What do consumers think of Oftel's complaints handling procedure?

A survey measuring consumers' satisfaction with the way Oftel handles complaints and enquiries found that the majority of consumers who contact Oftel's Consumer Representation Section (CRS) are happy with the service that they receive.

Oftel's rolling monthly survey also measures perceptions of Oftel's performance in comparison to other companies or organisations.

The results are reported on a six-monthly basis, with the results from the first wave (between October 2001 and March 2002) published in June.

Further waves are being conducted to monitor performance over time and identify any areas where improvements could be made and whether any such improvements have had an impact on customer satisfaction.

Key findings:

• The majority of consumers whose contact was resolved within Oftel (without being referred to another company/organisation to resolve) were satisfied with the overall handling (85%).
• Just over three-quarters thought Oftel's handling was better than, or as good as, other companies they have contacted.
• Most consumers felt Oftel was easily accessible (89%) and staff were polite and paid attention (94%).
• The main suggested area for improvement was to keep consumers better informed throughout the process.

Consumers contacting Oftel by phone were slightly more satisfied with various aspects of handling than those who contacted in writing. This probably reflects the advantages of a two-way dialogue on the phone over a lengthy written process.

The full report for the first wave of the customer satisfaction survey along with all Oftel research is published and available on Oftel's website at www.oftel.gov.uk/consumer/research/research_index.htm.

For further information or for more details on Oftel's consumer research programme, contact Lisa Etwell (tel: 020 7634 8741 / e-mail: lisa.etwell@oftel.gov.uk).

Oftel's Consumer Representation Section

Oftel's Consumer Representation Section (CRS) is responsible for dealing with and where appropriate referring to companies, complaints and enquiries from residential and business consumers.

• Around 8,000 complaints and enquiries are received each month (nearly 100, 000 a year)
• 80% are from residential consumers and 20% from businesses
• 90% of contacts are complaints and 10% enquiries
• 75% of contacts are by phone, 25% written including email and fax