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TalkTalk billing woes send it to top of customer complaints chart; Orange getting worse

TalkTalk heads Ofcom’s customer complaints chart for the second year in row with billing and customer service its leading problems in both landline and broadband.

Virgin received the least customer complaints about landline phone services, with Sky reducing broadband complaints to become the least-hassled major internet provider.

Communications regulator Ofcom has released its fifth quarterly report on customer complaints to the UK’s biggest phone and broadband providers, although sadly it doesn’t cover TV.

Broadband complaints

TalkTalk said: “We’re pleased that Ofcom saw less than half as many complaints about our broadband service than this time last year.

“While there will always be variations in the quarterly data we are confident that the long term trend is positive – fewer complaints, more calls being resolved first time and improving customer service. There is more work to do but we are confident that the measures we’ve put in place are paying dividends.”

TalkTalk has topped the list every quarter, although it’s reduced landline complaints by around a third, and broadband complaints by a quarter.

Orange has seen a steep rise in customer complaints, closing the gap on TalkTalk. Sky has steadily reduced the customer complaints it received for broadband services, while BT seems to have nipped a growing problem in the bud.

Fixed line complaints

Ofcom’s report said: “For landline services, Ofcom’s data shows that from October to December 2011 it received the most complaints about TalkTalk Group with 0.78 complaints per 1,000 customers. These have largely been driven by issues relating to billing and customer service.

“The least complained about landline provider over the same period was Virgin Media, with 0.18 complaints per 1,000 customers. Virgin Media has been the least complained about landline provider for the last five quarters.

“For fixed broadband services, Ofcom’s data shows that from October to December 2011 TalkTalk Group generated the most complaints as a proportion of its customer base, with 0.61 complaints per 1,000 customers. These were largely driven by line faults and other service issues.

The least complained about fixed broadband providers over the same period were Sky and Virgin, with 0.17 and 0.18 complaints per 1,000 customers respectively.”

Stay tuned to Recombu Digital for an in-depth look at who’s performing best and worst in customer complaints, and why.

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