Brand analysis
After a decrease of -1 points in Q2 2025, Santander’s Overall Effort Score has remained flat wave on wave. At 10th, it has fallen behind Monzo and Natwest.
Looking at the component pillars tells a mixed story, too. Speed of Resolving Problems and Knowledge & Expertise are both down -1, while Style of Communication remains flat. Valuing the Customer’s increase of +1 has prevented the drop in the Overall Effort Score, but it’s far from a comfortable position.
It's been a challenging year for the brand in terms of CX. In March, hundreds of Santander customers were hit by banking problems, resulting in them being unable to make payments or transfer between accounts, with some users on X bemoaning not just the outage but the communication. “I cannot get home from work because of this. Cannot access my funds and this is the second time this has happened. No reply to my messages or emails either,” one user said.
Santander also announced the closure of 95 locations or one fifth of its total estate. With 23 of those branches closing in June, we were expecting Santander’s Overall Effort Score to be impacted in upcoming waves. We may be seeing that reality here.