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Business & Money

Government 'bank bashing' upsets bankers

Published: 29 Nov 12 07:48 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/44728/20121129/

Nine in ten bank employees say customers are challenging them on terms and conditions, prompting their union to question the Swedish government for continuing its bank-critical rhetoric.

"This comes up in every board meeting we have," Financial Sector Union chair Ulrika Boëthius told business daily Dagens Industri (DI).

"They're held to task for something they have no power to change."

Around 90 percent of their members say customers are increasingly annoyed at them.

The same number of bankers said they thought criticism in the media was the reason behind the attitude shift.

The newspaper used the term 'bank bashing' and claimed that Finance Minister Anders Borg now takes every chance he gets to hammer home the message to bank customers to be more demanding.

Neither was financial Markets Minister Peter Norman spared from criticism.

"Our members get upset when he compares bankers to vacuum cleaner vendors," Boëthius told DI.

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08:48 November 29, 2012 by Borilla
Of course banks could actually work to provide service to customers. Nah. That would require employees actually doing something productive. For a change the pols seem to actually be reflecting public opinion. Stupid rules and business practices result in the people who meet the public hearing about it. Want to open an account. Leave your name and we will call you and make an appointment to see if we will accept your money. Need a banking service? We will charge you 1000 SEK for a 500 SEK transaction. Well yes, we lost money in our attempts to invade the Baltic states and have contributed to housing bubbles but don't blame us.
09:47 November 29, 2012 by calebian22
I switched from Nordea to SEB for one reason. The banker at Nordea said that I didn't qualify for a loan with them. When I said, that I found this to be untrue based on my own research, she told me in a very arrogant fashion that I would fair no better elsewhere. Considering that SEB approved me for twice what I actually needed, the idea that customers shouldn't be calling BS, when they smell it being shoveled is a whiney and an unreasonably peckish attitude of bankers in Sweden.
09:56 November 29, 2012 by robban70226
What is the problem?

comparing bankers to vacuum cleaner is a correct comparion
14:52 November 29, 2012 by Eric1
It's very disturbing to see the media and leftist join forces to destroy capitalism, and the human soul. The sheeple will follow along, thinking they will get some of the spoils. We learn nothing from history.
17:19 November 29, 2012 by voiceofreason
Same reason I left Nordea, I was told I wasn't qualified for a housing loan that SEB gladly offered me at very attractive rate.

Arrongance
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