When it comes to basics such as convenience, product offerings and resolving problems, banks are delivering a consistently high level of service for their small business customers, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Small Business Banking Satisfaction Study,SM released today. Despite steady improvement in overall customer satisfaction, however, interactions with small business banking relationship managers are showing signs of strain. Small business customers say their relationship managers are harder to reach and slower to respond, and they increasingly question whether those managers understand and care about their business needs.
“While small business banking customer satisfaction has been trending upward for four years, some cracks are starting to emerge in a key aspect of the banking relationship,” said Paul McAdam, senior director of banking and payments intelligence at JD Power. “Because relationship managers are critical to small business customer experience, customer retention and brand advocacy, a significant decline in customer satisfaction with this aspect of the banking experience demands attention. Fewer small business customers see their relationship manager as a partner in growing their business, so restoring that connection is essential to protecting their loyalty.”
Following are some key findings of the 2026 study:
- Overall satisfaction rises across most aspects of customer experience: Overall small business customer satisfaction with their banking partners is 726 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is up 10 points from last year, and 54 points over the past four years. The increase is being driven by improvements across most operational aspects of the banking experience, including mobile (+16 points), convenience (+10 points), product and fees (+10 points) and communication (+9 points).
- Relationship management scores fall sharply: Satisfaction with relationship managers falls 15 points this year as contacts become less frequent and less personal. Overall, 61% of small business banking customers this year are assigned a relationship manager, up from 58% last year. Despite this increase in coverage, customer-initiated contacts and face-to-face meetings with relationship managers both decline year over year.
- Newest customers most affected: The overall decline in satisfaction with relationship managers is sharpest among new small business banking customers. Relationship manager satisfaction scores among businesses that have been working with their bank for two or fewer years have fallen 35 points year over year, while scores among those businesses with a tenure of three years or longer have fallen 13 points during the same time.
Study Rankings
Regions Bank ranks highest in small business banking customer satisfaction with a score of 756. Capital One (754) ranks second and Fifth Third Bank (739) ranks third.
To view the complete rankings, visit: http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2026112.
The 2026 U.S. Small Business Banking Satisfaction Study measures satisfaction across seven factors (in order of importance): level of trust; people; allowing me to bank how and when I want; account offerings; helping me save time or money for my business; digital channels; and resolving problems or complaints. The study includes responses from 6,974 owners or financial decision-makers at small businesses that use business banking services. The study was fielded from May through August 2026.
For more information about the U.S. Small Business Banking Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/u-s-small-business-banking-satisfaction-study/.
About JD Power
JD Power delivers mission-critical data, analytics and intelligence that help businesses improve customer experience and operational performance with confidence and clarity. Using proprietary, comprehensive data–including millions of consumer interactions and authoritative automotive datasets–combined with advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and deep industry expertise, JD Power enables leaders to respond to market shifts, make smarter decisions and drive measurable performance improvements.
As an objective source of deep insight into real-world customer interactions with brands and products, JD Power provides the independent intelligence organizations need to anticipate change, strengthen customer engagement and advance growth. Learn more at JDPower.com.
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