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BT has established itself as a very traditional household brand. Its customers often number among those who pay British Gas for their energy, drive reliable cars, and shop at the local Tesco. Sure, the same customers might save a few bob if they did their grocery shopping at Kwik Save and drove around in a Scoda. But the shrewd consumer looks for value rather than savings, for the latter can be accompanied by a sore loss, whether it be a broken down vehicle, an unreliable internet connection, or a customer service department that doesn’t seem to care about, let alone resolve, any problems that arise. When BT Broadband is examined through the eyes of value, its quality shines through. With broadband providers , the standard service promised is invariably the same: high-speed internet and everything you need to gain access. BT Broadband makes no sacrifice on the speed: the company promises speeds up to 8Mb, which is quadruple that of some of their competitors. Nor are the tools of BT's trade lacking in terms of features: BT offers a wireless router, allowing users to surf the web in the pantry and check their email in the garden. Moreover, to protect you during these online domestic adventures, the company will throw in Norton Antivirus and Personal Firewall. And this access is not limited to the range of a user’s own router; every BT Total Broadband Option comes complete with 250 inclusive Openzone Wi-Fi minutes a month. Sounds good, you might think, but some companies are providing free broadband out there. The mobile network Orange will give those who take out contracts over £30 per month a complimentary 2Mb broadband connection and a free modem. Meanwhile, Sky offers a similar service to its subscribers. It is important to note, however, that the broadband is not free on its own; rather, it comes as a complimentary part of a package. In the case of Orange, the deal is subject to an eighteen month contract, which, if terminated, will leave customers liable to pay charges. That the broadband is free appears somewhat illusionary in light of certain hidden costs. And of those broadband providers who do charge openly, BT boasts competitive rates. AOL Broadband Platinum includes a free wireless router and 8Mb speeds, but it comes at a premium: its £29.99 per month compares badly to the £26.99 available from BT for a superior service. Furthermore, BT currently offers this package at £22.99 for the first six months on new eighteen month contracts, not to mention your chance to win £1000 if you order BT's broadband online. Yet what most separates BT from the pack is its customer care. With all products, problems potentially arise. There is always the irony when you go shopping for technology that, after the salesman has raved about the reliability of a particular model, he advises you at the checkout to take out an insurance policy, lest your new purchase go wrong. With broadband packages, the procedures for dealing with problems that arise vary. I, personally, have had trouble with AOL: representatives who say they’ll call you back and never do, or a complete refusal to admit responsibility, suggesting that the connection fault lay in my set-up rather than their service, a judgement that subsequently turned out to be incorrect. A quick search online reveals that I am not alone in my experience, for there are other disgruntled consumers complaining of high prices and poor connectivity. Nor is their invective limited to AOL. Talk-Talk is an ‘absolute disaster’, writes one reviewer, citing huge delays in delivering the service foreign call-centres with incomprehensible, unhelpful representatives. By contrast, BT’s customers are satisfied. One consumer, after waiting two months on a Tiscali broadband connection that never arrived, states that his only regret was not signing up to BT sooner. And their customer service department is famous for its effectiveness, which is rare in today’s cost-cutting, outsourcing world. On the whole, it seems BT, though perhaps the boring option, is the safe one. And, in this case, the safe option is also the best.
Staff editor, Broadband Section, January 2007 |
