[3GScottishUser]

Another day, another survey and guess what.... 3 UK have the wooden spoon for customer service - bottom of the league of all the mobile networks.

What a surprise!!

Here's the Ratings:

O2 7.4

Kingston Communications 6.7

Virgin Mobile UK & Talk Talk 6.5

BT 6.4

easyMobile 6.3

Vodafone & NTL 5.5

Tesco Mobile 5.3

Orange & T-Mobile (UK) 5.1

Telewest Broadband 5.0

3 UK 4.8

Toucan 3.7

Industry Average 5.8

The Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting firm that focuses on how corporations treat their online customers, today released findings from its Third-Quarter 2006 Online Customer Respect Study of UK telecommunications companies. The study is the only one to bring objective and consistent measure to the analysis of corporate performance from an online customer’s perspective. It assigns a Customer Respect Index (CRI™) rating for each company. The CRI is a qualitative and quantitative in-depth analysis and independent measure of a customer’s experience when interacting via the Internet.

The best performers in communications were Virgin Mobile and O2.

Whilst UK companies scored slightly lower than companies in the US for overall usability, they scored higher in the area of site inclusion. Site inclusion looks at support for users without broadband access, non-standard displays, older machines, users with visual impairments, mobility issues and other disabilities. The combined Web audience covered by these factors is growing, and legislation and legal safeguards protect many. The most generally usable site was Kingston Communications, with excellent scores also for O2, Talk Talk and Orange.

Trust was the area of biggest concern for UK telecommunications websites. The industry scored just 4.9 out of 10 for trust, well below the overall industry average of 5.7. An example of that concern was that just four of the 14 companies use personal data supplied solely for the purpose for which it is provided. In the same vein, 70 per cent routinely reuse information for ongoing marketing without explicit permission. UK companies are generally less clear about policies pertaining to privacy than the US and Canadian companies measured. The two best-scoring companies on trust and privacy issues were O2 and BT.

Full Details: http://www.customerrespect.com/default.asp

[Ben]

It's sad to see Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone also coming in below the industry average. I'm pleased to see Virgin maintaining their reputation and somewhat surprised at O2's performance.

However, it does state this is a measure of a "customer’s experience when interacting via the Internet"... so I don't think it's a true reflection on customer services.

[3GScottishUser]

Time and again we have all scratched our heads as to why 02 seem to be so sucessful..... perhaps the above provides a clue.

Looking after customers appears to have paid off for them and whilst we have all been banging on about 3G developments 02 have been beavering away creating record user numbers, record profits and doubling the value of the business in their last 12 months whilst independent. 02 have been nothing short of remarkable and now they are making significant 3G moves as well as expansion into broadband...... I predict a rosy future for both 02 and Telefonica if they can keep up the momentum.

[Hands0n]

"...... banging on about 3G ......"

The central topic has, of course, to be about 3G in all of its aspects. Customer Service is but one facet - and in itself is multi-faceted.

Even in the above survey, there is jostling for position dependent on which facet one approaches the subject. For instance, O2 and Virgin scoring best for "communications" but in the rating list published Virgin is 3rd level with Talk Talk.

I wonder, then, how much of the Big Picture the rating published actually shows, and if that picture is even entirely relevant. Or is it yet another survey that proves a point as indeed all surveys and polls do - even if the point is already pre-defined!

Indeed, looking at the table and the follow-up comment there are more questions than answers. The comment addresses the "customer experience" from a number of angles and I would argue that would vary depending on the particular angle of view. It can't be all bad, or indeed all good, but rather a blend, and it is not clear that the table represents such a blending. I don't like it as a ready reference at all. It is too contrived for my personal tastes.

To be sure, 3 have their share of problems in the CS arena, most specifically in the Mumbai Call Centre. However, other aspects of their "customer service" are, perhaps, not as dire a picture as is being painted.

O2 have mileage, and lots of it, and that counts for a lot in any business. They have been successful in their efforts - I for one do not like some of their Customer Service approach - why am I paying for calls to them that others make inclusive? I don't like their tariffs, they don't work for me. I don't like their 3G coverage, it is weaker [at present] than the competition that I use. So I would not have been polled as a fervent supporter of O2.

On the contrary, I'd have been polled higher in support for 3 than O2 given my own personal experience of their handsets, network and services, less so for content of which I am not a buyer on any network. They'd [3] have fallen into a hopeless heap with me for CS though. They crash and burn at that point. But then it is simply one facet, albeit an important one.

But clearly the results speak for themselves in the table and in the comment O2 have scored or been rated highly.

Just goes to show that one can't be all things to all men!

[3GScottishUser]

My experience with 02 has been very positive especially with regards to 3G services.

When asked to supply a 3G enabled SIM they failed at the first attempt but a well informed CSA took matters in hand and made sure I got one to use with my PAYG account and it was delivered very promptly. They must know I dont use the account much (it's a secondary mobile account) but that did not seem to matter as they did what they said they would and even provided a name and direct contact number for follow-up enquiries.

I would say that I would rank their customer care highly and have had good service from Orange and Vodafone too. Only 3 have been a massive letdown but a lot of that had to do with India based support and the constant call dropping making it difficult and frustrating to get the assistance you need. Strange thing is that when I left 3 last year I was cut off when talking to retentions and low and behold the Indian woman called my mobile back to try and complete the sale. That never happened with billing or support enquiries ever and made me even less inclined to remain with them. I suppose October/November 2005 would have been a difficult time with high retention priorities when all the huge cashback deals on LG U8110's and Nokia 7600's came to their end. I wonder how much better things would have been if the effort put into retention had been consistant over the life of the contract, it may have made many think seriously about giving them another chance with a new 3 handset. Ah well Ce La Vie....

[hecatae]

WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR EMAIL TO THE 3 CONTACT CENTRE

We're really sorry but due to the incidents in Mumbai, we're experiencing high volumes of email enquiries at the moment. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.

If your request is really urgent, phone us on 333 free from your mobile or 08707 330 333 from any phone.(calls are charged at a standard rate).

If you need information relating to your bill, please use My 3 on your handset or visit (www.three.co.uk/my3).

We're doing all we can to resolve the issues and will aim to respond within 15 working days . In the meantime we're very sorry for the inconvenience.

>From the team at 3.

not surprised they were bottom of the league if they are dealing with the Mumbai issue.

[Hands0n]

I can't help thinking of the utter folly in setting up mission critical operations in what are or are likely to be the world's hotspots.

We are truly spoiled in Europe in general and in this country in particular. The naivety [and financial greed] of the corporate managers who establish critical operations in such locations that differ from us by quite fundamental means never ceases to astonish me!