Virgin Media named worst major broadband provider for customer service

Our latest analysis has found that Virgin Media is the worst big broadband firm for customer service. 

We looked at the experiences of over 4,000 broadband customers and stories shared via our customer service tool to explore which providers offer smooth and straightforward customer service – and which leave their customers confused and frustrated.

Virgin Media received disappointing scores for customer service, technical support and how quick and easy it is to contact.

We're calling on companies to provide quick and effective resolutions for their customers. Read about our Customer Service Counts campaign.

The best and worst broadband providers for customer service

Virgin Media was the worst performing big broadband firm for customer service – our analysis showed it received the worst ratings for overall customer service, the ease and speed of getting a response, and its technical support.

It received a disappointing satisfaction score of 38 (out of a possible +100) for overall customer service – the lowest of the thirteen providers we looked at. Its scores for technical support and the ease and speed of getting in touch were even worse: 34 and 26 respectively. 

These scores put Virgin Media substantially behind the average scores for the broadband sector. These were:

• Customer service: 56
• Technical support: 50
• Ease and speed of getting in touch: 50

Virgin Media’s poor customer service seems particularly galling, given most of its customers have also recently faced price rises of 8.8%. 

By contrast, two of the providers that offer fixed prices during their customers' contracts also received much higher scores for their customer service. Zen Internet took first place for overall customer service, with a satisfaction score of 84, and Utility Warehouse fell in second place with a satisfaction score of 74.

Virgin Media also stood out for the wrong reasons in recent stats released by the telecoms regulator, Ofcom. In the final quarter of 2023, it inspired the highest level of complaints to the regulator for broadband as well as for both landline and pay TV services. Ofcom is currently investigating Virgin Media’s performance regarding its rules around complaints handling and contract termination.

Virgin Media has acknowledged there's a need for improvement. A spokesperson told us the company is working to deliver tangible improvements to customer service, citing investments in IT and staff training that aim to make it easier for customers to get effective support. It also told us that according to its own data for the last year, customer calls were answered within two minutes on average and it resolved 95% of complaints during a customer’s first call.

Find out which providers also offer reliable connections and excellent value for money in our guide to the best and worst broadband providers for 2024, or enter your postcode below to see deals in your area. 

Broadband providers need to improve their customer service

In a separate survey we conducted in 2023, telecoms services stood out as one of the worst performing sectors for customer service. 

In that research, one in five people said they were unhappy with their most recent customer service experience with a telecoms provider, one of the highest scores across sectors including energy, financial services and retail, as well as telecoms. 

All of our findings highlight just how dramatically the quality of customer service can vary between individual firms. It is never OK for firms to provide sub-standard customer service, but in an essential sector such as broadband where millions rely on it for work, education and to stay in touch with friends and family, it is completely unacceptable. 

That’s why Which? has launched a customer service campaign calling on any providers who are falling short to up their game by providing easy routes to solutions and keeping customers informed when a resolution to their problem will take a longer amount of time. 

As the worst performer in the essential broadband sector, Virgin must make urgent improvements and demonstrate that it is making it easier for customers to get timely and effective solutions to their problems when they need help. We will be keeping a close eye on other poor performers in the broadband sector to ensure their customer service improves.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: 'Customer service has hit rock bottom - with some customers stuck in endless loops just trying to get help. 

'Virgin Media was named the worst broadband firm for customer service in our research - faring particularly poorly for technical support and providing quick and efficient responses. This is particularly unacceptable when Virgin Media has enforced mid-contract price hikes of almost 9% this April on top of an increase of almost 14% last April. 

'While many consumers will rightly consider switching, firms that are falling short must urgently make improvements so all customers are getting the standard of service and support they need and deserve.'

Sick of substandard service? It’s easy to move on - get started using guide on how to switch broadband provider

Share your experiences of poor customer service 

As part of our drive to improve customer service standards across the board, we’re inviting all consumers to help shape our campaigning by sharing stories of frustrating customer service experiences using a simple online tool.

Help us shape our research: fill out our customer service reporting tool.