Which mobile providers give the best customer service?

When you think about great customer service, Asda and Tesco might not be the first names on your lips, but when it comes to mobile phones they seem to be leading the way. How does your mobile provider rate?

Our latest and greatest (involving over 8,000 respondents) mobile phone customer satisfaction survey has found that it’s these two supermarket brands that are delivering the best customer service – and highest satisfaction.

And it just goes to show that when you’re choosing the right provider you don’t have to compromise on customer service just for the sake of price.

Supermarkets are ahead of the mobile game

In the full results Tesco Mobile was the only network to be awarded Which? Recommended Provider status for its contract and Sim-only service. Only Asda, Tesco and O2 managed it for pay-as-you-go offering.

So what can explain these results? I do think that some of the supermarket brands benefit from lower expectations when it comes to how well their networks perform, although this is no excuse for the big brands performing poorly.

Orange and Vodafone, despite being two of the more expensive networks, had some pretty disappointing customer service scores. They were also the only two operators who appeared in the bottom half for both contract and pay-as-you-go (PAYG) customers.

As mobile giants, they need to tackle some the issues that are repeatedly springing up. If Tesco can manage it, why can’t they?

Low cost comes at a price

The survey also shows that a company can’t hide behind its low prices as an excuse for not treating its customers well. Some operators – like 3 – always seem to be panned for bad service, and this year’s results are no exception, although at least it looks like they are starting to get things right with their PAYG customers.

While 3 is still seen as one of the cheaper options for contract and Sim-only, Tesco is not only a rival on cost, it comes with much a better customer service score, as well as a better range of handsets and clearer bills.

It’s great to see some of the newer entrants, like the supermarkets, picking up good scores. I just hope it will kick some of the bigger names into action and provide us all with a better service.

Conor Kavanagh says:

30 December 2017

WARNING TO THOSE PLANNING TO USE VODAFONE!

I was mugged and my phone (S7 edge) was stolen. I claimed a new phone (also an S7 edge) on insurance, they charged me £60 excess and sent me a new phone within a few days. Alright so far.

I opened the box, the screen had some kind of pixel problem and quickly became unusable. This is where the nightmare starts. I called Vodafone, they said I need a “like for like” exchange but I need to go to a store so that they can see the damaged phone and document it on their system before I can arrange an exchange. I did, they did and so I called again.

They arranged for a delivery service to exchange another new phone for the broken phone on the door within 3- 5 days. Day 3, I called to make sure it’s on its way, they said wait until the full 5 days. I waited the full 5 days, nothing. I called again, they said it had been cancelled because they had ran out of stock. This time however I have to return the phone in a Jiffy bag they will send me within 3 days.

You can see where this is going. No Jiffy bag by day 3, I called again. Again, not sent. I called up again, ‘Sorry, it’s not a Jiffy bag you need. You need to go to your local store and drop the broken phone off there’.

OK, so I drive again to the nearest store and say “I was told to give this to you”. “Can you send this back so I can get a new phone that works?”. I received a cold and defensive service at the store, not once did I hear an apology for the troubles I had been through. He even tried to blame me! I called Vodafone customer service when I was in the store again (the store members aren’t allowed to liase with customer service directly), they explained that unfortunately all the previous customer advice I received was “mis-advice” and that what I actually need to do was send the phone for repair. I need to send the broken phone they had sent me for repair. He explained that I should expect a call at the end of next week that will explain how I go about doing this.

Three weeks later, I still do not have a working phone. I continue to pay my contract and my Christmas is ruined. I am trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare.

THINK TWICE BEFORE USING VODAFONE!!!!!!