Customer service: the best UK mobile networks in 2023
The retailers featured on this page may compensate us when our readers follow links to their websites and make a purchase. More
We rank each of the UK's mobile networks for how easy it is for their customers to get help sorting out problems. Here are the results. Last updated: 4th August 2023.
In our customer service guide
Ranking every UK network based on their customer service
✔ Ofcom compile customer complaints
It’s almost inevitable that you’ll run into a problem at some time on any network, so we’ve gone over how well each mobile network are able to solve their customers’ issues and ranked them from best to worst.
When we say a network has typically good or poor customer service, that doesn’t mean the network itself is bad. It just means getting help with any issues you run into might be more or less challenging.
In general, the larger, higher end networks tend to offer more ways for their customers to get help to resolve their problems. Budget networks tend to have fewer ways to get help as a way to keep prices low.
At the end of the day, it comes down to what you value out of your network. If you’re tech savvy enough to resolve your own issues then you might as well go with a cheaper network. It depends on what you want.
These rankings reflect how easy it is to get your issues resolved on each network, how many ways there are to get help and how effective each network are at resolving customer issues.
1p Mobile: 03333 442278 is 1pMobile's only customer service number.
ASDA Mobile: 0808 006 2732 or 2732 from your ASDA SIM.
BT Mobile: 0800 800 150 (choose option 3 for mobile) or 150 from your BT SIM.
EE: 0800 956 6000 or 150 from your EE SIM.
iD Mobile: 0333 003 7777 or 7777 from your iD Mobile number.
O2: 0800 081 0255 or 202 from your O2 SIM.
Plusnet Mobile: 0800 079 1133 or 500 from a Plusnet number.
Sky Mobile: regular number is 0333 759 2267 but can be chargeable if calling from a non-Sky number, so check out the terms on Sky's website here. Be patient with it, don’t get disheartened when it says you’re not calling from a Sky number.
Talkmobile: 0333 304 8064 or 5888 from your Talkmobile SIM.
Tesco Mobile: 0345 301 4455 or 4455 from your Tesco Mobile SIM.
Three: 0333 338 1001 or 333 from a Three number.
Virgin Mobile: select option 2 when calling 0345 454 1111, or call 150 from your Virgin Mobile number.
Vodafone: 0808 060 0802 or 191 from your Vodafone SIM.
Useful link: How the networks compare
How the networks compare
Got a network in mind?
Click a logo to see our rankings or read in order
1st: Tesco Mobile - a good complaints record with Ofcom
Tesco Mobile are a mid-priced network with over-the-phone services open every day from 8am - 9pm. But their Ofcom complaints record has gone up to 2 complaints per 100,000 customers, putting them at the industry average.
That suggests that they aren’t as good at resolving their customers’ issues as they oonce were. But the average number of complaints has gone down for all networks, so being at the average isn’t too bad of a sign.
One specific advantage of Tesco is that you can go into most large Tesco stores and get help there. If you’re already there to do your groceries then this is handy and it should be easier to get your issue resolved.
Finally, they have an online chat open from 7am to 11pm and their app is quite highly rated on Google Play and the App store. There are lots of ways to get help with Tesco, and their customers come away satisfied.
Useful links: Compare Tesco Mobile SIM contracts | Compare Tesco Mobile phone contracts
2nd: Three - lots of ways to get help plus a good record
According to Ofcom’s latest complaints record, Three have gone down to 2 complaints per 100,000 customers from 3 complaints. That’s now in line with the industry average across all UK providers.
It’s quite easy to get help with Three. Their website is simple to navigate and their call centres are open from 8am - 10pm on weekdays and 9am - 8pm on weekends, and the same goes for their online chat.
Their chat agents were helpful at resolving our issue, but it took a while to get through to one. And their app gets good reviews on the App Store and on Google Play, giving customers another way to get help.
You can always go to a Three store if there’s one nearby (find your nearest here). In the end, Three offer a lot of ways to help their customers, and they’ve got better at dealing with issues according to Ofcom.
Useful links: Compare Three SIM only contracts | Compare Three phone contracts
3rd: EE - UK based call centres open long hours
EE offer their customers lots of ways to get their issues resolved and have had a consistently good record with Ofcom over the years. That means it’s typically easier for customers to get problems sorted on EE.
