Broadband customers speak out

With almost a third (28 per cent) of broadband users having changed provider due to poor service, moneysupermarket.com launches its first Customer Review Index.

Updated regularly, the Index provides an independent overview of service levels offered by broadband providers, with users ranking each on customer service, technical support, speed, billing and reliability.

The first Customer Review Index of 2007 shows the four overall best providers are Be Broadband, Eclipse, Namesco and Madasafish, with each receiving scores of nine out of 10. In contrast, the ‘bigger names’, such as Sky and Talk Talk scored worst, receiving the lowest scores across the board.

Jason Lloyd, head of broadband at price comparison website moneysupermarket.com said, “These findings are not surprising. Smaller companies place far greater emphasis on customer retention. Because of this their customers often enjoy the highest service levels within the industry.

“The ‘big players’, whose marketing has been so successful they have not been able to keep up with the sheer volume of applicants, are under real pressure to sign up new customers but people leave before actually getting connected as they are fed up with connection waiting periods running into weeks or months. As a result, disgruntled customers leave poor scores on the Index. Add to this the fact that providers have less time and resources to look after existing customers once they’ve signed them up, as they have so many. They simply cannot keep every customer happy, particularly in a market as demanding as broadband.”

Internet forums and the use of customer reviews are increasingly being referred to by people requiring independent advice on broadband providers. By searching through comments and user generated rankings, people are able to make an informed decision when it comes to choosing a broadband provider.

The moneysupermarket.com customer review tool is unique in that it delivers customer reviews 'almost live' to the moneysupermarket.com site. The reviews are 'unweighted' and the comments appear as they are written.

Lloyd adds:“With a relative standardisation of products, customer service is one of the most important parts of delivering broadband to people, and a commitment from providers on improving customer service is long overdue. However, I expect we will see that change this year, especially with the launch of products that include a focus on customer service such as Vodafone at Home's free customer and technical support lines.

“I also think providers are starting to see the power of customer review tools like our own and realise they cannot afford to be rated badly by people on a comparison site. Bad news spreads and no-one can afford to be complacent in a dynamic market.

“Last month mandatory MAC codes were introduced, making it easier for people to leave their broadband provider. As a result I’m sure we will see an increase in the levels of service offered across the board by providers as they battle to keep customers. The Index will keep an independent track of the service offered and tell us which providers are failing to deliver. It will provide great ammunition for someone looking for a new deal, either with a new provider or when negotiating for a better deal with their existing provider.”