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Ofcom Shames UK ISP TalkTalk and Shell in Q3 2021 Complaints Study

Tuesday, Feb 8th, 2022 (9:49 am) - Score 3,528
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Ofcom has today published their latest Q3 2021 (calendar) consumer complaints study, which identified both TalkTalk and Shell Energy as the providers that attracted the most gripes for fixed broadband services, while TalkTalk also took flak for landline phone services and iD Mobile came top for Mobile moans.

As usual, this report only covers complaints that the regulator itself has received and not those sent directly to either an ISP, the ISPA or one of the two Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) complaints handlers – Ombudsman Services or CISAS. Ofcom doesn’t deal with individual complaints, but they do monitor them and can take action if enough people raise a concern.

NOTE: Ofcom received c.96,051 calls and items of correspondence directly from consumers in 2020/21.

Overall, the total volume of complaints for fixed broadband, landline, mobile and pay TV services decreased during the quarter. The report also lists the level of consumer satisfaction with communications services as 77% for landline phone, 80% for broadband and 90% for mobile, but this is based on old data from 2020.

Otherwise, the results below reflect a proportion of residential subscribers (i.e. the total number of quarterly complaints per 100,000 customers per provider), which makes it easier to compare providers in a market where ISPs can vary significantly in size. But sadly, the study only covers feedback from the largest ISPs (i.e. those with a market share of at least 1.5%) due to limited data.

We should add that Ofcom also tracked just 10 complaints about BT’s provision of the 10Mbps+ broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) during the quarter (down from 13 in Q2 2021 and 46 in Q3 2020), although the separate nature of this service means that they haven’t included this figure into their totals below.

Fixed Line Home Broadband Complaints

TalkTalk and Shell Energy jointly generated the highest volume of fixed broadband complaints in Q3 2021, with both suffering the most from gripes about faults, service and provisioning issues (33% of TalkTalk’s complaints and 39% for Shell). At the other end of the scale, both EE and Sky Broadband continued to attract the lowest volume of complaints from consumers and deserve some praise.

ofcom_fixed_line_broadband_complaints_q3_2021

Fixed Line Phone Complaints

TalkTalk also attracted the most gripes for landline phone services, with their main complaint drivers being faults, service and provisioning issues (30%); complaints handling (25%); and billing, pricing and charges (22%). Meanwhile, Sky Broadband and EE continued to attract the fewest complaints.

ofcom_fixed_line_phone_complaints_q3_2021

Mobile Complaints

One of the market’s cheapest mobile operators, iD Mobile, has this quarter also risen to be one of the most complained about due to gripes related to complaints handling (27%); changing provider (27%); and billing, pricing and charges (19%). But in fairness, most of the mobile operators are fairly close together on this scale, although EE and Tesco Mobile both received the fewest gripes.

ofcom_mobile_complaints_q3_2021

Pay TV Complaints

Customers of Virgin Media’s Pay TV service continued to generate the most complaints, with the main complaint drivers being related to complaints handling (30%); billing, pricing and charges (29%); and faults, service and provisioning issues (23%). By comparison, Sky TV continued to enjoy a favourable position by attracting the least gripes from their customers, but this may change for the next report as that will reflect early adoption of Sky Glass (a bit of a rocky launch).

ofcom_pay_tv_complaints_q3_2021

Ofcom’s Consumer Complaints Report Q3 2021
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/../telecoms-pay-tv-complaints-q3-2021.pdf

UPDATE 11:52am

We’ve had a few industry comments on this article.

An EE Spokesperson said:

“Our customers already know we provide the best customer service across the industry, and these results reflect the hard work of our teams in UK and Ireland contact centres and retail stores providing the best personal and local service. EE customers also enjoy being part of the UK’s biggest and fastest network. With more 5G coverage than any other provider and ultrafast full fibre broadband, EE has been named the UK’s best network for the past 8 years by RootMetrics.”

A BT Spokesperson said:

“BT is seeing fewer complaints than ever before and we’re dedicated to keeping our customers connected and providing great service with 100% of calls being answered in the UK and Ireland. We’re committed to helping our customers wherever they need us with our nationwide team of Home Tech Experts providing in-home support.”

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Mark-Jackson
By Mark Jackson
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and .
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Comments
10 Responses
  1. Avatar photo ad47uk says:

    Talk Talk er? Not a surprise. My brother has Shell and to be honest apart from the awful router, it is not bad. I went up to set up a TV a few days ago and the speed of his broadband was ok. I have a feeling that shell uses Talk Talk network, as it came up when I did a speed test.
    My brother was talked into getting shell energy from carphone warehouse/currys, not something I would use to be honest, but it works ok.
    i suppose if there is a problem, then it depends on the customer service.
    It is cheap and works, When Zzoomm starts up where he lives, he may go for that.

