by: marshc01
Total views: 4
Word Count: 447

British consumers are spending a combined total of 31 billion pounds a year just to sort out problems with their broadband services...and that doesn't mean the problems are always sorted too! According to a survey carried out by the price comparison website uSwitch we are paying more and getting less when it comes to seeking support from our broadband providers. Many companies are using expensive 0870 and other premium rate numbers for us to call to get help when there are problems with their broadband service. Others are keeping their customers on hold for too long (on expensive rate numbers), and others just aren't sorting out our problems quickly enough. All in all it sums up British customer service attitudes at the moment. We pay companies to provide a service and when they fail to provide their service or there is a problem with it British consumers have to fork out to get it sorted. The uSwitch survey found that as the numbers of broadband consumers grows in the UK so do the levels with dissatisfaction. For example, whilst TalkTalk has responded to previous criticism of its poor customer service and long times spent on hold by some customers, the supposes "lucky" ones who got through, by introducing a freephone helpline, it's overall technical support isn't up to standard. The survey revealed that UK broadband customers make 19 million calls to their broadband providers per year, which equates to a staggering 2,000 calls per hour. This number is boosted by the fact that customers are now having to ring up their broadband providers an average of three times in order to get their problem resolved, often spending an average of six minutes on hold each time! Steve Weller, Head of Communications Services at uSwitch, said: "New advances in broadband technology appear to be having an adverse effect, with connection problems and service interruptions occurring all too frequently. Customers have found themselves having to make numerous calls to get their problems fixed so it's no wonder satisfaction is at an all time low. Broadband has become part of our lives and we now spend 34 days a year online, so when things go wrong we need assurance that our service will be back up and running again as quickly as possible and at minimum expense." He concluded: "We call on the industry to stamp out the extortionate and inconsistent charging structures currently in operation and to focus instead on getting the service right first time. We look forward to the day that broadband works straight out of the box and we will just pay for the service we sign up to."

About the Author

Guide2Broadband discusses broadband options for residential customers, primarily for the UK market. Find out more about getting the best broadband option for your home at http://www.guide2broadband.com

---

View PDF | Print View

---

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.
Next Article - Broadband Services Getting Faster and Faster
Previous Article - More Broadband Customers Are Ready to Switch Provider

More Related Articles In This Category

1: Slow Broadband Connection? It's Time You Found Out Why!
2: BT Calls For Action And Honesty About Internet Speeds
3: The Basics Of DSL And How To Make It Work
4: What to Look for in a DSL Provider
5: Is Your Computer On Broadband?
6: The Benefits Of Finding A DSL Provider
7: Speeding Is Actually Desirable On The Internet Highway
8: Which is the Safer Alternative, Dial-Up or Broadband?
9: Choosing Between a DSL Provider and Cable Provider
10: What You Need to Know About Switching DSL Providers
11: How To Choose A DSL Provider
12: Broadband Bundles Come To The Rescue
13: Broadband High Speed Internet: Choosing The Right Service
14: The High Speed Saviour Of Rural Internet Reigns
15: Satellite Internet Makes Life Easy For Many That Do Not Have Access To High Speed Services
16: Low Cost Satellite Internet Brings The World To You
17: Direct TV Internet: Finding the Best Deals Online
18: Broadband Services Getting Faster and Faster
19: Consumers Paying Too Much For Broadband Technical Support
20: More Broadband Customers Are Ready to Switch Provider
21: What Is Broadband And Different Types Of Broadband
22: Tips On Selecting The Right Home Satellite Broadband
23: How To Select The Best Broadband Internet Providers
24: What To Consider When Getting A Broadband Service
25: Understanding The Various Broadband Choices

---

For WebMasters

Link This Article - HTML Code -

<a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/internet/broadband/consumers-paying-too-much-for-broadband-technical-support.html" target=_blank>Consumers Paying Too Much For Broadband Technical Support</a>

Link This Article - BBcode -

[url=http://americanahost.com/articles/internet/broadband/consumers-paying-too-much-for-broadband-technical-support.html]Consumers Paying Too Much For Broadband Technical Support[/url]

Copy This HTML Code To Put This Article In Your Web Site.

<h1>Consumers Paying Too Much For Broadband Technical Support</h1><br><br> <br><br> British consumers are spending a combined total of 31 billion pounds a year just to sort out problems with their broadband services...and that doesn't mean the problems are always sorted too! According to a survey carried out by the price comparison website uSwitch we are paying more and getting less when it comes to seeking support from our broadband providers. Many companies are using expensive 0870 and other premium rate numbers for us to call to get help when there are problems with their broadband service. Others are keeping their customers on hold for too long (on expensive rate numbers), and others just aren't sorting out our problems quickly enough. All in all it sums up British customer service attitudes at the moment. We pay companies to provide a service and when they fail to provide their service or there is a problem with it British consumers have to fork out to get it sorted. The uSwitch survey found that as the numbers of broadband consumers grows in the UK so do the levels with dissatisfaction. For example, whilst TalkTalk has responded to previous criticism of its poor customer service and long times spent on hold by some customers, the supposes "lucky" ones who got through, by introducing a freephone helpline, it's overall technical support isn't up to standard. The survey revealed that UK broadband customers make 19 million calls to their broadband providers per year, which equates to a staggering 2,000 calls per hour. This number is boosted by the fact that customers are now having to ring up their broadband providers an average of three times in order to get their problem resolved, often spending an average of six minutes on hold each time! Steve Weller, Head of Communications Services at uSwitch, said: "New advances in broadband technology appear to be having an adverse effect, with connection problems and service interruptions occurring all too frequently. Customers have found themselves having to make numerous calls to get their problems fixed so it's no wonder satisfaction is at an all time low. Broadband has become part of our lives and we now spend 34 days a year online, so when things go wrong we need assurance that our service will be back up and running again as quickly as possible and at minimum expense." He concluded: "We call on the industry to stamp out the extortionate and inconsistent charging structures currently in operation and to focus instead on getting the service right first time. We look forward to the day that broadband works straight out of the box and we will just pay for the service we sign up to."<br><br> <h3>About The Author</h3> Guide2Broadband discusses broadband options for residential customers, primarily for the UK market. Find out more about getting the best broadband option for your home at http://www.guide2broadband.com<br><br> Keywords: <b>broadband, broadband technical support, broadband customer service</b> <br><br>Article Source : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles"><b>Articles Directory</b></a></br> Article URL : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/internet/broadband/consumers-paying-too-much-for-broadband-technical-support.html" target=_blank>Consumers Paying Too Much For Broadband Technical Support</a></br> Article Category : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/internet/broadband/">Broadband</a></br> Article Author : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/profile/marshc01-7.html">marshc01</a>

---

Article URL : Consumers Paying Too Much For Broadband Technical Support
Article Category : Broadband
Article Author : marshc01