You can call EE’s customer service from 8am - 11pm on weekdays, or 8am - 8pm on weekends. All their call centres are UK based, but their Ofcom complaints record has gone up to 2 complaints per 100,000 now.
If you’d rather not call them you can visit their stores. Or you can use their online chat which is open from 8am - 10:30pm, but we were unable to test how good it is as you have to be an EE customer to use it.
Their app is another way of managing your account and contacting their customer service, but it has been subject to poor reviews from Android users. If you have an Android you might not want to use their app.
It’s the sort of customer service experience we’d expect from a pricier network, as they can afford to offer more avenues of help and improve these avenues. But there are a few things that need improving.
Useful links: Compare EE SIM only plans | Compare EE phone contracts
4th: Sky Mobile - great once you’re in contact with them
Sky Mobile are the first network on this list not to have online chat agents. They do have an online virtual assistant, but it only put us through to their help articles rather than actually answering our questions.
However, they currently have the fewest number of complaints with Ofcom at just 1 complaint per 100,000 customers. You can call them to get help, but they don’t list what times their call centres are open.
We think the Sky Community forum is a big part of why their Ofcom report is so low. Here customers can ask questions and have them answered by other users. For some it helps make up for the lack of online agents.
Finally, the My Sky app does get good reviews on both the Google Play and App Store, so that’s another way to get help. Sky make it a bit complicated to contact them, but they’re good at resolving customer issues.
Useful links: Compare Sky Mobile SIM only plans | Compare phone contracts on Sky Mobile
5th: Vodafone - their complaints record has improved
Vodafone’s complaints record with Ofcom has got better over time. In Ofcom’s latest report Vodafone received only 2 complaints per 100,000 customers. And they offer lots of ways for customers to get help.
Their call centres are open from 8am - 8pm every day. That’s generally not as long as other main networks. It’s fairly easy to navigate their website, but they do hide their number a little bit.
If you don’t want to call, they have a 24/7 online chat bot called TOBi which helped us with our issues quickly. But if you’d rather chat with a real person you have to pass an annoying security check to do so.
Their app has received mixed reviews on Google Play, but App Store users tend to be satisfied. It’s quite easy to get help on Vodafone, but they’re not quite as good as the networks above at resolving issues.
Useful links: Find a Vodafone SIM only deal that suits your needs | Compare phone contracts on Vodafone
6th: Talkmobile - chat to agents online or over the phone
Talkmobile are too small to show up in Ofcom’s reports, but they still offer over-the-phone customer service. This is something many of the networks below don’t offer and we’ve found it to be a smooth experience.
You can call them from 8am - 10pm on weekdays, 9am - 6pm on Saturdays and 10am - 5pm on Sundays. If not they do have a decent help section where it’s easy to find solutions to the issues you’re having.
They have an online chat, but it took a while to get through to an agent and they didn’t understand our issue at first. You can use their app, but it gets mixed reviews on the Apple Store and Google Play.
Overall, Talkmobile provide lots of ways to get help for a budget network. But they’re just not quite as reliable as the networks above at resolving their customers’ issues quickly and effectively.
Useful links: Compare Talkmobile SIM only contracts here | Compare Talkmobile phone contracts
7th: Lebara - handy online chat and call services
Like Talkmobile, Lebara offer both over-the-phone customer service or an online chat for those who prefer it. We appreciate it when smaller, cheaper networks offer lots of ways to get in touch and that’s what Lebara does.
They offer call services from 8am - 9pm every day, which is more flexible than some of the networks above, especially on weekends. Their online chat is open at the same times, so help is available most of the time.
You can use their app to manage your account and it gets good reviews on the Apple Store and Google Play, but you can’t contact their customer service agents with it.
Lebara don’t show up in Ofcom’s report, so we can’t really say how good their call services are, but their online chat agents are usually quick and efficient at getting your issues resolved.
Useful link: Our full Lebara review
8th: O2 - more complaints than other main UK networks
O2’s customer service record has got a bit worse, as they now have 3 complaints per 100,000 customers up from 2 complaints according to Ofcom’s latest report. They now have the worst record of all main networks.
