Lloyds TSB Middle East named Best International Bank for third year running

This is the third consecutive year that Lloyds TSB Middle East has won this award.

Ethos Consultancy is the region's leading provider for benchmarking, mystery shopping, customer satisfaction surveys and brand audits. Their annual study is carried out by experienced researchers who explore all channels which prospective customers may encounter when approaching a bank namely the branch, call centre and website.

Each channel is then evaluated on interpersonal performance, response time, service quality and satisfactory outcome to assess the overall customer experience. 29 banks were included in the study.

Bert de Ruiter, Managing Director of Lloyds TSB Middle East, commented:

"We are delighted to be awarded Best International Bank by Ethos Consultancy for the third consecutive year. There's no doubt that 2008 has been a challenging year for Banks across the globe as the economic climate has become increasingly unpredictable. We see this accolade as evidence that we have successfully maintained our customer centric focus amidst this uncertainty which is why we accept this award with pride. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every member of staff for their input to Lloyds TSB Middle East winning this award and also to commend them for all of their efforts to date in 2008."

Commenting on the report, Robert Keay, Managing Director at Ethos Consultancy said that "The award show Lloyds TSB (Middle East) has consistently maintained high levels of customer service throughout the years."

The award comes as Lloyds TSB Middle East unveils a new look for the Jumeirah Branch designed to be user friendly with improved signage and more easily accessible information. The transformation also sees the Branch being re-branded as part of the "For the journey..." campaign which aligns it with the brand identity of the wider Lloyds TSB Group.

Richard Musty, Consumer Banking Director at Lloyds TSB Middle East said, "We are delighted with the results. We have a Branch to be proud of; it engages our customers and clearly communicates our messaging. We are working hard in all areas to improve our service and the overall experience here at Lloyds TSB Middle East - our Ethos Award is evidence that our commitment to delivering excellent customer service is paying off."

The transformation work was led by Rufus Leonard, a Marketing and Communications agency used by Lloyds TSB both in the UK and in the Middle East. Richard Bowcott, Regional Head at Rufus Leonard commented, "We have worked closely with Lloyds TSB Middle East to understand their brand identity and how this is embedded into the customer experience. We have successfully transferred the Lloyds TSB brand to Dubai whilst still treating the region as a separate entity."