What is the best broadband provider for customer service?

For most people, the main reason for switching broadband provider is to get a better deal and save money. But for nearly 20% of customers in the UK, it’s customer service that counts. They have left their current provider because they feel let down by the service they’ve received.  
 
So, what does the best broadband customer service look like? This is your guide to the internet providers setting the gold standard. 

What makes good broadband customer service? 

The best broadband customer service usually involves the quality of the broadband on offer.

Typically, broadband customers look for:

• Affordability 
• Fast internet speeds 
• A reliable broadband connection 
• Easy set-up  
• Clear and ongoing communication from the broadband provider 

But the internet providers with the best customer service rankings are also effective problem solvers. They make it easy for you to get in touch if there’s an issue and they deal with that issue quickly and efficiently.

Broadly speaking, the best broadband customer service involves:

• Putting customers through to the right team 
• Being polite and friendly 
• Solving the problem – ideally within the first  

Ofcom, the UK’s telecoms regulator, awards broadband customer service ratings based on the following criteria:

• Satisfaction with the speed of service
• The number of customers with a reason to complain
• Overall satisfaction with complaint handling
• Ofcom complaints per 100,000 subscribers
• Average call centre waiting times
• Overall customer service satisfaction 

What broadband issues contribute to bad customer service?

Common broadband customer service complaints fall into various categories:

• An unreliable connection – including intermittent or a total loss of service as well as router problems. Read our guide on what to do if your broadband goes down.
• Slow internet speeds – that fall below the advertised average that at least 50% of customers can expect to receive.
• Value for money – if you feel your quality of service isn’t worth the price you’re paying, your provider may be seen as having poor value for money
• Price rises - many providers have unpredictable mid-contract price increases each year, which customers can’t plan for without knowing the inflation rate months in advance 
• Billing, pricing and payment problems.
• Installation and service set-up issues. 
• The quality of customer service and technical support – instances where communication and the handling of complaints has fallen short.  

As a consumer, you have rights if your broadband service isn’t fit for purpose. Both you and your provider must comply with the terms of your contract. If you think your provider is breaching that agreement, you have the right to cancel it.

Read the Ofcom guide to complaining about mobile, phone or internet services.

The 9 best providers for broadband customer service  

Find out which broadband provider has the best customer service based on Ofcom’s quarterly Complaints Rankings. The list is updated every three months showing how the industry changes throughout the year. The latest industry average was 15 complaints per 100,000 customers.

Table showing nine UK broadband providers and their Ofcom customer complaints score in Q3 of 2023. 

Key points from the Ofcom broadband customer service report looking at complaints between July-September 2023:

• With the fewest complaints, Sky provided the best broadband customer service.  
• Virgin Media and NOW Broadband were the most complained about broadband providers. They both exceeded the industry average of 15 complaints per 100,000 customers.  
• EE performed better than its parent company BT, one of the Big Four broadband providers, along with Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, which control around 70% of the broadband market.  
• More customers may have been encouraged to complain about Virgin Media due to a public Ofcom investigation into the handling of complaints and the challenges customers face in cancelling contracts. 
• Broadband services received the most complaints of all the services on offer from these providers, including landlines, Pay TV and Pay-monthly mobile.  

Best broadband customer service based on Uswitch reviews 2024 

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