THE best and worst broadband providers for customer complaints have been revealed by the regulator.
NOW Broadband and TalkTalk, which have millions of customers between them, had the highest number of complaints.
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Both had 13 complaints per 100,000 customers for their broadband services between October and December 2024.
Regulator Ofcom said NOW Broadband saw an increase in complaints compared with the previous three months, when it had 12 complaints per 100,000 customers.
TalkTalk managed to bring down its levels of complaints from 14 per 100,000 customers.
Following close behind with the third-highest number of complaints was EE, with 12 issues raised per 100,000 customers.
Virgin Media and Vodafone both had 11 complaints per 100,000, while BT had 10.
The service providers with the lowest numbers of complaints were Plusnet and Sky.
Plusnet topped the list with just five complaints per 100,000 customers, while Sky had six.
A NOW Broadband spokesperson said: “We are actively working on improvements to ensure that NOW customers receive both the best possible broadband and customer service experience.
“Although this figure represents a small portion of our customer base, we take it seriously and will continue to listen to feedback to better serve our customers.”
A TalkTalk spokesperson said: “We are 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 naturally disappointed, and working to improve it.
“We continue to invest on behalf of our 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.”
What about mobile, landline and pay-TV services?
Ofcom also published its rankings of the best and worst telecoms firms for complaints related to mobile, landline, and pay-TV services.
NOW Broadband topped the list of complaints for its landline services with 10 complaints per 100,000 customers.
EE was the next most complained-about with eight per 100,000.
BT and TalkTalk had seven per 100,000, while Virgin Media had six and Plusnet had four.
The providers with the least complaints were Vodafone, Sky and Utility Warehouse.
Vodafone had three complaints per 100,000 customers while Sky had two.
Utility Warehouse had an impressive one complaint per 100,000.
For pay-monthly mobile services, O2 was the most complained-about provider with four complaints per 100,000.
Next were Three and iD Mobile with three complaints per 100,000.
The least complained-about providers were Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile with only one complaint per 100,000 customers.
For pay-TV, Virgin Media had the most complaints at seven per 100,000, while EE had six.
Sky and TalkTalk only had two complaints per 100,000 people.
CUT YOUR TELECOM COSTS
By James Flanders, Chief Consumer Reporter
Switching contracts is one of the single best ways to save money on your mobile, broadband and TV bills.
But if you can’t switch mid-contract without facing a penalty, you’d be best to hold off until it’s up for renewal.
But don’t just switch contracts because the price is cheaper than what you’re currently paying.
Take a look at your minutes and texts, as well as your data usage, to find out which deal is best for you.
For example, if you’re a heavy internet user, it’s worth finding a deal that accommodates this so you don’t have to spend extra on bundles or add-ons each month.
In the weeks before your contract is up, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with what deals are available.
It’s a known fact that new customers always get the best deals.
Sites like MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, allowances and provider.
This should make it easier to decide whether to renew your contract or move to another provider.
However, if you don’t want to switch and are happy with the service you’re getting under your current provider – haggle for a better deal.
You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than rolling on to the tariff you’re given after your deal.
If you need to speak to a company on the phone, be sure to catch them at the right time.
Make some time to negotiate with your provider in the morning.
This way, you have a better chance of being the first customer through on the phone, and the rep won’t have worked tirelessly through previous calls which may have affected their stress levels.
It pays to be polite when getting through to someone on the phone, as representatives are less inclined to help rude or aggressive customers.
Knowing what other offers are on the market can help you to make a case for yourself to your provider.
If your provider won’t haggle, you can always threaten to leave.
Companies don’t want to lose customers and may come up with a last-minute offer to keep you.
It’s also worth investigating social tariffs. These deals have been created for people who are receiving certain benefits.
How to complain about your service
If you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received, you’ll first need to contact your provider’s customer services department and explain the problem.
If this doesn’t resolve the issue, you can make a formal complaint to the company.
You can find details on how to do this on the back of your bill or on the company’s website.
Depending on your complaint type, you’ll be able to contact the customer service team by web chat, telephone or by post.
You’ll need to let the company know what has happened and what you want it to do to put things right.
If a formal complaint gets you nowhere, after eight weeks you can ask for a “deadlock letter” and take your dispute to the appropriate Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.
These are free to use and will act as an independent middle man between yourself and the service provider when an initial complaint cannot be resolved.
There are two ADR schemes in the UK – the Communications Ombudsman and CISAS.
Your provider is required to be a member of one of these and you can find out which one your provider is covered by visiting ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/adr-schemes.
Before you can submit your complaint to it, you must have logged a formal complaint with your provider and worked with the firm to resolve it.
You must also have received a so-called deadlock letter, where the provider refers your complaint to the appropriate ADR.
You can also complain if you haven’t had a satisfactory solution to your problem within eight weeks.
To make a complaint fill in the ADR scheme claims form on its website – or write a letter if you’d prefer.
The ADR scheme then bases its decision on the evidence you and the company submit.
If you choose to accept its decision, your supplier will then have 28 days to comply.
But if an individual chooses not to accept the ADR’s final decision, they lose the right to the resolution offer.