Canadians say "thank you" more than "I'm sorry" - TD releases new data on Canadian thank-you behaviours to celebrate #TDThanksYou

TD turned banking into thanking through special TD Thank Accounts

TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2016 /CNW/ - Saying "thank you" is about as Canadian as it gets, with the vast majority of Canadians saying it (97 per cent) more often than "I'm sorry" (54 per cent), according to a recent TD survey. And, a "thank you" was exactly what millions of TD customers received as part of this year's #TDThanksYou celebration, some of these customers also received personalized, unique TD Thank Account surprise experiences across North America.

"We know the greatest customers in the world, and we wanted to do something to thank as many of them as possible," said Teri Currie, Group Head Canadian Personal Banking, TD. "Through this campaign, we used 'TD Thank Accounts' to deliver personalized gestures to customers to let them know that they are appreciated each and every day."

TD went everywhere customers bank and transact – at the ATM, on the phone, in branches, as well as delivered special surprises at coffee shops and more – across North America – surprising them with personalized messages of gratitude. TD Thank Accounts were given across a range of TD services, including TD Canada Trust, TD Business Banking, TD Wealth and TD Insurance. TD Thank Accounts were also used by TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank. Some of these surprise-and-delight moments were captured in a video released today.

Among the many TD customers who received personalized thank yous from TD was Linda, the sole caregiver for her husband who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The team at her branch in Toronto recognized how tough it has been for her, so they thanked her for being a great customer by sending her to England to visit her daughter, while providing caregiving support for her husband. Another TD customer, Crystal, from Drayton Valley, Alberta, who was diagnosed with cancer, received a special thank you getaway to Jasper with her family from her local branch staff.

"I was just speechless and I couldn't believe TD was doing this for me," said Crystal, who was surprised with a TD Thank Account. "The fact that they knew I need a retreat with my family was so personal and touching—a memory I will truly never forget."

Similar to these reactions from TD customers, Canadians are more likely to say "thank you" when offered unsolicited help (41 per cent) compared to when they receive a compliment (14 per cent).

Additional highlights from the TD Thanks You survey include:

• Women say "I'm sorry" (58 per cent) and "thank you" (99 per cent) more often than men (50 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively).
• Even though this digital age has most Canadians turning to mobile and tablets, we still appreciate the power of personal (90 per cent) versus digital (49 per cent) when it comes to being thanked.
  • For example, Canadians like to be thanked in person (85 per cent) rather than through text or emoji (22 per cent).
• When it comes to who we're recognizing, Canadians find themselves thanking:
  • Friends (60 per cent) more than their partner or spouse (50 per cent).
  • Customer service professionals (48 per cent) and colleagues (36 per cent) more than children (30 per cent) and parents (29 per cent).
• Over half of Canadians (60 per cent) say "thank you" in a meaningful and sincere way versus as a nice-to-do gesture.

To find more TD Thank Account stories, visit us at:

Twitter at @TD_Canada

Facebook at facebook.com/TDCanada

Instagram at @TD_Canada

YouTube at youtube.com/TDCanada

About the TD "Thank You" Survey
TD Bank Group commissioned MARU/VCR&C, formerly the Research & Consulting division of Vision Critical, to conduct a custom online survey of 1,093 Canadians aged 18 and older between July 19 and July 25, 2016. Data has been weighted by age, gender, and region to reflect the population. The margin of error for each sample is +/-3.1%.

About TD Bank Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves more than 24 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with approximately 10.7 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.1 trillion in assets on April 30, 2016. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

SOURCE TD Bank Group

Video with caption: "Video: For this year's #TDThanksYou celebration, TD turned banking into thanking through special TD Thank Accounts.". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osBLQ72bh_E&feature=youtu.be