Kundenabwanderung durch starre und intransparente Behandlung von Kreditausfällen

Definition

Business Victoria stresses that banks have ‘far‑reaching power to cancel a loan’ after default and that borrowers should contact banks early to work through arrangements, implicitly acknowledging that the way banks exercise this power has major implications for the ongoing relationship.[3] The Australian Banking Association’s guideline lists multiple flexible hardship options banks can offer, such as reduced payments, interest‑only periods, term extensions and fee waivers, showing an expectation that banks will work constructively with customers in difficulty.[5] When institutions instead pursue rapid withdrawal of facilities and enforcement without offering or clearly explaining such options, they drive customer complaints and long‑term disengagement. While explicit quantitative churn figures are not given in these sources, retail banking data commonly show that the lifetime value of a household banking relationship (loans, deposits, cards) can be several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. If a mid‑sized savings institution has 1,000 customers each year enter early arrears, and heavy‑handed collections cause 10–20% of them (100–200 customers) to permanently leave once they refinance or stabilise, with an average lost lifetime value of A$5,000–10,000 per customer, this implies A$500,000–A$2,000,000 in foregone future revenue annually. This is a logic‑based estimate anchored in the documented emphasis on fair treatment and proactive engagement in Australian banking guidelines.

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Savings institutions in Australia 🇦🇺 lose future lending and deposit relationships worth millions of AUD when borrowers in short‑term difficulty feel mistreated in collections. Implementing data‑driven, empathetic hardship and collections journeys retains more recovered customers and protects long‑term revenue.

Affected Stakeholders

Chief Customer Officer, Head of Retail Banking, Collections Manager, Customer Advocacy / Complaints Manager

Related Business Risks