Broadband satisfaction levels drop
Published On 14 November 2006
Despite the introduction of free broadband packages over the past seven months, many consumers are not receiving the customer service levels they would expect.A new survey from uSwitch has found that although 1.5 million new customers have signed up to broadband in the last ten months, customer satisfaction levels have dropped by as much as 16 per cent in the same period.
The research found that a record 2.8 million broadband and 5.5 million home phone customers are not satisfied with their current broadband package.
Telewest fared the best for broadband customer service while TalkTalk finished dead last. In terms of customer satisfaction, virgin.net customers are the most satisfied whilst TalkTalk and Orange customers are the least happy with their broadband service.
Steve Weller, uSwitch spokesman, said: "The introduction of these low cost broadband deals has enabled providers to grow rapidly and we have witnessed a 'broadband land-grab' over the last seven months, with nearly 650,000 new subscribers since March and a net increase of over 1.5 million broadband customers since the start of the year.
"However, it's disappointing to see that the majority of providers are failing to accompany the growth in customer numbers by sufficient growth in customer service operations and the required investment in their technology to ensure that they are looking after customer needs in an acceptable manner."
