3 July 2007
Consumers are less content than ever with the service provided by their broadband provider, a new report has revealed.
According to research carried out by YouGov on behalf of uSwitch, a quarter of customers say they are not happy with their broadband provider, with standards dropping by 3% since October 2006 and 10% since March 2006.
uSwitch's home phone and broadband Customer Satisfaction Report showed Orange losing out in the customer service stakes, with poor customer service leaving 35% of its customers unsatisfied.
Much-criticised Talk Talk sits second from bottom of the table in terms of satisfaction with just 69% of customers saying the service they receive is up to scratch.
Chris Frost, communications expert at the independent online comparison and switching service said: "This time last year, free broadband was a novelty. Customers signed up by the masses to experience the broadband phenomenon, often for the first time.
"Now it has become a life essential, so when things go wrong, they usually go badly wrong. Unlike last year's survey when providers were in many cases simply overwhelmed by demand, this year the problems are more technical.
"New advances in broadband technology appear to be having an adverse effect, with connection problems and service interruptions occurring all too frequently.
"Customers have found themselves having to make numerous phone calls to get their problems fixed and this would explain why the score for overall technical support has dropped 11% since March 2006."
Plusnet came top of the broadband provider table, with nearly eight out of ten customers saying they were happy with the service they receive.