TORONTO, Jan. 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DALBAR released the names of the companies that secured a coveted spot in its 2014 Award Winners Circle. The DALBAR Mutual Fund Service Award was earned by BMO Mutual Funds and Franklin Templeton Investments (alphabetical order). For the Direct Brokerage Service Award, HSBC InvestDirect and RBC Direct Investing both emerged as premier providers in customer service in 2014.
For two decades in Canada and nearly three decades in the US, DALBAR has conducted rigorous testing of service delivery via its Service Quality Measurement Programs. Each year, DALBAR identifies those financial services firms that were found to be above their peers in service to clients after a full year of comprehensive evaluation.
These elite institutions distinguished themselves most noticeably in proactively delivering sound knowledge to their clients on products, services and procedures. Also, the Award Winners put forth a greater effort in developing a stronger expanded relationship with their clients.
"Our Award Winners Circle is made up of a unique group of companies that have uncovered ways to consistently put service excellence at the forefront of the client experience," said Michelle Slute, Vice President, Research at DALBAR.
The Mutual Fund Service Award and Direct Brokerage Service Award are based on systematic testing of customer service throughout the year. Driven by client preference measurements, DALBAR conducts thousands of rigorous tests each year evaluating a company's quality of performance in product and procedural knowledge, professionalism, ease of doing business and their ability to deepen relationships with clients. Companies that exceed a variety of industry benchmarks after one year of testing earn the DALBAR Service Award.
DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community's leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer service performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned the recognition for consistent and unbiased evaluations of insurance companies, investment companies, registered investment advisers, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of excellence in the financial community.