Banks in the Philippines are lagging behind their ASEAN counterparts in customer experience, with delays in resolving complaints and difficulties accessing human customer service representatives weighing on overall performance, according to research by Twimbit.
The country’s banking sector scored below the ASEAN average across all four customer experience pillars, with the widest gap recorded in Service, at 3.62 compared with the regional average of 3.80. The Philippines also fell behind in Employee Experience (3.74 versus 3.78), Digital Experience (3.86) and Brand Experience (3.83), Twimbit said.
The research firm noted that improving response times, ensuring consistent service delivery and strengthening employee support will be essential to creating a more seamless customer experience.
Some institutions, including Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Union Digital Bank, have introduced more advanced capabilities such as AI-driven insights, biometric-first authentication, conversational chatbots and fully integrated in-app services.
However, several traditional banks continue to rely on basic personalisation, SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs) and partially digital service processes, according to Twimbit’s State of CX in ASEAN report, published in October 2026.
Feedback from customers of traditional banks frequently points to lengthy complaint resolution processes, difficulties reaching live representatives and inadequate follow-up after issues are reported.
Twimbit also observed that only a limited number of traditional banks demonstrate established customer experience leadership, comprehensive employee training and sufficient empowerment of frontline staff.
Digital banks, meanwhile, are making progress through biometric authentication, AI-powered financial services, personalised product offerings and fully digital onboarding processes. Several are also combining in-app customer support and conversational AI tools with access to human assistance.
Among banks operating in the Philippines, GoTyme Bank ranked highest in overall customer experience across traditional and digital institutions, scoring 4.06 out of five. UnionBank topped the traditional banking category with a score of 4.03, the report found.
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