Ofcom, the UK regulatory authority, has recently published its latest data on broadband service providers, revealing varying levels of customer complaints. TalkTalk, Vodafone, and EE are at the bottom of the list, scoring below the national average for complaints.
According to Ofcom, “EE, TalkTalk, and Vodafone received the highest number of broadband complaints.” While EE’s complaint figures remained steady from the previous quarter, both TalkTalk and Vodafone experienced an increase in complaints.
On the brighter side, Plusnet emerged as the top-performing provider with the lowest number of complaints, despite being under the same BT umbrella as EE. Ofcom stated, “Plusnet had the fewest broadband complaints.”
Following Plusnet, Sky secured the second position for the least number of issues, while Virgin Media showed significant improvement by moving up to the third spot in terms of customer grievances.
In a breakdown of complaints per 100,000 customers, Plusnet led with only 4 complaints, followed by Sky with 6, and Virgin Media with 7. Conversely, BT, Vodafone, and EE each had 10 complaints per 100,000 customers, and TalkTalk had 10 complaints as well.
Apart from broadband issues, Ofcom also monitors complaints regarding landline and pay-TV services. Utility Warehouse excelled in landline services with just 1 complaint per 100,000 customers, while Sky, Virgin Media, and Vodafone also performed well in this category. Unfortunately, TalkTalk ranked lowest with 8 complaints per 100,000 customers.
In the realm of TV services, TalkTalk received the fewest complaints at 2 per 100,000, followed by Sky with 3, Virgin Media with 5, and EE with 6.
Overall, the latest Ofcom data indicates a stagnant complaint landscape across broadband, landline, mobile, and pay-TV services compared to the previous quarter. Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at uswitch.com, noted concerns over the lack of industry improvement despite stable complaint volumes.
Doku emphasized the importance of customer service quality and highlighted Plusnet’s consistent performance, urging customers to assess their service providers as annual price increases approach. He advised consumers to explore alternative deals to ensure they receive value for money amidst rising costs.