Consumer watchdog calls on Virgin Media, Scottish Power, and British Gas to enhance their services following research into customer satisfaction

Consumer champion Which? has written to the chief executives of Virgin Media, Scottish Power, and British Gas, urging them to take immediate action to improve their customer service standards after recent findings ranked them as some of the worst performers in the sector. According to the watchdog, the companies’ “consistently poor performance” in customer service has raised serious concerns.

The report, based on a survey of 4,101 consumers, revealed that energy and broadband services continue to be among the worst-performing industries, with satisfaction ratings of just +51 for energy and +52 for broadband. Virgin Media, identified as the lowest-ranking broadband provider, received an alarmingly low score of +29 for overall customer service, significantly underperforming compared to the sector’s average of +52. The survey also highlighted that 50% of Virgin Media customers experienced issues such as long waiting times, unhelpful staff, and being passed between departments without resolution.

Similarly, Scottish Power and British Gas, the two energy providers with the worst customer service ratings, also faced criticisms despite improvements since the previous survey. Scottish Power, with a score of +34, and British Gas at +43, both fell far below the sector’s average of +51. Over half of their customers reported facing problems like long waits and poor service responses.

Rocio Concha, Which?’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, emphasised the urgency of improving customer service in essential sectors like energy and broadband, which millions rely on daily. She urged the companies to implement clear and substantial improvements to address their service failures.

In response, Virgin Media outlined its ongoing efforts to improve customer service, including investments in staff and technology, and a reduction in call waiting times. Scottish Power and British Gas also defended their customer service improvements, pointing to higher response rates and investments in operations, although both companies noted the Which? survey sample was too small and outdated to reflect their current customer satisfaction levels.

Which? continues to pressure these firms to meet the standards that consumers expect, stressing that it is crucial for these essential services to operate efficiently and provide the level of service that customers deserve.