    Talk Talk, I would never use Talk Talk myself, awful company.

  2. Avatar photo I Hate TalkTalk says:

    Nothing on earth would shame TalkTalk. Bloody awful company. Avoid like Covid

  3. Avatar photo Phl says:

    I have been with TalkTalk for the last couple of years. Can’t really fault the broadband. Never have any drops in services, speeds are also as should be, currently getting 74/15 on 80/20. Never had a reason to call them, but I understand it’s best to contact them online in the customer hub which seems to get things done.

  4. Avatar photo Davood says:

    No problem with Talktalk whatsoever. I have been with them since feb 2020, gfast 150mb. Albeit, using an openreach modem, a Pfsense box and Huawei ax3 pro wireless apn. At one point the router was not restarted for 10 months. No issues.

    REMEMBER, if you avoid using their stock router, you will be fine. Problems with customer service, that is a different issue.

  5. Avatar photo TalkBalk says:

    TT have always had an ‘attitude’ towards everybody and everything, a hangover from the awful Dido days, they seem incapable of shaking it off. Whilst she went on to destroy other worlds they have never recovered, it’s almost like they don’t want to, it’s so strange.

  6. Avatar photo mrs mary e bligh says:

    Dreadful service. They have compromised my Facebook and utube and their latest trick is making it difficult to access my EMails. If I was using my internet for business I would be bankrupt. Virtually impossible to download and they are forever putting me off line. Not a service but an expensive inconvenience!

  7. Avatar photo Haggis in Newcastle says:

    I am with TT, have been since the days of tiscali, yes THAT long !
    Being totally honest the broadband does what is asked of it. Reliable and stable.
    Only time I totally lost service was due to cut cable by local loonies trying to rob post office, they cut cable on shared telegraph pole to disable alarms . All reinstated within 12 Hrs .
    Don’t use wifi much, but had to change channel settings on router to avoid conflict with next doors BT system . I use ethernet throughout house and that’s all good .
    .
    At all costs avoid dealing with TT ‘customer services’ .
    IF you have to speak to them expect VERY POOR service and it may pay to learn Afrikkans or Punjabi .
    If you email complaints to ceo mail address eventually you get reply from person in UK, but still poor service .

  8. Avatar photo Mach2 says:

    Been with TT since its inception I think – broadband, TV and telephone. When it works it works; when it doesn’t is another matter. The main problem is trying to communicate with them and expect a lack of integrity from systems and personnel, so widespread it has to be systemic. The only escalation possible is a complaint and they abuse the complaints procedure by kettling you into it against your will in order to gain time. So whilst you wait out the 56 days to deadlock or whatever it is the technical issue is halted! My current problem is not with their products but with their website, I can access My Account without problem then find I cannot access bills and the like within it! Just bizarre. There is no doubt Dickie Dido lives on Avoid avoid avoid.

  9. Avatar photo Ken says:

    I have to concur with the people who have spoken about TalkTalk. I`m on their 80/20 FTTC service. To be 100% honest I`ve never had too much trouble with connection/phone line.

    I use my own 3rd part modem/router and am a bit savvy with my system so I don’t have need to speak to them on the phone (only to renew subscription as you get a better deal over the phone)

    But I read the TT forum/Community on a daily bases and I shudder to read the problems people have trying to get sorted over the phone, speaking direct to TT. It’s amazing how a big company like this treats customers there `churn rate` must be shocking. Unless you’re a bit savvy with technology I pity you as the people on the phone (when I read the things on the forum) are absolutely useless. It’s like a horror story when you read the problems people are having

  10. Avatar photo Haggis in Newcastle says:

    Well, here’s a thing.
    I’ve had FF150 installed.. at the third attempt on 28th March . First date was a no show from OR . Second date somehow morphed into third date and that was meant to be an afternoon install, but, OR engineer was at front door 09:15.
    All his paperwork said am appointment.. did I turn him away, not likely!!
    Good service by OR engineer, pleasant guy, put stuff where I wanted it, neat and tidy job done and to acceptable time scale.
    .
    It works a treat, very stable at 150/28 and VOIP box of tricks arrived a couple of days later, self install dead easy and that works too.
    .
    HOWEVER.. I still await nearly four weeks after install for TalkTalk to sort out billing.
    I have been overcharged as though out of contract with fibre65 .
    I am not out of contract, never was, new contract agreed with a manager in CEO’s office long before first change over date which was Valentines Day.
    .
    As my previous posts say.. the actual product is Ok bordering on good, however, the backup / customer service is DIRE bordering on non existant.
    IF ‘customer service’ could raise it’s act to tolerable bordering on acceptable TT could be a half decent company.. it seems to be a big IF though !
    .

Comments are closed

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