Topics of focus - 2021

Topic: What excellent customer service looks like and the benefits of communications providers developing a Customer Charter

Hub participants explored what excellent customer service looks like and heard from other sectors where Customer Charters were already in place. Ofcom's affordability team also provided an update on the affordability of communications services. 

Key messages from stakeholders across the UK:

1. Communications providers should ensure that customer information and processes are designed and delivered in a clear, transparent and accessible format.
2. Customer service teams should seek to understand and meet consumers’ individual preferences and requirements from the outset and throughout the customer journey.
3. Communications providers should promote and seek to embed excellent customer service across the business – both strategically and culturally.
4. Communications providers should ensure that consumers’ experiences and feedback help to drive improvements across the business and sector.

Click here to read a summary of our discussions across the UK and see who took part.

Topic: Making communications services inclusive - how providers can effectively and consistently meet consumers' individual requirements.

Participants were provided with an overview of the Panel's soon-to-be-published think-piece on making communications services inclusive and discussed how providers can effectively and consistently meet consumers' individual requirements.

Key messages from stakeholders across the UK:

1. Communications providers should seek to identify consumers’ access requirements early-on and throughout the consumer journey to ensure that requirements are consistently updated and met.
2. Communications providers should ensure that front-line staff have received sufficient training to understand consumers’ access requirements.
3. Communications providers should provide specialist support to consumers in vulnerable circumstances.
4. Communications services should be inclusive by design – ensuring that products and services designed for consumers are accessible to all, from the outset.

Click here for a summary of our discussions across the UK and see who took part. 

Topic: The potential impacts of migration to Voice-over IP on consumers, citizens and micro-businesses

We held our first UK-wide Hub, bringing together consumer representatives across each of the UK Nations to discuss the potential impacts of migration to voice-over IP on consumers, citizens and micro-businesses.

Key messages from stakeholders across the UK:

1. Digital connectivity needs to be universal, reliable and resilient, particularly for people living in rural areas who currently rely on landline services to interact with others.
2. A coordinated consumer communications campaign is essential to help raise awareness of migration to voice-over IP so consumers, citizens and micro-businesses can prepare for the switchover; and planning this should begin immediately with input from consumer, citizen and micro business representatives from an early stage.
3. Communications providers need to better understand which of their customers have specific access requirements so that those people can be safeguarded throughout the migration process to mitigate potential harm to them.

Please click here to read a summary of our discussions and see who took part.

Topic: Equipping consumers, citizens and micro-businesses with the necessary tools to participate digitally

Our discussions focused on digital inclusion, skills and confidence and the importance of equipping consumers, citizens and micro-businesses with the necessary tools to participate digitally.

Key messages from stakeholders across the UK:

1. Consumers, citizens and micro-businesses lack the digital skills, support and confidence to participate online.
2. Consumers, citizens and micro-businesses fear being targeted by scams; and poor digital experiences can negatively impact confidence and motivation.
3. Communications services and digital devices are not inclusively designed and often consumers with access requirements do not know how to find accessibility support. 
4. Many consumers, particularly those with access requirements face additional costs associated with meeting their communications needs – referred to by Hub participants as ‘communications poverty’.
5. Consumers, citizens and micro-businesses who live and/or work in areas where connectivity is poor, particularly those in rural or remote areas, find it difficult to take advantage of the digital world. 

Please click here to read a summary of our discussions and see who took part.

Topic: Affordability of communications services and managing consumer debt

Our discussions focused on the affordability of communications services and managing consumer debt in the communications sector. Ofcom's affordability policy team provided an overview of key findings from its research and participants discussed support for financially vulnerable consumers.

Key messages from stakeholders across the UK:

1. Digital connectivity needs to be affordable and available to all consumers who want to participate digitally – recognising that it has become an intrinsic part of everyday life.
2. Many consumers, citizens and micro-businesses find it difficult to afford communications services and would benefit from a guaranteed, low-cost service.
3. Availability of initiatives that could make communications services more affordable to UK consumers, citizens and micro-businesses should be promoted more widely.
4. Communications services should be designed inclusively, eliminating unfair premiums experienced by some consumers.
5. Data should be shared securely and ethically across sectors to further understand the needs of financially vulnerable consumers.
6. Policies and practices in the communications sector should be improved on a continuous basis, to better support financially vulnerable consumers.
7. Alongside the need for affordable communications, digital skills must also be improved.

Please click here to read a summary of our discussions and see who took part..