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Customer service quality - an Ofcom review
Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
Ofcom has announced a review of its existing, but little known, scheme to assess the quality of telecoms providers’ customer service (22-08-08).
Customer services has increasingly become one of the deciding factors in purchasing a new broadband connection and Ofcom recognises that “customer service may represent a reason for dissatisfaction across the fixed voice, mobile and broadband markets”.
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"Customer service may represent a reason for dissatisfaction"
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The telecoms regulator found that 35 per cent of fixed voice customers found fault with their customer services, compared to 28 per cent for mobile customers and a whopping 48 per cent of broadband customers feel dissatisfied with the customer services provided by their ISP.
For several years, Ofcom has been running a website that publishes information on the quality of customer service for a number of providers, though it recognises that “usage of the current information has been very low”.
TopComm currently issues customer service information on ISPs including BT (www.BT.com), TalkTalk (www.TalkTalk.co.uk), Tiscali (www.Tiscali.co.uk) and Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com) though the list is in no way comprehensive, covering a total of only 12 broadband and home phone providers in total.
It currently covers the following issues:
- Service provision
- Reported faults
- Service restoration
- Complaints
- Billing accuracy
Ofcom’s review of the service will look at how to improve awareness of the service and increase usage numbers, and also whether - among other things - it should amend the reporting requirements to include how long it takes to resolve a complaint, how long it takes to resolve a complaint about a fault and how long it takes to answer a customer’s call.
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “The customer service reporting scheme is a good idea in theory, but without even gathering information from all of the ‘big six’ providers, let alone the dozens of other very popular ISPs, consumers are unable to really compare different companies.
“Ofcom should consider including mobile broadband operators too, as this sector is currently growing at a huge rate. It also needs to improve the way that information is displayed - the TopComm site is currently awkward to use and somewhat confusing - but has the potential to be a great resource for consumers in the fixed line market.
“If the regulator could increase awareness, this would undoubtedly become a much-used service as the broadband industry continues to suffer from a poor customer service image,” he concluded.
related article - Tips for successful complaints.
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