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If a survey carried out in Northern Ireland is anything to go by, banks are even less popular amongst SME owners than was previously thought. Close Invoice Finance found that one in ten owners of an SME would rather go to see the dentist than their bank manager - and 50% were putting their money where their mouth is, admitting they hadn't been to see their bank manager in a year. A full 23 % said they couldn't even recall when they last met up.

Things get worse for the banks. 58% of SME owners claimed that their bank employs 'bully-boy' tactics to make sure all their banking is done with the one provider, cajoling them into extra services. They're also less keen on going to their bank for advice - 43% said they'd go to their accountant first, while 23% said they'd go to the bank. At the same time however, it appears owner-managers are happy to let the bank help them out with funding: 67% of SMEs in Northern Ireland use bank overdrafts to fund their growth, making it by far the most popular option for companies.

In this light, it's easy to see that banks are not very popular amongst SMEs. But what it also sheds doubt on is the success of the competing claims by banks to be the one that is the most friendly, the one that knows you best, acts the most 'local', or even cares the most. With stats like these, it's hard to believe that business customers are convinced with the brave new world of banking.

David Thomson,  CEO of Close Invoice Finance, said businesses would like to get back to an earlier era of banking dominated by the traditional friendly bank manager ‘But, in an era of call centres and tightening margins, they recognise that he’s all but vanished from modern British banking.’

Of course, it might all be a bit unfair on the old banks. According to Harry Parkinson, managing director of Close Invoice Finance in Ireland, : 'With SMEs currently undergoing a bumpy ride due to the credit crunch, it’s unsurprising if many are feeling less than warm towards their bank manager.' This may of course be true. What isn't up for debate, however, is that the image of the banks have is suffering, and it looks like work will need to be done on that front. Whether that takes the face of actual change or more PR, time will tell.