Vodafone has been declared the worst mobile operator for customer satisfaction for the seventh year in a row.
The network achieved a satisfaction rate of just 49 per cent, with 16 per cent saying they wouldn’t recommend Vodafone to friend or family member. The biggest grievances were incorrect billing and poor customer service.
Vodafone has said improving customer service is a top priority and that it was working hard to deliver results.
Satisfied
“These findings published by Which? really don’t match up with what our customers are telling us, with our own, independently verified customer satisfaction scores jumping 13 points from last year to their best ever level,” a spokesperson told TechRadar Pro.
EE finished second bottom – an improvement given it finished joint-last with Vodafone last year – with a satisfaction rating of 56 percent. The biggest issue here appears to be cost as 17 percent said they find EE too expensive with one in seven paying £50 or more a month.
O2 fared a little better on 61 per cent, while Three was the best of the big operators with 64 per cent. Three’s biggest issue is network coverage, with 30 per cent complaining of poor signal and one third of all customers who defected to another operating citing this as a factor. However 71 per cent believe Three is good value for money and 86 per cent would recommend it to friends and family.
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) tended to outperform their bigger rivals with Utility Warehouse achieving a rating of 84 per cent, beating Giffgaff’s 81 per cent score. Sky achieved 79 per cent, Asda Mobile 77 per cent and Tesco Mobile, the UK’s biggest MVNO, scoring 75 per cent.
“The biggest providers are lagging behind smaller rivals who are doing a better job of giving customers what they want in terms of service and value for money,” said Alex Neill, Which? Managing Director of Home Products and Services. “Customers who are fed up should look to switch provider as soon as they can.
“New reforms will soon mean that mobile customers will be able to switch provider by text message, which we hope will make it quicker and easier for customers to seek a better deal."
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