24 April 2008
Not a single mobile phone network provider scored highly enough to achieve Best Buy status in a recent customer satisfaction survey by which.co.uk*.
While Tesco scored the best for pay as you go (PAYG) deals, and Virgin for pay-monthly options, neither lived up to the standards required of a Which? Best Buy**.
Things were worse at the other end of the table where Vodafone and Orange received the poorest scores for overall satisfaction in both categories. T-Mobile PAYG customers were just as unimpressed.
Jess Ross, Editor, which.co.uk, says:
“Long gone are the days when mobile phones were just for talking and texting; they now double up as MP3 players, digital cameras and personal organisers, too. But, without a single mobile phone service awarded a Best Buy in our survey, clearly the industry has some catching up to do when it comes to meeting its customers’ expectations.”
The quality and speed of response to queries were particular problem areas for pay monthly customers. Virgin was rated best, but only 33 per cent and 38 per cent respectively of its customers thought these aspects of service were very good.
People having problems getting through to their provider should persist, though, particularly if their call relates to mobile theft or security. More than a quarter*** of people wrongly think their provider covers them for the costs of calls made after a phone is stolen but before they report the theft. In addition, six out of ten owners have no security measures in place for their handset, such as using the handset’s PIN code.
which.co.uk has some simple security steps to help owners protect their handsets:
> Keep your phone out of sight when you’re not using it
> By using the handset’s security lock (Pin) code, thieves are unable to use it
> Keep a note of the phone’s unique 15-digit IMEI number – it’s normally printed under the battery
> If your phone is stolen, report it straight away to the police and your network provider!
> Register the phone at www.immobilise.com, as this enables the police to return stolen property.
- Ends -
For further information, a PDF of the full report, or an interview with which.co.uk, contact Nicole Sheinman on 0207 770 7564 or nicole.sheinman@which.co.uk.
*In winter 2007/2008, 4,631 Which? online panel members were asked about their mobile phone provider. They were asked about the cost of calls, speed and response of queries, accuracy and clarity of bills and range of handsets. The overall customer satisfaction rating combines satisfaction scores and likelihood of recommending to a friend.
| Overall satisfaction of mobile phone companies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay monthly | Overall satisfaction | PAYG | Overall satisfaction |
| Virgin | 70% | Tesco | 67% |
| 3 | 54% | Virgin | 60% |
| T-Mobile | 52% | O2 | 54% |
| 02 | 52% | Orange | 51% |
| BT | 52% | T-Mobile | 51% |
| Orange | 50% | Vodafone | 50% |
| Vodafone | 49% | ||
| All contracts (2,141,) | 51% | All PAYG (2,360) | 54% |
Sample size in brackets. The table shows ratings for all companies for which there were 30 or more respondents.
A full table of results is available at www.which.co.uk/mobilephones
**Best Buys are products that achieve high total test scores. By comparison, in another area of the Telecoms industry, Best Buy broadband providers Zen Internet and Waitrose scored more than 80 per cent for overall customer satisfaction and achieved high scores for all categories in a recent Which? survey.
***Which? spoke to 2,072 members of the public in January 2008 about mobile phone security and insurance.
Which? is the leading independent consumer champion in the UK, providing up to date, impartial, expert information on thousands of products and services to help make individuals as powerful as the organisations they have to deal with in their daily lives. To find out more visit www.which.co.uk
