TalkTalk is the first internet provider to give loyal customers the same market-leading deals as new customers.
They are also the first major provider to offer a guaranteed fixed price with no broadband price rises for 18 months and to scrap separate line rental charges across all its packages.
TalkTalk has made an unambiguous return to its challenger roots today, with the announcement of major changes centred around putting customers first. From today, TalkTalk will become the only major internet provider to:
Reward existing customers’ loyalty by giving them the same best-value deals previously only available to new customers. Any customer who has had a TalkTalk package for three months or more can switch and save money if there is a better TalkTalk deal available; Offer customers the security of fixing their price for 18 months, guaranteeing no broadband price rises (and no broadband ‘bill shock’); Scrap separate line rental charges on all packages, and move to a single combined monthly price. TalkTalk has been a long-term advocate of simpler, more transparent ‘all-in’ pricing, and in May 2016 was the first provider to announce its decision to move to ‘all in’.
The changes are the most significant steps in the value for money provider’s continued strategy to focus on existing customers, which has already led to higher levels of trust and more customers choosing to stay with TalkTalk than ever before.
Tristia Harrison, TalkTalk’s Consumer Managing Director said: “TalkTalk is changing. Nothing matters more to us than our customers and doing right by them is the right thing for our business. We’ve listened hard to what they’ve told us and we’re acting on it. People are fed up of confusing packages and loud advertising, they’re frustrated with deals which shoot up mid contract, and they hate seeing the best deals saved for new customers. TalkTalk entered the market as a challenger, and we’ve always saved customers money. But today’s changes are about more than that. We know this is an essential service that really matters to people, so it needs to be simple, affordable, reliable and fair. We’re proud to be the first to make the big changes customers expect and deserve of their telecoms provider today.”
Putting an end to complex, confusing packages, TalkTalk is replacing its existing offers with a new, radically simpler range of ‘Fixed Low Price Plans’. Customers have the freedom to choose and fix their own package, tailoring mix-and-match broadband, mobile, TV and calls to suit their needs. All TalkTalk homes can switch to Fixed Low Price Plans from today. Half of TalkTalk customers stand to pay less than they currently do, while the remainder will have the certainty of no price rises for 18 months and make significant savings compared to other deals available in the market.
TalkTalk’s extensive and regular customer research, the most extensive in the company’s history, revealed customers’ fury that market-leading deals are reserved for new customers. Members of the public felt loyalty was ‘punished, rather than rewarded’ and 84% of UK adults said this was the number one thing they would like to see their broadband provider change. TalkTalk’s pledge to offer the same best-value deal to all customers, new and existing, is a ground-breaking move for the industry.
Frustration also came through in terms of the sector’s increasingly promotional and celebrity-driven advertising. Customers complained of “loud, eye-catching” ads which failed to reflect how important telecoms services have become to people’s daily lives, and often distracted from hidden catches. As part of wider changes to its brand, TalkTalk is now making a conscious move away from the industry norm, and will become the only telecoms provider to feature ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentary footage of a real TalkTalk family in its advertising.
Tristia Harrison continues: “Silly gimmicks and shouty ads (with catches hidden in small print) don’t do justice to how much this stuff matters to customers. Especially now, with the country in such an uncertain place, people deserve security, peace of mind, to be talked to honestly. We’re determined to be the provider that makes things simple, tells the truth and most of all rewards loyalty.”
Over the last two years, TalkTalk has made major investments to improve its customers’ experience. This ongoing programme is now showing tangible results, with speeds and reliability both up, as TalkTalk’s network became congestion free for the first time. The company also recently recorded its lowest complaints figures, and highest customer satisfaction and loyalty scores.
Tristia Harrison said: “We’re able to make the big changes we’ve announced today because we can see clearly from the improvements already coming through that doing the right thing for customers is the best thing for our business. There’s still a long way to go – but this is genuinely a new TalkTalk.”