Posts Tagged ‘Consumers’

Ofcom publishes Consumer Experience Report

Posted by TTNC on December 6th, 2011

Ofcom today published its sixth annual Consumer Experience Report which looks at how the communications market delivers benefits for consumers in terms of competition, choice and price.

It also evaluates how Ofcom’s work has benefitted consumers over the past 12 months.

The report found that fewer consumers are experiencing harm from silent or abandoned calls as a result of Ofcom’s action against companies who make them.

Just under a quarter of consumers (23 per cent) experienced an abandoned call during 2011, down from over a third (35 per cent) in 2009. The number of consumers experiencing silent calls has also fallen from 30 per cent in 2009 to 24 per cent in 2011. This follows Ofcom’s enforcement action to target companies who do not comply with Ofcom’s rules.

The full news release is available on the Ofcom website.

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Latest customer service satisfaction levels revealed – Ofcom research

Posted by TTNC on November 25th, 2011

Ofcom today published its latest research revealing levels of satisfaction with the ten biggest communications providers’ customer services.

The research covers landline, broadband, mobile and pay TV providers with a market share of 4 per cent or more.

Here’s an excerpt from the research regarding landline services:

“The main reason consumers contacted their landline provider was to change their package or service.

Satisfaction with Sky’s customer service was significantly above average, with customers particularly pleased that advisers took their questions or issues seriously, were willing to help resolve issues, and offered a goodwill payment or compensation.

Dis-satisfaction with TalkTalk’s customer service for complaints handling fell by 22 percentage points and ratings have also improved in many other areas of customer service since February 2011.

Virgin Media customers were less satisfied than average with overall customer service. There was an increase in the number of issues not satisfactorily resolved, and a decline in customer loyalty since February 2011.

Customer service ratings have generally improved in the landline sector since 2009 for BT, Sky and TalkTalk.”

The full news release can be found here.

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Ofcom bans rollover contracts

Posted by TTNC on September 13th, 2011

Ofcom today confirmed that rollover contracts, which tie landline and broadband customers into repeated minimum contract periods unless they opt out, will be banned from December this year.

The contracts, also known as Automatically Renewable Contracts (ARCs), roll forward to a new minimum contract period – with penalties for leaving – unless the customer actively opts out of the renewal. The ban will apply to ARCs for landline and broadband services sold to residential and small business customers.

The full news release can be found on the Ofcom website.

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How much is the UK addicted to smartphones?

Posted by TTNC on August 4th, 2011

Ofcom publishes 2011 Communications Market Reports

Ofcom today published its annual Communications Market Report into the UK’s TV, radio, broadband, telecoms and mobile industries. This year’s report shows that there has been rapid growth in the take-up and use of smartphones, and that they are beginning to affect social behaviour, particularly among teenagers. The report also looks at the rise and fall of communications technologies over the past decade, and how age affects take-up and use of communications services.

The report can be found here

Separately, Ofcom has also published Communications Market Reports for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

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