THE UK’s major broadband providers have been ranked from best to worst ahead of hefty price hikes next month.
With the big players being outranked yet again by smaller rivals, according to customers.
The latest Which? customer satisfaction survey found that for another year, Virgin Media is at the bottom of the table.
While BT only improved by 2% since last year’s annual survey, where they were scored just 60%.
The consumer champion surveyed 4,000 broadband customers to get their feedback on service, value for money and reliable connections.
Virgin Media and Now Broadband found themselves with a customer score of 60%—the lowest of all that were surveyed.
They didn’t rate highly when it came to ease of contact, customer service, communication, technical support and value for money.
A particular gripe from Virgin Media customers was how long it took to get in touch with staff for assistance.
Customers found Now Broadband connection speed and ease of contact poor.
Joining them in the lower section of the table were Sky and TalkTalk with .
Customers found issues with their connection speed.
Sky received a score of 62%; meanwhile, TalkTalk scored 61% in the customer satisfaction survey.
Coming in at the top was Zen Internet which earned the highest ratings across the board and a customer score of 77%.
With nine in 10 customers saying they would recommend the provider.
They have been awarded the coveted title of being a Which? Recommended Provider.
To receive an accolade of being named a Which? Recommended Provider.
Broadband providers need a customer score of at least 70% and be committed to Ofcom‘s auto compensation scheme and broadband speeds code of practice.
Meanwhile, Utility Warehouse, who has also been named a Which? Recommended Provider scored 72%.
With its customer service rating highly and a third of customers feeding back that it was excellent.
Natalie Hitchicins, Which?, head of home products and services, said: “Our research shows that smaller providers are outshining the biggest broadband firms across the board.
“Many smaller providers offer better customer service, more reliable connections and fixed contracts or lower annual price rises.
“Giving their customers more certainty about what their monthly bill will look like over the course of their contract.
“Any broadband customers who are nearing the end of their contract and are unhappy with their current provider, or could stand to make savings, should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a different provider.”
On the release of the survey a Virgin Media spokesperson said: “We’re committed to providing consistently excellent service and making it easier for customers to get support when they need it.
“Complaints to Ofcom about Virgin Media were at their lowest levels since 2017 at the end of last year, while 92% of complaints raised in the past three months were resolved within 24 hours, and call transfers and waiting times have fallen significantly.
“These green shoots are a more accurate reflection of the improvements we’re making than Which?’s survey, which represents just 0.01% of our customer base.
How to save on broadband and TV bills
HERE’S how to save money on your broadband and TV bills:
Audit your subscriptions
If you’ve got multiple subscriptions to various on-demand services, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Sky consider whether you need them all.
Could you even just get by with Freeview, which couldn’t cost you anything extra each month for TV.
Also make sure you’re not paying for Netflix twice via Sky and directly.
Haggle for a discount
If you want to stay with your provider, check prices elsewhere to set a benchmark and then call its customer services and threaten to leave unless it price matches or lowers your bill.
Switch and save
If you don’t want to stay with your current provider check if you can cancel your contract penalty free and switch to a cheaper provider.
A comparison site, such as BroadbandChoices or Uswitch, will help you find the best deal for free.
“And shows that while we can’t fix every issue overnight, our strategy – investing almost £1m a day into customer-facing areas of the business, simplifying systems and processes, upskilling staff and removing persistent pain points – is delivering real improvements for our customers.”
A spokesperson for BT said: “We provide our customers with an ultra-reliable and fast broadband, with speeds up to 900 Mbps.
“We’re committed to keeping our customers connected and providing the best possible customer service with all of our calls being handled in the UK and Ireland.
“In the last 12 months, our Ofcom complaints data has steadily been below or at industry average and our customer satisfaction scores continue to rise.”
Zen Internet chief executive Richard Tang said: “Broadband is an essential service, and customers shouldn’t feel stuck with poor service – there are better options out there.
“If people start voting with their feet, it could push the industry as a whole to raise its game.”
When will broadband prices rise?
Broadband and mobile prices will rise in April.
Telecom providers have confirmed prices will rise for millions of customers, although how much your bill will go up by depends on how much you already pay.
Check what your provider is doing in our guide.
The increases will come into effect for millions of customers on March 31 or April 1.
This means that the new rate will kick in from your next bill after that date.
How to cut costs
If you believe you qualify for a social tariff you should contact your broadband provider to see if it’s something they offer and inquire about switching.
If they don’t offer a social tariff they should still be able to assist with a fee-free switch process to a provider that does.
There is no need to wait for your current contract to end to switch.
It’s still worth contacting your provider even if you do not qualify as they may be able to offer you a cheaper deal.
If you’re not under contract, switching to a new deal or even another supplier is guaranteed to lead to savings.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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