Customer Behavior in the EU’s Retail Banking Markets: Evidence from Portugal

Abstract

The digital revolution has fundamentally transformed the banking sector, reshaping customer interactions and intensifying competitive dynamics across economic landscapes. This research investigates customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in the Portuguese banking market through a comprehensive longitudinal study spanning four critical years: 2013, 2019, and 2023. The study reveals customer trust as a determinant of satisfaction and loyalty while simultaneously highlighting a significant decline in trust in the banking sector. This erosion can be attributed to two primary factors: the lasting impact of the 2008 global economic crisis and the ongoing transition to digital banking platforms. As banks progressively replace traditional face-to-face services with digital interfaces, customer satisfaction and loyalty have experienced a notable downturn. The research demonstrates that technological advancements, while offering increased efficiency, simultaneously risk undermining the fundamental interpersonal relationships that historically characterized banking experiences. The Portuguese banking landscape presents a critical case study of these broader transformative challenges. Intensified competition and diminishing customer trust demand proactive strategic responses. The findings underscore the imperative for banks to reimagine their customer interaction strategies. Success in the digital age requires a delicate balance between technological innovation and maintaining genuine human connections. Banks must invest in creating digital experiences that are not merely transactional but deeply responsive to customer needs and expectations. This research contributes to understanding the complex dynamics of digital transformation in banking, highlighting the critical importance of trust as a strategic asset in an increasingly competitive and technology-driven financial environment.