Sberbank’s Ural branch Help and Information Center received about 100,000 calls and letters in January-September 2007. Customers wanted to learn about different products and services, they voiced their wishes and requests and made inquiries about the working hours of the bank’s offices. People from the Republic of Bashkortostan, who made more than 39,000 calls, were the most active group of customers, followed by dwellers of Yekaterinburg and Sverdlovsk Region, who made nearly 35,000 queries, the bank’s press officer reports.

The bank’s online counseling services are also very popular: more than 520 customers have used the service over the last three months.

According to current statistical data, bank loans are still the most popular banking product at the moment. Every one in three customers who called the Help and Information Center were interested in loans; deposits, money orders, and plastic cards were among other frequently asked about products as well.