Dalbar announced today that Toronto-based BMO Mutual Funds captured the company’s 2007 mutual fund service awards and RBC Direct Investing acquired the 2007 direct brokerage service award, given to the Canadian mutual fund company and direct brokerage firm providing the best overall service to their investors over the calendar year.

This marks the second consecutive year that BMO has won the award for delivering industry-leading mutual fund service to clients in both English and French languages.

“The BMO team clearly demonstrates that service is a top priority for the firm, and it gives us great pleasure to once again recognize them with this distinction,” said Michelle Slute, Dalbar’s manager of client relations.

Recipients of the key honour awards are Franklin Templeton Investments and AIC Limited for delivering excellent service to their English-speaking clients.

Top French-language service providers also receiving key honour awards are Franklin Templeton Investments and National Bank Securities Advisory Service.

RBC Direct Investing achieved the direct brokerage service award based on the high quality of service provided to their clients throughout the year.

“We congratulate RBC Direct Investing for raising the bar of service delivery in the Direct Brokerage channel. ‘Client First’ is evident through the high level of customer service the team provided in 2007,” says Slute.

These awards are given to the firms placing first in Dalbar’s year-end rankings, which are based on evaluations made over the calendar year measuring a company’s quality of performance in product knowledge, professionalism, and their ability to provide value-added service.

Also included in the evaluation of service is the effectiveness of e-mail communication, telephone wait times, and e-mail response times. Direct brokerage firms are also considered for their client’s online experience.

Dalbar, with offices in Toronto and Boston, specializing in measuring the performance of institutions and financial professionals in areas such as service quality, customer satisfaction, and communications effectiveness.