Sky a standout in the latest Ofcom complaints data

The regulator’s latest report covered the three months from July to September last year, and included complaints made about providers of home broadband, landline telephone, pay-monthly mobile and pay-TV services.

It revealed there was a slight increase in the total number of complaints for landline and pay-TV services between Q2 and Q3 in 2017, while overall broadband and pay-monthly mobile complaints figures remained the same.

Broadband and landline services continued to generate the highest volume of complaints.

“We’re shining a light on how different providers perform, and it’s clear many need to up their game on service quality and complaints handling,” said Ofcom’s director of consumer policy, Jane Rumble.

“People expect high standards from their providers, and companies must put their customers first.”

How the numbers stacked up

The industry average for home broadband complaints per 100,000 customers was 18, with FTSE 250 firm TalkTalk, BT subsidiary Plusnet and FTSE 100 provider BT receiving the most complaints at 30, 27 and 25 complaints per 100,000 customers respectively.

Liberty Global division Virgin Media, BT subsidiary EE and FTSE 100-listed Sky received the fewest complaints for home broadband, with 14, 10 and seven complaints per 100,000 customers respectively.

Looking at landline telephone services, the industry average number of complaints was 13 per 100,000 customers, with the fewest complaints being received by Virgin Media at 12, EE at seven and Sky at six.

State-owned provider Post Office received the most complaints with 24 per 100,000 customers, followed by Plusnet and TalkTalk at 21 each, and BT at 14.

For mobile services, the industry average was five complaints per 100,000 customers, with FTSE 100 firm Vodafone, BT, TalkTalk and Virgin Media receiving the most complaints at 10, nine, eight and eight complaints per 100,000 customers respectively.

The fewest complaints were received by Tesco Mobile - a division of the FTSE 100 retailer - at one complaint per 100,000 customers, followed by Telefonica subsidiary O2, CK Hutchison-owned Three and EE at three complaints each.

Finally, on the pay television front, the industry average was also five complaints per 100,000 customers, with Sky the best performing provider at two complaints.

BT received the most complaints at 14 per 100,000 customers, while Virgin Media received nine and TalkTalk received eight.

Ofcom said that together with its provider comparison tool, its quarterly complaints report gave consumers looking for a new provider useful information to help them compare companies' performance.

It added that the report also offered an incentive to providers to improve customer service standards and address recurring problems.