BT scraps customer support charges

Edited by the Insidemoneytalk editorial team Feb 25, 2008

From 1st April, BT pledges to scrap charges to its customer and technical support helplines.

Chargeable numbers currently beginning with 0845 or 0870 will be changed to a free 0800 or 0808 prefix and the move will account for 99% of calls made into the company.

Steve Weller, Communications Expert at uSwitch.com comments: "It has taken too long to come, but we welcome BT's initiative to make customer and technical support calls free of charge.

"Broadband customers have been especially hard hit lately by the hefty cost of calling technical helplines.

With an average of four calls per customer made each year, as a nation we wasted an incredible £31 million last year alone trying to obtain help from our providers.[1] "While the average charge is 9p per minute[2], costs vary from being free for BT and TalkTalk customers, to 50p per minute for those on Orange's Starter broadband service, Tiscali dial up or Tesco.net.

With the average call lasting 17 minutes, costs soon add up.

"We call on the rest of the industry to follow BT's example and stamp out the extortionate and inconsistent charging structures currently facing customers just trying to obtain help from their company." Main reasons for calling technical support: 1.

Network connection problems (37%).

Service interruptions (18%).

Set-up problems (16%).

Wireless router problems (11%).

Issues with speed (9%).

Other(9%)Source: uSwitch.com.

For more information visit www.uSwitch.com or call 0800 093 0607.

[1].

YouGov survey July 2007 reveals 39% have called their provider's technical helpline in the last 12 months.

13 million homes have broadband so this equates to 5.1 million.

Customers call their technical helpline 3.67 times a year.

The average cost of a call is £1.56 according to uSwitch calculation of rates to helplines across main broadband providers, equating to an annual spend of £30.98 million.

Average calls last 17 minutes with 6 minutes left on hold.

uSwitch.com calculation based on current charges.