A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND SERVICE QUALITY IN SMALL BANKS AND NEW GENERATION BANKS

Two decades of financial liberalization, rapid technological innovation, and changing customer expectations have transformed the Indian banking sector beyond recognition. A uniquely heterogeneous banking ecosystem has evolved where legacy small banks coexist with technology-driven new generation banks, and customer experience has become a critical determinant of competitiveness and sustainability. The present study reports a primary data–based empirical examination of customer experience and service quality in small banks and new generation banks. The main purpose of this study is to compare customer perceptions in both the banking segments regarding service efficiency, responsiveness of the staff, digital accessibility, trust, speed of transaction, and grievance redressal mechanisms. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered on 50 bank customers comprising users of small banks and new generation banks. A descriptive and comparative research design was adopted for the study, wherein the data were analysed using percentage analysis, comparative tabulation, and interpretative techniques.