Smaller ISPs beat BT, Sky and TalkTalk in customer satisfaction

Some of the UK's biggest internet service providers (ISPs) are failing on customer satisfaction, a new survey from Which? has revealed, with smaller providers topping the list instead.

BT, Sky and TalkTalk were all outranked by smaller providers including Plusnet and John Lewis Broadband, with the former all receiving a customer score below 50 per cent in contrast to the latters' 70 per cent or higher.

Richard Lloyd, executive director for Which?, said: "Smaller suppliers are leaving larger rivals in their wake when it comes to the service they provide so we need to see the big players up their game. Ofcom is also currently reviewing this market and we now need it to identify how it plans to ensure broadband customers get a better deal."

This survey was conducted as part of Which?'s, Give us Broadband Speed Guaranteed', campaign for broadband providers to offer a better service for its customers, but the results indicated that this has not always been the case.

Both BT and Sky cast doubt on the report results, saying they're not echoed by Ofcom's numbers.

A BT spokesperson told IT Pro: "BT is surprised by this report especially as Ofcom's comprehensive broadband report showed us to be unbeatable for reliability and speed against comparable products. BT is investing in customer service and has introduced several new initiative to resolve problems for customers the first time they contact us."

A spokesperson for Sky added: "We take customer satisfaction very seriously. We continuously invest in improving the service and broadband experience for our customers and this has been reflected in the latest report from Ofcom. Bundling broadband and TV services together offers great value for money and plays an important role in people's satisfaction. Unfortunately the views of the vast majority of our customers who choose to do this are not reflected in this report."

TalkTalk, on the other hand, was happy to have beaten its larger rivals. "We're pleased customers rated us better than BT and are proud to be the only supplier to offer totally unlimited broadband as standard with no caps or hidden charges for features such as caller ID or voicemail," a spokesperson for TalkTalk told IT Pro. "Our network is faster and more resilient than ever before but we recognise that we can do more, which is why we are working hard to continually improve our customers' experience."

The results are based on a survey of 1,757 broadband users between December 2014 and January 2015. According to Which?, the campaign already has 50,000 supporters. Which? has asked advertising watchdogs, The Committee of Advertising Practice and The Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice, to better enforce the rules regarding ISPs living up to the promises they make to customers.