{"id":40034,"date":"2025-02-13T10:34:05","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T10:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=40034"},"modified":"2025-02-13T10:38:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T10:38:41","slug":"ofcom-shames-talktalk-and-o2-for-uk-telecoms-complaints-q3-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/02\/ofcom-shames-talktalk-and-o2-for-uk-telecoms-complaints-q3-2024.html","title":{"rendered":"Ofcom Shames TalkTalk and O2 for UK Telecoms Complaints \u2013 Q3 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ofcom<\/a> have today published their Q3 2024 study of UK consumer telecoms complaints, which names and shames TalkTalk<\/a> for attracting the most complaints about broadband, while O2<\/a> took the most flak mobile and Virgin Media<\/a> was put on the naughty step for Pay TV.<\/p>\n

Take note that the regulator’s report only covers complaints that Ofcom<\/a> itself has received and not those sent directly to an ISP, the ISPA<\/a> or an Alternative Dispute Resolution<\/strong> (ADR) complaints handler (i.e. Communications Ombudsman<\/strong> or CISAS<\/strong>). Ofcom<\/a> does not deal with individual complaints, but they do monitor them and can take action if enough people raise a concern.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> Ofcom received 57,374 complaints via calls, web forms, emails, social media and letters directly from consumers in 2022\/23, which is down from 76,135 in 2021\/22 and 96,051 in 2020\/21.<\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Take note that the proportion of people who were satisfied with their communications services in 2023 was 77% for landline services, 82% for broadband and 87% for all mobile services. Sadly, we don’t yet have any figures for 2024 or 2025 as Ofcom seems to have stopped tracking this.<\/p>\n

Fixed Line Home Broadband Complaints<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

TalkTalk<\/a> attracted the most broadband moans in Q3 2024, with customers\u2019 complaints mainly being driven (33%) by issues with faults and service provision. On the flip side, Sky Broadband<\/a> once again attracted the fewest complaints of all the listed providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\nQ4 2023<\/strong><\/td>\nQ1 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ2 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ3 2024<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
BT<\/a><\/td>\n11<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EE<\/a><\/td>\n9<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NOW TV<\/a> \/ Broadband<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Plusnet<\/a><\/td>\n9<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sky Broadband<\/a><\/td>\n5<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TalkTalk<\/a><\/td>\n13<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virgin Media<\/a><\/td>\n20<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodafone<\/a><\/td>\n14<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Industry Average<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Devesh Raj, Chief Operating Officer of Sky, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSky has received the fewest complaints in total to Ofcom across all categories out of all providers. This success is a testament to the outstanding efforts of our teams across all departments, from technology to customer service, enabling us to deliver the best possible Sky experience.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fixed Line Phone Complaints<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Meanwhile, EE<\/a>, NOW TV<\/a> and TalkTalk all jointly attracted the most complaints for fixed line phone services, with their customer complaints being mainly drive by issues with faults and service provisions. By comparison, Utility Warehouse continued to attract the fewest complaints for the third consecutive quarter, followed closely by Sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\nQ4 2023<\/strong><\/td>\nQ1 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ2 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ3 2024<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
BT<\/a><\/td>\n7<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EE<\/a><\/td>\n3<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NOW TV<\/a> \/ Broadband<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Plusnet<\/a><\/td>\n6<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sky Broadband<\/a><\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TalkTalk<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Utility Warehouse<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virgin Media<\/a><\/td>\n13<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodafone<\/a><\/td>\n4<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Industry Average<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Mobile Complaints<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Mobile operators enjoy lower complaint levels than fixed line providers, but that didn’t stop O2<\/a> from attracting the most moans again, which were primarily driven by issues with complaints handling. By comparison, both Sky Mobile<\/a> and Tesco Mobile<\/a> attracted the fewest gripes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\nQ4 2023<\/strong><\/td>\nQ1 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ2 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ3 2024<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EE<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
O2<\/a><\/td>\n5<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sky Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tesco Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n2<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Three UK<\/a><\/td>\n4<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vodafone<\/a><\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
iD Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Industry Average<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Pay TV Complaints<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Finally, Virgin Media attracted the most complaints for Pay TV services, while Sky TV and TalkTalk received the fewest complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\nQ4 2023<\/strong><\/td>\nQ1 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ2 2024<\/strong><\/td>\nQ3 2024<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EE (prev. BT<\/a>)<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sky TV<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TalkTalk<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virgin Media<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Industry Average<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In response to this report, TalkTalk have said they “continue to invest heavily in customer experience<\/em>“, both in terms of their frontline agents and their digital experience. The operator has also boasted of using AI features to enhance their customer services and expects to see an improvement in Ofcom’s next report.<\/p>\n

A TalkTalk spokesperson said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have always been committed to delivering the best possible service for our customers. While this number represents a very small proportion of our total customer base, we are disappointed, and determined to improve on it.<\/p>\n

We continue to invest to enhance the way we work with customers, making it easier than ever to get in touch with us through a variety of contact methods, and expect to see this reflected in future reports.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Similarly, the CEO of Virgin Media and O2, Lutz Sch\u00fcler<\/strong>, has posted a new blog<\/a> on the steps they’re taking to improve customer service. To summarise, the operator said their goal is to provide consistently exceptional service and give all their customers confidence that where they do have an issue, they will be able to contact them easily and have it resolved quickly and effectively. As part of this, the operator highlighted some of their recent improvements:<\/p>\n