SWEDISH bank Handelsbanken has been rated top for customer satisfaction for the sixth year running in an independent survey of personal and business customers.

The 143-year-old bank, which has a branch in Calvin Street, Bolton, has been judged to “far exceed” its British banking competitors for both customer satisfaction and loyalty.

It is a status Handelsbanken has enjoyed in its home country since surveys began in 1989.

The survey confirms Handelsbanken has managed to maintain its top ranking for customer satisfaction during a year of strong UK expansion.

Since the financial crisis six years ago, the bank has announced 120 new British branches.

As well as its Bolton branch, it services individual and corporate customers in another 179 communities across the UK.

“We depend on local recommendation rather than marketing campaigns to develop our business,” said Bolton branch manager Sean Greenhalgh. “Nothing matters more than feedback on our banking services.

“Our success depends on listening and improving all the time.”

Handelsbanken has also published its latest (Q3) financial results, revealing that UK household lending rose by 24 per cent (£4.1 billion) in the last 12 months.

It also extended net lending to UK businesses by a further seven per cent to £9.1 billion.

The bank’s group results also reaffirm its strong capital and liquidity positions and low credit loss ratios which have earned it among the highest credit ratings of any international bank.

Handelsbanken was also recently judged the strongest bank in Europe, and one of the strongest in the world, by financial information provider Bloomberg.

The Swedish headquartered bank operates more than 820 branches in 24 countries worldwide with the UK representing its fastest growing market.

A team of six bankers serves customers in Bolton. Businesses and individuals can contact the branch by calling 01204 373024 or by visiting 6 The Courtyard, Calvin Street, Bolton.