Service quality of telecoms providers revealed 12 April 2017
New Ofcom report shows how providers compare on call waiting, complaints handling and reliability
Service quality comparison tool is available at www.ofcom.org.uk/servicequality
Annual broadband performance report highlights varying speeds
People can find out how well major telecoms providers serve their customers, using an interactive tool launched by Ofcom today.
The online tool presents findings from Ofcom's first Comparing Service Quality' report published today in a simple, visual format.
The comprehensive report and accompanying checker allows phone and broadband customers to compare how different providers rate for answering customer calls, handling complaints, and reliability of their services.
The data draws on a combination of consumer research and complaints figures, as well as statistics obtained directly from providers that have never been published before.
The findings should incentivise providers to improve their service quality and fix recurring problems.
Importantly, they will also help inform consumers who are shopping around for a new provider.
Sharon White, Ofcom Chief Executive, launched the Comparing Service Quality report at an event co-hosted by Ofcom and the consumer group Which? earlier today. Sharon said:
We're determined to help bring about a service revolution in the telecoms sector, where consistency and excellence becomes the norm, and customers always come first.
Today we want to shine a light on how different providers perform, and are challenging the industry to up its game on customer service. We'll be monitoring closely to ensure industry service standards are raised.
Findings from the reportAll the findings cover the calendar year 2016.
Overall satisfactionOverall, 92% of mobile customers, 89% of landline telephone customers and 87% of broadband customers were satisfied with their service
Virgin Media customers reported the highest levels of overall satisfaction with their broadband service (91%), compared to the sector overall, while BT customers reported the highest levels of overall satisfaction with their landline telephone service (92%). Tesco Mobile customers reported the highest levels of overall satisfaction, compared to the mobile sector as a whole (96%).
Reason to complainThirteen percent of broadband customers had a reason to complain to their provider in 2016; this is higher than the proportion of landline telephone customers (5%) and mobile customers (4%).
Virgin Media and TalkTalk had the highest proportion of broadband customers with a reason to complain in 2016 (both 16%). In the mobile market, a higher proportion of Vodafone customers (7%) had reason to complain compared to the market as a whole.
Getting through to customer servicesOn average, landline telephone and broadband customers had to wait over twice as long to speak to a customer services advisor (2 minutes, 51 seconds) than mobile customers (1 minute). Calls to technical support took two and a half minutes longer on average to answer than sales calls.
Plusnet's landline and broadband customers waited longest to have their call answered (7 minutes, 27 seconds on average), with more than one in five of its customers (21%) hanging up before getting through.
TalkTalk was quickest at answering its landline and broadband customers' calls, taking just 47 seconds on average. Together with EE, TalkTalk also had the lowest rate of customers abandoning calls before getting through (4%).
For mobile, O2 customers were kept waiting the longest (2 minutes, 3 seconds on average). The best performer was Tesco Mobile, which took just 30 seconds to answer.
Eight per cent of O2 customers hung up before speaking with an agent, compared with 3% of EE's mobile customers.
Satisfaction with how complaints were handledJust over half of broadband and mobile customers who complained to their provider in the last six months of 2016 were satisfied overall with complaint handling (56% and 57% respectively). This is lower than the proportion of landline telephone customers (62%) who were satisfied with complaint handling overall.
In the broadband market, Sky customers had the highest levels of satisfaction with how their complaint was dealt with (61%), while TalkTalk customers had the lowest (51%).
In the mobile market, Tesco Mobile customers had higher levels of satisfaction with how their complaint was handled (74%), compared to the sector overall, while Vodafone customers had the lower levels of satisfaction (46%).
Satisfaction with complaints handling in the landline telephone sector did not vary by provider.
Satisfaction with reliability and performanceAlmost nine in ten broadband customers (86%) were satisfied with the reliability of their service, and 83% were satisfied with their online speeds.
Virgin Media customers reported higher than average levels of satisfaction for both measures (90% reliability and 91% speed). BT and TalkTalk's broadband customers reported lower than average levels of satisfaction with their online speed (80% and 71% respectively).
For mobile, 86% of customers were satisfied with their reception. Three's customers reported lower than average satisfaction with their reception (80%).
Time taken to provide new landline and broadband servicesProviders take an average of 13 calendar days to get a new broadband service up and running; 16 days to set up a landline service, and 16 days to install a landline and broadband service together.
The time taken to install new services varied among providers using the Openreach network.[1]
Sky set up 59% of new landline or broadband services within two weeks in urban areas and, along with Post Office, completed 52% of customer orders in rural areas within the same time.
TalkTalk was the slowest to set up
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Service quality of telecoms providers revealed 12 April 2017 
