The UK’s Internet Service Providers have been put through their paces and here are the best and worst when it comes to happy customers.
The latest broadband stats are in and it seems some of the UK’s biggest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) need to up their game. The consumer team at Which? says it surveyed more than 4,000 people to see how satisfied they were with the service, value for money and reliable connections of their broadband.
The results show that firms such as BT, Sky and TalkTalk are all being outperformed by much smaller providers such as Zen Internet, Community Fibre and Hyperoptic.
Coming right at the bottom of the pack for customer satisfaction was Virgin Media with the popular ISP scoring just 60% – that’s compared to Zen who got a rating of 77%. NOW broadband – which is part of Sky – also scored a dismal rating of 60% as well.
READ MORE: UK WhatsApp users finally get smart upgrade – check now for ‘exciting’ new button
To add insult to injury, Virgin Media is also charging the highest annual price rise for standalone broadband, with customers facing an increase of £3.50 a month.
BT, TalkTalk and Sky received mediocre ratings at best and were easily outclassed by their smaller rivals. Value for money was a challenge for BT and Sky, while TalkTalk and Sky received poor ratings for connection speed.
At the other end of the scale, three providers were named Which? Recommended Providers – Zen Internet, Plusnet and Utility Warehouse.
Zen Internet earned the highest ratings across the board and a customer score of 77 per cent – with nine in 10 customers saying they would recommend it. Its contract price promise also means its customers will not see their deal hiked mid-contract.
FULL LEAGUE TABLE
Zen Internet – SCORE 77%
Plusnet – SCORE 73%
Utility Warehouse – SCORE 72%
Community Fibre – SCORE 71%
Hyperoptic – SCORE 69%
Vodafone – SCORE 69%
EE – SCORE 68%
BT – SCORE 64%
Sky – SCORE 62%
TalkTalk – SCORE 61%
NOW – SCORE 60%
Virgin Media – SCORE 60%
READ MORE: Google launches cheap new Android phone with four features Apple’s iPhone won’t beat
Speaking about the new stats, Natalie Hitchins, Which? Home Products and Services Editor, said: “Our research shows that smaller providers are outshining the biggest broadband firms across the board.
“Many smaller providers offer better customer service, more reliable connections and fixed contracts or lower annual price rises – giving their customers more certainty about what their monthly bill will look like over the course of their contract.
“Any broadband customers who are nearing the end of their contract and are unhappy with their current provider, or could stand to make savings, should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a different provider.”
And in response to its low score, a Virgin Media spokesperson said: “We’re committed to providing consistently excellent service and making it easier for customers to get support when they need it.
“Complaints to Ofcom about Virgin Media were at their lowest levels since 2017 at the end of last year, while 92% of complaints raised in the past three months were resolved within 24 hours, and call transfers and waiting times have fallen significantly.
“These green shoots are a more accurate reflection of the improvements we’re making than Which?’s survey, which represents just 0.01% of our customer base, and shows that while we can’t fix every issue overnight, our strategy – investing almost £1m a day into customer-facing areas of the business, simplifying systems and processes, upskilling staff and removing persistent pain points – is delivering real improvements for our customers.”