Their call centres are open from 8am - 9pm on weekdays, 8am - 8pm on Saturdays and 8am - 6pm on Sundays. They’re not open as long as some other networks, and not all of them are UK based.
It can be hard to get through to a chat agent as you have to jump through some hoops. And once you are through they don’t always have the best level of English, so you may have to explain your issue a few times.
But the My O2 app gets good reviews on Google Play and the App store and you can visit an O2 store to get help there. O2 have lots of ways to get help, but aren’t the best when it comes to resolving customer issues.
Useful links: Use our O2 SIM only comparison tool | Compare phone contracts on O2
9th: Virgin Mobile - more complaints than Ofcom’s average
Virgin Mobile have historically had one of the highest complaints records with Ofcom of all networks. And they now get 3 complaints per 100,000 customers, which is still above the industry average.
Most complaints were made due to how Virgin deal with customer complaints, though they have lots of ways to get help. Their call centres are open from 8am-10pm from Monday to Saturday and from 8am-6pm on Sundays.
It can be hard to get help on Virgin as you have to click through lots of help articles to get their number. And you have to leap through hoops to talk to chat agent, but they tend to be helpful once you’re through.
Their Virgin Media app gets decent reviews, but some users complain that it’s hard to manage your mobile bill as it’s set up for all Virgin Media products. If there was a specific app for Virgin Mobile it would help with this.
Useful links: Compare Virgin Mobile SIM only contracts | Compare Virgin Mobile phone contracts
10th: Talk Home Mobile - lots of avenues to get help
Talk Home Mobile are another small network that offer both over-the-phone services as well as having an online chat. But they’re too small to show up in Ofcom’s report, so we can’t say for sure how good these are.
In any case, you can call or chat with them between 9am - 8pm on weekdays or between 9am - 5:30pm on weekends. These services aren’t open as long as a lot of the networks above, which can be an issue for some.
We found their chat agents could be a bit slow to respond and they didn’t always understand our issue. If you prefer, you can manage your account and chat with their agents using their app too.
Their app gets good reviews on the App Store and on Google Play which is a good sign. Overall, Talk Home’s offer lots of ways to get help, but they are not always the best at resolving their customers’ issues.
Useful link: Our full review of Talk Home Mobile
11th: iD Mobile - their customer service is mostly automated
iD Mobile’s complaints record has improved according to Ofcom’s latest report, with just 2 complaints per 100,000 customers down from 3. That suggests they’ve got better at helping customers.
They offer phone-based services, but this is only an automated service. To talk with a real person you can use their online chat. You can use their app, but it gets bad reviews on Google Play and the Apple Store.
There is a large community of users who can help answer your questions on iD Mobile’s website. But this won’t be enough to help everyone.
The reliance on automated customer service is why iD Mobile is this far down, even if their Ofcom report suggests these services have got better. If you want to talk to a real person, iD aren’t a great choice.
Useful links: Compare iD Mobile SIM only deals | Compare iD Mobile phone contract deals
12th: ASDA Mobile - over-the-phone service but no chat
ASDA Mobile offer over-the-phone services, but don’t show up in Ofcom’s report as they’re not technically a pay monthly network. You pay for your plan up front with them, which means there’s less that can go wrong.
Their over-the-phone services are open from 8am - 8pm during the week, 9am - 6pm on Saturdays and 10am - 5pm on Sundays. But unlike Tesco Mobile, you can’t get help in-store, which limits your options.
If you’d rather chat online then you’re out of luck with ASDA. While they do have an app to help manage your account, the only way to get in touch without calling is to email them or message them on Twitter.
The lack of an online chat won’t be too bad for those who prefer to get customer service over the phone. But if you prefer not to call, then you’ll find yourself a bit stuck with ASDA Mobile’s customer service.
Useful link: ASDA Mobile SIM only deals compared
13th: Co-op Mobile - chat over the phone or send an email
✔ A small provider with phone servicesHow to contact them
at broadband.yourcoop.coop
(opens in new window)
Despite Co-op Mobile being one of the smaller network providers, they still offer over-the-phone customer service. However, they’re too small to show up in Ofcom’s report.
