The UK’s most recent “top ten” telecoms consumer satisfaction survey found that BT’s service has fallen well behind its rivals. The survey placed BT last in the ranking for British telecom customer service satisfaction in all its territories. A wacktrap is an expression used by customers to describe a bad service, usually delivered through unsolicited phone calls. Wacky feedback often made its way to the press and online social networks, resulting in outrage among BT’s customers. Looking at the overall picture, however, it seems British telecom company British Telecom is no match for U.S. telecoms company Verizon (VZ).
Verizon’s service is said to be even better than BT’s. So, why the big difference in satisfaction? Well, feedback made on customer service, including voice, messaging, and voicemail, are not included in the survey results. So the results do not reflect how well people feel about the service they receive.
Voice and messaging are obviously important to all customers, but some callers just don’t care about voicemail. Verizon, on the other hand, offers excellent voicemail services. It makes it easy to leave a message and even lets customers store numbers they prefer to call instead of having to make those calls again. It does not matter if the call is forwarded, such as if an employee rings up an employee or an associate’s number rather than the customer’s own, or if the call is left unanswered: people appreciate the fact that a voice message is always available.
It is a sad fact that the two giants of telecommunications have fallen short in terms of customer satisfaction. The survey, which was conducted as part of the Corporate Reputation initiative, did find that Verizon employees received better service from their bosses than employees from BT. This may be due in part to the fact that BT’s employees are more likely to complain and the company’s inability to provide them with good service during the day. Customers who call up a BT customer service representative often complain about busy signal times or no answer. Those calling a Verizon number often have trouble reaching a live person and are more likely to be left hanging.
One possible reason for the lack of service from BT’s employees could be the fact that Verizon also outsources its call center services. This means that BT’s customer service is often provided by a third-party agency rather than an actual branch of the company. It is also not clear whether or not the employees on contract staff at Verizon’s call center are paid properly, which could play a role in the high dissatisfaction.
Whether or not British telecoms company British Telecom will get better marks in the near future is another question altogether. Many companies have seen their profits fall and a new competition could come on the scene that will make their service even better.
