New research reveals that the majority of consumers prefer face-to-face contact when it comes to managing their finances.

A survey by building society Britannia found that almost half of people would prefer the personal touch of having a branch nearby.

More than 60 per cent of investors want to see an end to overseas call centres, with language difficulties being one of the main causes of complaints.

Over half of UK consumers said that although online and telephone transactions have their place, not being able to choose how they manage their finances was the biggest failing of some organisations.

And of those people who manage their finances over the phone, two-thirds said they would rather speak to a person at the other end of the line than an automated machine.

"Feedback from our survey has confirmed that face-to-face branch service is still a favourite option [with customers]," said Britannia's chief executive Neville Richardson.

"We are of course at the forefront of new technology, and provide both telephone and online services from our customer contact centre in Staffordshire, but we are also committed to maintaining an extensive branch network so Britannia customers have the option to choose the services that suit them best."