First, it was the mass closure of bank branches and long queues at those that remained open that made bank customers angry.
They were eventually weaned off face-to-face banking and actively pushed towards ATMs, and telephone and internet banking.
However, it was far from the last thing the banks did to earn the wrath of their customers.
The next source of frustration came via those pesky penalty fees and charges for a whole range of seemingly straightforward transactions.
More recently, there has been anger about rises in lending rates over and above official increases by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), as well as delays in processing loan applications.
Little wonder then that customer loyalty, according to a recent survey, is a thing of the past.
An online poll conducted by mortgage broker Loan Market Group, found 55 per cent of respondents would "definitely" change banks once federal government proposals to make it easier to switch come into law.
Thirty-six per cent said they would adopt a "wait and see" approach, while just nine per cent said they would stick with their current provider because changing was "too much hassle".
Loan Market Group chief executive Jennifer Nielsen said the survey confirmed something that was well-known about Australians and banks.
"Australians are among the most cynical of banks in the world," Ms Nielsen said.
"It's a fact and the banks know that. It's been surveyed to death over the years.
"We've just always loved to hate our banks."
Ms Nielsen said the survey showed customers felt frustrated and trapped by the banks, particularly when it came to home loans.
"They believe that when home loan rates rise by more than official rates the bank hasn't done the right thing by them, yet it seems too difficult to change accounts," Ms Nielsen said.
The difficulties in global money markets has made accessing money more expensive for everyone, but especially smaller, non-bank lenders.
Ms Nielsen said the situation had led to a reduced range of products in the market.
"One of the things that competition does in the market is it means there is innovation and it keeps the cost of money down," Ms Nielsen said.
"I definitely think it's imperative that we have as much competition in the banking and lending space as we possibly can.
"All that stuff that's going on at the moment is serving to reduce it."
In February, the federal government released a four-part plan designed to encourage more competition between banks, by enabling customers to switch bank loans without copping large exit fees.
The Australian Bankers Association said at the time banks "had been working on initiatives to make switching easier for some time".
"These new initiatives will make it easier for the customer to move their transaction accounts," the ABA said in a statement.
