No contact details, being put on hold and useless chatbots are the biggest gripes Brits have with their energy and telecom providers – as experts warn millions are being let down by ‘shockingly poor’ customer service

Energy and telecoms firms are delivering ‘shockingly poor’ standards of customer services, consumer experts have warned.

Among the main gripes causing frustration to householders and other subscribers are a lack of contact information, being held on the line for long periods, poorly trained staff and useless chatbots.

It comes as the companies are already under fire from the public over spiralling charges.

The details come from a survey of 3,000 people by consumer champions at Which? who said millions of people are being let down.

Bills for heating and light are set to rise in January and, potentially, again in April – yet energy firms are among the worst for dealing with customer concerns.

And telecoms firms, which offer broadband and mobile services, which are also under fire for inflation busting price rises, are little better.

Which? said: ‘Millions of people are finding they are routinely ignored or left on hold by businesses. Even when they do get through, their problems are compounded by uncaring or poorly-trained staff or ineffective chatbots.’

Its survey found 22 per cent of people dealing with telecoms firms were unhappy with their most recent customer service experience, rising to 25 per cent for those contacting energy firms.

Some 21 per cent who contacted an energy company were dissatisfied with how seriously the company took their issue.

Some 31% of Ovo clients were unhappy about customer service and 47% angry over delays

Some 33 per cent were unhappy with customer service at Scottish Power with 49 per cent complaining about a long wait to reach someone who could help.

Ovo was little better with 31 per cent unhappy about customer service and 47 per cent angry over delays. One complained it took 90 minutes to get through to a ‘live chat’.

Some customers said it was difficult to find contact information in the first place with Scottish Power, Ovo, and British Gas performing especially poorly in this area.

The Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, Rocio Concha, said: ‘Too many people are experiencing shockingly poor customer service – whether that means struggling to get through at all, deficient chatbots or poorly trained staff that only seem to make the problem worse.

Some British Gas customers said it was difficult to find contact information in the first place

‘Our research has found shoddy customer service in a number of sectors – with the energy industry performing particularly poorly.

‘Any companies falling short on customer service need to up their game. Everyone should be able to get the answers they need without long waits or endless loops, be kept informed and treated fairly, with empathy and as an individual.’ 

Scottish Power and Ovo both said they are delivering improvements on the speed of handling calls, emails and live chat support.

British Gas said it has invested £25 million in customer services operations to meet demand.

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