Consumers look beyond online servcies.

Financial services executives and consumers have widely differing opinions on the importance of online finance services according to a report by Deloitte Consulting.

Financial services executives and consumers have widely differing opinions on the importance of online finance services according to a report by Deloitte Consulting.

The study found that two-thirds of financial services clients in North America, Asia and Europe do not rate online financial services as being important after surveying 2000 people in 10 countries.

The key findings for executives found that over 1300 executives in 17 countries be-lieved 24-hour access was the most rapid consumer need.

The report found executives thought that online service was rapidly becoming a re-quirement for retaining customers, while branches and offices were of declining im-portance.

However the key findings of the report for consumers found that across all financial service markets consumers were concerned about issues such as responsive service and offline access to service providers.

Roughly half of the consumers reported that one or more of their financial firms pro-vided online service. Twenty-six per cent of consumers in the United States and more than 30 per cent in Britain, Germany, France and Thailand did not know if online ac-cess was part of their service.

Among those respondents who knew that online services were offered, more than 40 per cent had used such facilities in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, South Korea and Thailand, and just over 20 per cent had used them in the UK and Japan.