Are you a client of the mobile and broadband services that have received the highest number of complaints?
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Broadband and O2 take the lead in the most whined-about phone and internet service providers, according to recent data from Ofcom.
The regulatory body's quarterly complaints data reveals that Now Broadband experienced an increase in complaints for both broadband and landline services, while O2 remained the biggest pain in the neck for mobile customers.
Ofcom's complaints data gets published every three months to help people shop smart when picking providers and to push these companies to enhance their services.
For broadband services, Now and TalkTalk earned a total of 13 complaints for every 100,000 customers between October and December. EE was a close second with 12 complaints, trailed by Vodafone and Virgin Media with 11 and BT with 10. All four fell below the industry average of 9, with Plusnet handling the fewest complaints at 5 per 100,000 customers and jumping ahead of Sky to the top spot.
TalkTalk's faults, service, and provisioning issues accounted for 38% of complaints, while Now saw complaints relating to these areas at 21%. The complaints handling made up 30% of TalkTalk's complaints, and 35% for Now Broadband— well above the 27% average. Now Broadband also witnessed higher than average billing, pricing, and charges complaints.
Now also led the pack for landline providers that received the most complaints, with 10 complaints per 100,000 customers, just ahead of EE with 8 and BT, TalkTalk, and Now Broadband with 7. The figures showed another decline for Now Broadband's services, while other providers improved their complaint handling.
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A Now spokesperson stated: "We are actively taking steps to ensure that Now customers get both the best possible broadband and customer service experience. While this figure represents a small segment of our customer base, we take it seriously and will continue to listen to feedback to cater better to our customers."
A TalkTalk spokesperson said: "We are dedicated to delivering outstanding service to our customers. Although this number represents a tiny fraction of our customer base, we're naturally disappointed and are working to improve it."
Virgin Media O2, which featured prominently in worst provider lists, is only slightly above the industry average for landline and broadband providers. Its customer service head Alan Stott told This Is Money they are investing £1 million daily to improve their services.
Stott stated today, "[These] Ofcom stats show that our customer service transformation strategy is driving real improvements for our customers, with significant decreases in complaints across the board. We've made a big shift from this time last year, and we'll continue investing across the business to ensure all our customers have the best experience."
Despite improvements in broadband and landline complaints, O2 topped the list for the most complained-about mobile providers with 4 complaints per 100,000 customers. This marks a slight improvement from the 5 complaints per 100,000 it received in Q3 2024, but it remains higher than the industry average of 2. It's slightly ahead of the industry average for complaint handling, with almost a quarter of complaints stemming from faults, service, and provisioning, and 18% from billing, pricing, and charges.
- In response to the high number of complaints, a spokesperson for Now stated that they are actively investing in improving both their broadband services and customer service experience.
- A spokesperson for TalkTalk acknowledged the complaints, expressing disappointment, and promised continued efforts to enhance service quality.
- Virgin Media O2, despite being listed among the worst providers, is investing £1 million daily to improve their services, according to customer service head Alan Stott.
- Despite some improvements, O2 continues to lead in the category of the most complained-about mobile providers, with an average of 4 complaints per 100,000 customers, indicating a need for further focus on service enhancement, particularly in areas such as billing and pricing.
