Nearly 46% of American and Canadian retail banking customers are overall satisfied with their primary banking institution, an increase of 10% from just four years ago, according to a survey conducted by research firm ath Power Consulting.

The chief source of this year’s gain has been among the four largest US banks – Chase, Bank of America, Citibank and Wells Fargo, which made significant strides in customer service rankings, as compared to their regional and local counterparts in 2014, the report says.

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Also, the number of customers likely to change banks has declined from 10% to 8% over the past two years, the study revealed.

ath Power CEO Frank Aloi said: "The decrease in likelihood of attrition is a notable improvement. Most banking institutions would be thrilled to retain two percent more customers a year.

"The leading customer-centric banks are improving problem resolution dynamics and becoming more ‘right-channeling’ focused to provide greater value to their customers – and, it is paying off."

The study additionally shows an increased acceptance of non-bank alternatives for personal banking services and lending.

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Survey respondents who reported using personal banking services from a retail store, such as Walmart or Costco, over a traditional bank in the past year, cited lower fees and better locations/hours as driving factors.

Those that leveraged peer-to-peer lending services similar to LendingClub or Prosper over traditional lending, said that faster access to money, better rates and an easier loan process swayed them.