TalkTalk loses more customers in Q2

15/11/11

By Leo Stevens

It would appear that customers remain wary of TalkTalk despite the company working to resolve its customer service problems.

TalkTalk has revealed that it does not expect customer growth to occur until next year, after announcing that its customer numbers fell by 43,000 in the second quarter, following on from further falls in the first three months of the year.

It went on to confirm that it expected continued decline in customer numbers in the second half of the year, despite previously predicting that a recovery could take place.

The company, which has four million customers, says its service has improved considerably of late, an opinion seemingly supported by the fact that queries to its call centres have fallen by 40 per cent, with 74 per cent of queries resolved immediately.

TalkTalk chief executive Dido Harding said there was a "lag" between the improving customer service and customer numbers but was "confident that the effects will soon become more apparent."

TalkTalk has struggled with customer service since acquiring Tiscali's UK division two years ago, resulting in £2.5 million in compensation being paid to ex-customers who received bills despite cancelling their broadband agreement with the company.