In accordance with the stipulations of Article 17 of the Ministry of Economy Order ECO/734/2004, dated March 11, regarding customer care and consumer ombudsman departments at financial institutions, and in line with the new "Regulations for Customer Protection in Spain" of the BBVA Group approved by the BBVA Board of Directors on October 29, 2015, regulating the activities and powers of the Customer Care Service and Customer Ombudsman, a summary of related activities in 2015 is included below.
The Customer Care Service processes all the grievances and complaints addressed to the Customer Ombudsman and to the Customer Care Service itself, except for those which under the new Regulations are the responsibility of the Customer Ombudsman.
Report on the activity of the Customer Care Service department in Spain
Statistical summary of the grievances and complaints handled in 2015
The number of customer complaints received by the BBVA Group’s Customer Care Service in Spain in 2015 is 17.647 (11,549 in 2014), of which 2,311 have finally not been processed because they did not meet the requirements of Ministerial Order ECO/734. A total of 92,3% of the complaints, 14,315 cases (9,346 in 2014), have been resolved within the year, and 1.021 complaints (839 as of December 31, 2014) had not yet been analyzed as of December 31, 2014.
Considering the type of complaints during the years 2014 and 2015, the distribution was as follows:
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Percentage of Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Complaint to the Customer Care Service | 2015 | 2014 |
| Resources | 26.1% | 23.6% |
| Assets products/Loans | 19.5% | 22.1% |
| Insurances | 8.3% | 13.9% |
| Collection and payment services | 17.3% | 10.1% |
| Financial counselling and quality service | 8.8% | 7.9% |
| Credit cards | 8.5% | 6.1% |
| Securities and equity portfolios | 4.1% | 4.2% |
| Other | 7.4% | 12.1% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% |
The grievances and complaints handled are classified:
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Number of Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Final Resolution for Complaints to the Custumer Service Center |
2015 | 2014 |
| In favor of the person submitting the complaint | 4,750 | 3,628 |
| Partially in favor of the person submitting the complaint | 1,738 | 1,529 |
| In favor of the BBVA Group | 7,827 | 4,389 |
| Total | 14,315 | 9,546 |
The principles and criteria used by the CCS to resolve complaints are based on the application of the regulation on transparency and customer protection and best banking practices. This department takes its decisions independently, notifying the various units involved of any actions which require review or adaptation to regulations.
Recommendations or suggestions
In 2015 the Customer Care Service department consolidated the initiatives which begun in 2014 and strengthened the governance of Quality, in accordance with the corporate strategy and objectives that the Group has for Service Quality, while complying with European guidelines established by the competent authorities, according to the joint report on the management of ESMA and EBA complaints.
Work teams have been organized to correct operational errors and bad commercial practices, backed by senior management and extended to the rest of the organization.
In addition, the criteria and policies for action with respect to complaints are being updated in coordination with a number of departments, as are specific training plans that provide the knowledge needed to work on claim resolution, in line with the recommendations of regulatory bodies.
The area was also transformed in 2015 with the aim of ensuring that the Customer Care Service department focuses all its efforts on the customers, and on providing a reasoned response to them. The management of claims has been centralized to guarantee that criteria are applied uniformly.
In addition, a new complaints management tool has been established with a single repository that includes all the information available relating to the management of complaints and claims. It allows a more precise analysis of the data, including both the reasons and the basic elements of the decision, with the aim of resolving the deficiencies detected and providing internal recommendations to the team and the Bank's different organizational levels.
This more exhaustive analysis of the data allows better identification of any recurring or potential systemic problem, detecting weaknesses and aiming to ensure compliance with the transparency regulations and good banking practice. The above are the priorities of this Service, as is improving the quality of the service we provide to our customers.
Report on the activity of BBVA´s Group Customer Ombudsman in Spain
Statistical summary of the grievances and complaints handled in 2015
965 customer complaints were received by BBVA’s Customer Ombudsman in 2015. Of these, 45 have finally not been processed as they did not fulfill the requirements of Ministerial Order ECO/734. A total of 90.15% of the complaints, have been resolved within the year, and 50 complaints had not yet been analyzed as of December 31, 2015.
The grievances and complaints handled are classified in the table below in line with the criteria established by the Complaints Service of the Bank of Spain in its half-yearly requests for information:
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Number of Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Complaint to the Ombudsman | 2015 | 2014 |
| Insurance and welfare products | 459 | 303 |
| Assets operations | 161 | 257 |
| Investment services | 59 | 73 |
| Liabilities operations | 101 | 106 |
| Other banking products (cash, ATM, etc.) | 48 | 34 |
| Collection and payment services | 37 | 14 |
| Other | 100 | 102 |
| Total | 965 | 889 |
The details of the complaints resolved in 2015 and 2014, broken down according to their final resolution, are as follows:
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Number of Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Final Resolution for Complaints to the Ombudsman |
2015 | 2014 |
| In favor of the person submitting the complaint | 2 | - |
| Partially in favor of the person submitting the complaint | 544 | 352 |
| In favor of the BBVA Group | 324 | 451 |
| Total | 870 | 803 |
Based on the above, it can be concluded that 59.45% of customers bringing a complaint before the Customer Ombudsman are in some way satisfied, either as a consequence of the final resolution of the Ombudsman or because of its role as a mediator between the customer and the entities composing the BBVA Group.
The Customer Ombudsman's decisions are based on current legislation, on the contractual relationships in place between the parties, on current standards on transparency and customer protection, on best banking practices and, especially, on the principle of equity.
Independence is an essential aspect of the Customer Ombudsman. The decisions handed down by the Ombudsman in favor of the customer are binding on the affected Group entity.
Recommendations or suggestions
Among the various initiatives implemented by the Group at the behest of the Customer Ombudsman in 2015, the following are worth noting:
- Recommendations have been made on adapting the product profile to the customer profile, with special emphasis on the need for greater provision of accurate information on the products offered to customers by presenting them with all necessary data and documentation to that end.
- The main purpose is to promote compliance with regulations on transparency and customer protection, providing criteria and possible actions for improvement, and paying special attention to its mediation between the customers and the Entities in order to reach an amicable agreement, within the limits set by regulations.
- In partnership with Quality, Legal Services in Spain and Portugal, and the Customer Care Service, a Quality Committee has been set up, which meets on a monthly basis with the participation of various of the Group's Units and Areas in Spain to discuss and share problems, ideas or suggestions related to the grievances and complaints lodged by the customers, in order to improve the Group's complaints system and thus contribute to providing better and more satisfactory care to the customers.
- Group representatives are in constant contact and meet regularly with the Complaints Service of the Bank of Spain, the CNMV and the Spanish General Directorate of Insurance and Pension Funds, with the common goal of harmonizing criteria and fostering more robust customer protection and security.
Customers who are not satisfied with the resolution of the Customer Ombudsman can appeal before the Bank of Spain, the CNMV or the Spanish General Directorate of Insurance and Pension Funds. The Ombudsman always informs the customers of this option.
In 2015, the number of complaints examined or resolved by the Customer Ombudsman and subsequently presented by the customer before the supervisory bodies is 73.