Smaller ISPs have happier customers

If you have eschewed the big names and opted for a smaller ISP, you probably have a happier broadband experience. These are the findings of a report which says the big four ISPs in the UK -- BT, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk -- are rated lower than their smaller rivals.

In fact, the highest rated provider, SSE, has only been in the broadband game since 2014, with Yorkshire-based Plusnet coming in second place, says Cable.co.uk.

Of the big names, TalkTalk provides broadband to 13 percent of UK internet users, yet it scored just 6.66 out of 10 and placed in ninth position. The four biggest companies account for 87 percent of the market, but the best performer -- Sky -- only managed to hit fifth place.

The full chart looks like this:

Dan Howdle from Cable.co.uk says:

What our study shows is that if the most important aspect of your service is how a broadband provider treats you, small is beautiful.

Broadly speaking, the more customers you have the more difficult it can be to keep them happy. High call volumes often force larger companies to migrate to more one-size-fits-all solutions that target the most common problems, but that often means a struggle for customers whose difficulties don't fit a predetermined 'type'.

Customers often have different priorities. If you want the fastest speeds or the most TV channels, you may be willing to accept middling or even poor customer service and problem handling to get it, and rationalise that choice by supposing it will never happen to you.

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