Mobile operator Three has been named the worst UK mobile operator in a new survey by consumer organisation Which?, scoring 60% and receiving just two stars in all categories assessed.
In January, 3,739 customers were questioned for the survey on their satisfaction, likelihood of recommending, price-performance ratio and network speed. Smaller networks outperformed the four major providers and offered better price-performance ratio.
Smaller providers leverage the infrastructure of a larger network while avoiding the unpredictable, inflation-related price increases favored by larger companies.
“Consumers who are unhappy with their current provider should consider switching. It’s an easy thing to do and can save them money and improve their customer experience,” says Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?.
Worst performance
Three (60%)
Three is the smallest of the four major networks and is currently trying to merge with Vodafone to gain a larger market share.
Almost half (46%) of Three customers said they had experienced a problem in the last 12 months, a poor figure compared to the best performing networks such as iD Mobile and Tesco, where only 11% and 12% of customers respectively experienced problems.
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“We are disappointed with the results of this survey and take them very seriously,” said a Three spokesperson. “Improving the customer experience is a big focus for the company and we are working on a number of internal measures to significantly reduce complaints and poor performance. Providing our customers with a great experience is our absolute priority and drives everything we do at Three.”
Vodafone (68%)
Vodafone (VOD.L), meanwhile, scored 68%. The company received just two stars for the incentives and rewards it offers, but four stars for the reliability of its network.
A possible impending merger between Vodafone and Three is likely to reduce competitive pressure in the market and could lead – at least in the short term – to higher prices and lower quality for consumers.
02 (68%)
O2 also reached 68% and is the only network that still uses the outdated and arguably inaccurate Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3.9% to calculate its annual price increases. The RPI is an unofficial statistic that measures consumer inflation and is tracked by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
This year, the RPI is 0.9% higher than the CPI (last year it was 2.9% higher) and means an 8.8% increase in airtime for O2 customers this year. O2 has identified that some customers who took out their contracts before March 2021 will receive increases based on the RPI alone, without the 3.9% surcharge.
O2’s incentives and rewards and technical support ratings dropped to two stars, but all other ratings remained at three stars.
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EE (69%)
EE scored 69%. The UK network with the most customers achieved a solid but unspectacular result. A mix of two and three star ratings showed that customers were not particularly impressed – the biggest highlight was a four star rating for network reliability.
Best Actor
At the top end of the table, providers offering excellent value for money were a recurring theme, with all but one of the providers rated ‘Recommended’ or ‘Great Value’ by Which? receiving five stars in this regard.
Tesco Mobile (83%)
Tesco Mobile (TSCO.L) received the highest customer rating at 83%, but was not listed as a Which? recommended provider because customers who are not on one of the plans linked to the Clubcard face inflation-related price increases during the contract term.
Smarty (82%)
Smarty scored 82%. Almost two-thirds of Smarty customers rated the value for money as excellent. Smarty is owned by Three – rated the worst provider in the survey – and uses its mobile network.
Other networks:
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GiffGaff scored 80%
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Voxi, 77%
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iD Mobile, 77%
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Libero, 76%
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The four major mobile operators all scored poorly on value for money, which may be partly due to their unpredictable price increases during the contract period. EE recently stopped these increases for new and existing customers rather than waiting for the regulator Ofcom to force it to do so.
Which?’s latest research shows that there are some good ways for people who are unhappy with their current provider to save money and get better customer service.
Watch: How does inflation affect interest rates?
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