Watchdog exposes gap between best and worst mobile networks

When it comes to choosing a mobile phone, there is still a large gap between the best and worst networks on the market, a new consumer watchdog report has shown.

According to the latest research carried out by consumer watchdog Which?, customers are still dogged, by “dodgy call coverage, complicated contracts and lacklustre customer service.

But a new report for its magazine has revealed the huge disparities in public satisfaction with networks, operators and retailers. O2, Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile were rated highest for contract and sim-only deals, with their customer service and aftersales care both particularly praised.

Asda Mobile, Tesco Mobile and 02 come out top of the table for pay-as-you go deals.

But while Three was rated the best high street mobile phone retailer, Orange was given a red card by the magazine after being judged bottom of the league by customers.

The Which? report said: “The UK’s mobile phone landscape is littered with a host of bugbears that can make owning a mobile phone a miserable experience.

“It doesn’t have to be that way.

“We have exposed plenty of examples of poor customer service. But networks are improving when it comes to customer satisfaction, with the average customer score for both contract and pay-as-you go users rising over the last year.”

The report warned that mobile phone networks have earned a dismal reputation among customers, saying that its survey of more than 8,000 members had experienced countless examples of poor customer service.

“There’s still a large gap between the best and worst phone networks,” the watchdog warned, adding that the average person spends around £500 on their mobile phone contract over its two-year lifetime.

Each mobile phone user surveyed was asked about their experiences with the networks they use and mobile phone shops they had recently visited, as well as how satisfied they were with their network provider and store, and how likely they were to recommend it to a friend.

“Mobile phone shops are the public face of the major networks. The best provide great advice and support to those looking for a new deal, as well as looking after existing customers with strong aftersales care.”

Three, the highest-rated high street phone shop, achieved a four-star rating for the helpfulness of its staff, the advice it offered and the way that it fixed any problems. O2 and Asda were rated second and third in the league table for retailers.

“With such high ratings, it’s no surprise that Three’s customer score has jumped from 54 per cent last year to 64 per cent this year,” Which? added.

“Orange came bottom in our shop rankings, but that isn’t the only challenge it faces,” the report said.

“Last year, the network angered existing customers by increasing the cost of their monthly plans. The move came too late to be reflected in our main results, but Which? was able to survey 1,190 members – and the results were disastrous for Orange.

“Of those with Orange contracts, 93 per cent thought it was unfair for a company to increase the cost of its monthly phone deal after they’d signed a contract, while 54 per cent said they are likely to consider ditching Orange when their contract expires.”