Sustainability Report 2012 - Generali Versicherung AG

Banking businessBank clients (no.)1,200,0001,000,000800,000600,000400,000200,0000240,000235,000 60,00064,0001,170,0001,150,00074,000 72,000ITALY AUSTRIA GERMANY SWITZERLAND2011 2012TOTAL1,548,000 1,517,000In 2012, the number of the bank clients decreased by 2%, adecline that was observed in all countries.The vast majority of bank clients are private individuals: companiesonly account for 0.3% of the total.complaints and monitoring business activities in order toidentify possible remedial actions. Complaint management procedures are very similar across all Group banks. The responsibilityfor management is entrusted to a department that collects, analyses and forwards the complaints to the business units concernedin order to identify an appropriate solution. This department monitors the status of complaints and prepares communications tothe supervisory bodies and periodic reports to Top Management.Bank complaintsBank complaintsThe complaints management processes of the variousGroup banks are organised differently, due in part to the legalrequirements of the different countries. All of the banks havevarious methods by which clients may lodge a complaint(including by letter, fax, telephone and email) and a specificdepartment that is responsible for handling and analysingCountry Received Accepted Accepted/Received2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012Italy 347 317 41 52 11.8% 16.4%Austria 142 165 142 165 100.0% 100.0%Germany 9,134 7,780 2,416 1,994 26.5% 25.6%Switzerland 75 70 40 16 53.3% 22.9%TOTAL 9,698 8,332 2,639 2,227 27.2% 26.7%In 2012 the number of complaints received by banks declinedby 14% over the previous year with a widespread reduction inall countries, except for Austria, where complaints increasedby 16.2%. The number of complaints showed a fluctuatingtrend, with significant reductions interspersed with a slightincrease in 2011.Only 26.7% of complaints received (a little over one infour) were accepted. 89.5% of these complaints relatedto Germany, where a decrease of 17.5% in the number ofcomplaints accepted was, however, recorded.Change in number ofcomplaints received 2009-20122010/20092011/2010 2012/2011-17.2%The main reasons cited in the complaints are: operationalerrors or alleged operational errors committed by the bankin applying rates or delays in executing orders received; the failure of products to meet customer needs or expectations;limited or incomplete information relating to after-sales service; dissatisfaction with investment performance; lack of assistanceprovided by the branch, by telephone or via email; and commission expenses considered to be too high.Bank disputesAs at 31 December 2012, the Group's banks in the area under review were involved in 644 disputes which are currently indifferent phases of resolution. As already noted with regard to the insurance business, this number includes both passiveand active disputes.2.4%-14%Passive bank disputesCountry Number of disputes Value of disputes(thousand euros)2011 2012 2011 2012Italy 17 23 2,518 5,078Austria 0 0 0 0Germany 312 515 31,342 56,124Switzerland 29 nd nd ndTOTAL 358 538 33,860 61,202The value of BSI disputes is not available for reasons ofconfidentiality.In 2012, a total of 538 cases were brought against Groupbanks, with an increase of 50.3%. In particular, their overall valueincreased by 80.8%, which for the purposes of this report iscalculated as the amounts claimed by the counterparty.The main sources of dispute relate to alleged inefficienciesin the management of bank products, alleged irregularitiesin operations or investment services provided by the bankand market losses, the responsibility for which has beenassigned to the banking institutions by the claimants.CLIENTS | 103