Many Internet banks are failing to respond in a timely manner to customer service requests sent to them by e-mail, with some failing to respond at all, according to a recent study.
The study, conducted by enterprise software firm Unisys and British consultancy Global Future Forum, found that 41 percent of all online banks had contact information on their Web sites. Of those sites, only 43 percent responded to e-mail at all.
The study looked at 400 banks worldwide. Researchers from Unisys and GFF visited the Web sites and, posing as customers, sent e-mail messages requesting product information and applications. The research also found that although 90 percent of online banks claim to offer e-mail support, only half actually responded to e-mailed questions.
Of the banks that responded, 27 percent responded in less than 24 hours, 6 percent took over a week and 43 percent did not respond at all.
