BT scolded by Oftel for poor customer services

BT has come under fire for failing to solve "continued serious problems" with its Calls & Access service to customers and service providers.

Telecoms watchdog Oftel issued a new Provisional Order setting out action BT must take to improve the service, which lets service providers offer own brand telephone services direct to customers using BT's network.

Oftel's investigations revealed some customers are experiencing delays in transferring to their chosen service providers and inaccurate billing, with some being billed twice for the same service.

The order is an extension of a previous order Oftel served against BT in August. The telecoms giant has until 1 December to address its shortcomings or risks losing its licence, said an Oftel spokesperson.

Outstanding problems identified by Oftel, which BT must address to provide an "acceptable level of service", include a lack of robustness with the computerised system provided by BT that service providers use to transfer customers between BT and service providers.

Other problems noted by Oftel include unreliable and often inaccurate customer data passed on by BT to service providers, which result in incorrect bills, poor and erratic lines of communication between BT and service providers over customer.

The Oftel spokesperson said that there have been improvements since August but, "there are still flaws."

A spokeswoman for BT said that an upgrade to BT's computer billing systems last week, "should resolve issues."

She added: "Oftel should not just look at BT, but should deal with the problems on an industry-wide basis.

"BT is not only to blame. In some measure it's down to service providers," she said. "I don't want it to become tit for tat but communication is a two-way process."

She said that some customers have been unable to pass back to BT from service providers.

A spokesperson for service provider Localtel said: "We are not slow at all. If people want to go back that is fine. We have nothing to gain from alienating customers."

He added: "This is Oftel's investigation and they have found the way BT runs Call and Access is not good enough."