Their call centres are open from 9am - 5pm every day of the week. This isn’t quite as long as on some networks and aren’t particularly flexible hours for customers working during the day.
They don’t have an online chat, so if you don’t want to or can’t call them then the only way to get in touch is by emailing them or messaging their social media accounts, which is slower than phoning them.
The lack of an app and an online chat means there are fewer ways to get in touch, which is made worse by the less flexible opening times for their phone services. But they’re still a decent option for some.
Useful link: Co-op Mobile's contact page
14th: 1pMobile - you have to pay to call them
We wouldn’t expect a network as small as 1pMobile to let you call them at all but they do offer over-the-phone services. The only issue being that you’ll have to pay per minute to call them.
1pMobile are mainly a Pay As You Go network who market themselves with their cheap 1p tariffs on your minutes, texts and MBs of data. Calls are cheap, but it’s still annoying to use your credit just to call them:
Calls to customer services are included in your minutes with these deals:
Otherwise, 1pMobile have a pretty easy website to navigate. There you can find solutions to most problems you might have, and if not they do have a decent online chat service.
Either way, their customer service is open between 9am - 5pm everyday. That isn’t ideal timing for most people. In all, if they made calls to their customer service free then they’d be higher up this list.
Useful link: See 1pMobile SIM only deals here
15th: Honest Mobile - good online chat but no way to call
Honest Mobile got rid of their over-the-phone customer service a while ago, which you can see in their terms and conditions. As such they’ve sunk near to the bottom on this list.
Instead, you’ll have to contact them via their online chat. In our experience, agents respond fairly quickly and were effective at resolving our issues. But they can be a bit slower depending on the time of day.
You can also use their app to manage your account and get help there. Thankfully, it has a lot of good reviews on both the App Store and Google Play, but a lot of users complain about the app running slowly.
Their website is simple to navigate and has a handy FAQs page where you can find answers to lots of issues. Overall, their customer service isn’t bad, but it is very limited due to the lack of phone-based services.
Useful link: See Honest Mobile SIM only tariffs
16th: SMARTY - no way to call them
SMARTY are yet another network that don’t offer any over-the-phone customer service. That means there’s a limited amount of ways you can get in touch if you’ve run into a problem.
Thankfully they do have a lot of help articles on various issues, which is a decent way of getting help. If you can’t find help there, you’ll have to talk with their automated chat bot.
You can chat with a real person, but it’s hard to do so. You can email them but that’s slower than their chat. Or you can use their app which gets good reviews on Google Play and the Apple Store, but can be slow.
It’s understandable for a smaller network to offer fewer ways of getting help. It’s the trade-off for lower costs. If you’re not sure you can sort out issues yourself then SMARTY simply won’t be for you.
Useful link: Our SMARTY SIM only deal comparison page
17th: giffgaff - only an app and online forum for help
giffgaff used to market themselves as being a network run by its users. And this translates to their customer service, which is almost entirely fulfilled by other giffgaff users with their community help forum.
You can’t call them to get help and they don’t have any online chat agents, so there are very few ways for users to get their problems resolved without scrolling through the forum.
Thankfully their app has got good reviews on both Google Play and the App Store. This lets you manage your account and access the giffgaff community, but there’s no online chat on the app either.
Not everyone is tech-savvy enough to fix their issues themselves, so the lack of proper customer service can leave many users out in the cold. Some users might not mind, but we think most will prefer another network.
Useful links: Compare giffgaff SIM only deals here | Compare giffgaff phone contracts
18th: VOXI - no phone services and no app
Finally we come to VOXI who offer no over-the-phone customer service, no app to help manage your plan or any online chat agents. These crucial avenues of customer service are totally closed off on VOXI.
They do have an automated chat bot with autofill options, which does make it easier to manually find solutions for your problems but that’s about it. There’s no online chat with a real person.
You can get in touch with a human being via VOXI’s social media accounts. This can be a decent option, but responses can be slow depending on when you message them and which platform you use.
You might be able to get help for VOXI by calling their parent network Vodafone, but that doesn’t help VOXI’s score in our eyes. It’s not impossible to get help on VOXI, but it’s made needlessly difficult.
Useful links: Compare VOXI’s SIM only deals using our comparison tool | Compare phone contracts on VOXI