28 August 2012 7:12am

National Australia Bank's chief executive, Cameron Clyne, has defended the bank's emphasis on reputation and customer satisfaction under his management, saying it adds to the bottom line.

Speaking at an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce lunch in Sydney yesterday, Clyne said: "People ask us why we focus on it. They want to know if it really drives returns or is it more about making us feel better."

When Clyne took on the top job at NAB, in January 2009, the bank's customer satisfaction rating was the lowest of the big banks' ratings and trailed the others by a considerable...