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Chapter 2 - Summary findings

Mystery shopping results

• Overall 87% of all requests resulted in accurate information, 83% of residential number requests and 87% of business requests
• 99% of calls were answered on the first attempt
• Average time taken to speak to an advisor - eight seconds
• Average cost to obtain one number ranged between 27p - 65p, with half of the services costing under 40p

Consumer survey results

• 57% of adults currently use telephone directory services
• Seven in ten adults were able to spontaneously state at least one new DQ number, rising to three-quarters amongst current DQ users
• DQ number recognition stands at 85% of adults - (prompted awareness of numbers)
• 30% of adults have selected a main DQ provider and satisfaction with this supplier stands at 64%
• Two in five (41%) adults were aware of at least one additional 'enhanced' DQ service available, and a similar proportion (36%) claim they are likely to use one
• A third of UK adults were aware that prices and service on offer vary

The majority of mystery shopping calls were answered promptly by an operator and almost nine out of ten calls resulted in accurate provision of information.

2.1 Overall 87% of requests made to DQ providers resulted in the correct number or a suitable alternative being provided. The figure was slightly lower for residential number requests (83%) than for business requests (87%).

Directory services are easy to access and generally take less than one minute to provide one number - costs vary according to the provider called and network used to make the call

2.2 Nearly all calls were answered on the first attempt and took on average eight seconds to be answered by an advisor. On average calls to obtain one number from directory services took around 50 seconds and cost between 27p and 65p from a BT phone line, depending on the provider called.

DQ number recognition remains unchanged at 85% of adults, with a significant minority having already selected a main supplier for directory services

2.3 Seven in ten adults aware of the changes to DQ services were able to spontaneously cite at least one of the new DQ numbers, rising to 85% when prompted. Three in ten adults have selected one DQ number for the majority of these calls and just under two-thirds (64%) of these were satisfied with the service they receive.

Awareness in the range of services and costs available from DQ providers continues to improve

2.4 Around two in five adults (41%) were aware of at least one of the additional 'enhanced' services offered by DQ providers, mainly call-connect, text-back, and classified business searches. Use of any of the additional services appears to have risen slightly, largely driven by a rise in use of text-back. However, this rise may be partially due to consumers receiving this service as standard, free of charge from certain providers, and not necessarily a reflection of consumers actively choosing to use this additional service.

Improved awareness of the varying price structures and services, although many assume all new DQ services are more expensive than the legacy 192 service

2.5 One in five (17%) adults correctly cited that the current price structures vary in comparison to the legacy 192 services. However, almost half (47%) think all of the new services are more expensive, even though this is not the case, which may account for at least some of the fall in use of these services (half of consumers who use DQ services less frequently since liberalisation cited either perceptions or experience of higher costs as the reason behind their lower usage).

2.6 The mystery shopping exercise illustrated that half of the new DQ services cost less than 40 pence to obtain one number, (the cost for the legacy 192 service).

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