The effectiveness of a strategy related to building a lasting relationship between a bank and its customers largely depends on the quality of the communication between both parties. It is mainly a matter of communication in moments of crisis, for instance, when customers are dissatisfied with the quality of services offered. The bank's readiness to recognise and deal with customers' problems as well as its reaction to their complaints influences the customers' trust and loyalty and determines the bank's future market position. Hence, the need to create an effective complaint management system which should constitute an integral part of the bank's marketing policy.

By presenting selected research findings, from Poland as well as abroad, the author argues that the way of handling complaints affects the resilience the customer/bank relationship. To benefit from the situation, banks have to avoid a passive procedure in handling customers' complaints, where they are dealt with as they arise. A system should be developed in which the whole company is involved, which would bring about an improvement in the services offered and strengthen the bank's competitiveness. One may even speak here of an organisational culture within a company, focused on creating a lasting relationship with customers, where complaints are actively gathered, analysed and handled in a systematic way. The whole company, from senior management staff and officers down to ordinary employees must have a positive attitude towards complaints and the customers who make them.

Implementation of such a system should in effect bring about lasting changes in the behaviour of the employees dealing with customers. This may be achieved through a properly designed training system and through authorising the employees to make independent decisions in certain circumstances. Although complaints by customers cannot be a source of satisfaction for a bank employee, if such complaints occur, they should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat.