Virgin Media has once again topped the list of the most in-demand broadband and telephone companies, according to the latest data from Ofcom.
The regulator said Virgin Media received the highest number of complaints among broadband, phone and pay-TV companies between October and December last year, driven by the way it handled customer issues.
Ofcom publishes complaints data every three months to help people compare providers when looking to compare prices, as well as to pressure providers to improve their services.
Virgin Media O2 customers complain their problems are not resolved
For broadband services, Virgin Media received 20 complaints per 100,000 customers between October and December, an improvement on the 32 per 100,000 recorded in the previous quarter.
It is slightly ahead of the second highest, Now Broadband, which received 18 complaints, but is behind the industry average of 12.
Sky had the fewest complaints, 5 per 100,000 customers, while Plusnet and EE received 9.
Complaints handling was the cause of 43 per cent of customer complaints against Virgin Media, compared to an industry average of 32 per cent.
Only 22 percent of their complaints were about failures, service and provisioning, well below the industry average of 37 percent.
Its landline complaints were 13 per 100,000, just ahead of Shell Energy and Now Broadband, which had 12 and 10 respectively. It marks a reduction from the previous quarter, in which 19 complaints per 100,000 were recorded.
Complaint handling was once again the top complaint among customers, with 43 percent of complaints compared to an average of 31 percent.
Sky and EE had the fewest complaints, with 2 and 3 respectively.
Virgin Media has come under pressure from the regulator following complaints from customers who said the company was making it difficult to cancel their services.
Some customers say they’ve had difficulty getting through to an agent, while others said they’ve had to make long, repeated requests to cancel.
A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson said: “We are committed to providing an excellent service to our customers and, although overall these complaints represent a very small proportion of our customer base, we recognize there is a need for improvement, which is already underway.” . and we are focused on doing it well.
“We are investing heavily and making changes across our business to deliver tangible improvements, for example by training our teams in multiple skills and implementing new IT platforms that will make it easier for customers to get support when they need it, and by training our people to resolve any problem quickly and efficiently the first time.’
O2 also topped the list for mobile complaints, receiving 7 complaints per 100,000, compared to second place, Three, with 4 and an industry average of 3.
Virgin Media also received 13 complaints per 100,000 on pay TV, almost double that of BT, which received seven, and Sky and TalkTalk, which received two.
Complaint management was once again the main complaint among both clients.
Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, says: ‘Virgin Media maintains its notorious status as the most reported broadband service in the UK, under ongoing investigation for possible misconduct.
‘Despite a slight improvement in performance compared to the previous quarter, Virgin Media still generates complaints well above the industry average, along with NOW, Shell, Vodafone and TalkTalk. This is unacceptable for one of the country’s largest broadband providers.
‘April’s mid-contract price increases have intensified scrutiny on broadband providers and once again raised concerns about the fairness of tying price increases to inflation, a practice we believe should stop entirely .
“With every price increase, customers will wonder why they pay more despite receiving poor service.”
What to do if you’re not happy with your phone or broadband offer
If you’ve had a big increase in the price of your phone or broadband deal, or you’re unhappy with the service you’re receiving, there are a few things you can do.
If you don’t have a contract, you can change providers to get better service. Broadband Genie estimates that consumers can save up to £162 in the process and you could also take advantage of an offer for new customers.
However, you can try to haggle with your current supplier. If he has reached the end of his contract and is threatening to live, they may offer you a better deal to convince him to stay.
If you have received a price increase that is not in your contract, you can leave without paying an exit fee. However, this will not apply to annual increases as these are usually spelled out in your initial contract.
“If you’re stuck in a contract, check the expiration date, mark it on your calendar, and continue to communicate with your current provider to resolve any issues,” Tofts says.
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