive updates about important account information. For example, people with questions about emergency loans desperately need clear, straightforward and quick communication with their bank. The last thing they need is to be bombarded with irrelevant or upsetting calls and texts that make them see their bank as a nuisance.

To be helpful, rather than an annoyance, banks must follow customer preferences, such as contacting by email rather than phone, and ensure all relevant information is to-hand for customer service teams, regardless of the channel they’re covering. This will put them in a great position to have a healthy long-term relationship with customers.