TalkTalk broadband complaints falling while O2 retains mobile crown

The number of complaints made to Ofcom by customers using TalkTalk's broadband services decreased for the third quarter in a row as the firm appears to be making good on promises to cut out issues with its service.

The firm still topped the complaints chart, with 0.42 per 1,000 customers issuing complaints, but this was down from 0.56 in the first quarter and 0.61 in the fourth quarter of 2011.

This is also half the worst quarter for TalkTalk, in Q1 2011, when it registered 0.81 complaints per 1,000 customers.

The firm said it was aware that it still had more to do, though, to reduce complaints received even further.

"Technical faults are fixed faster, more support is being offered when customers move house, and our online support system, which now accounts for 70 percent of customer contacts, is being further enhanced," it said.

Other internet service providers (ISPs) fared better, though, with Sky the least complained about provider (on 0.10 per 1,000) , followed by Virgin Media (0.15), Orange (0.24) and BT Retail (0.31).

On the mobile side O2 retained its positions as the least complained about provider, with just 0.05 complaints per 1,000 customers.

Three was the worst offending firm, with 0.19 complaints per 1,000 customers.

V3 contacted Three for comment on this but had received no reply at time of publication.

The rest of the mobile operators had similar figures, including T-Mobile (0.17), Vodafone (0.15), Orange (0.14) and Virgin Mobile (0.10).

The complaints between T-Mobile and Orange customers actually make a total of 0.31, higher than Three, as the customers on the networks are actually under the single merged network of EE.