Tesco Mobile consistently sits at the top of customer satisfaction rankings, with low complaint levels and strong overall scores for service.
Other smaller providers such as giffgaff and SMARTY also tend to perform well, while some of the bigger networks more often appear around or below the industry average.
Overall, most UK mobile customers are fairly satisfied - but your choice of network can still make a noticeable difference to the service you receive.
TL;DR: Verdict
Customer service is one of the main reasons people stay with - or leave - their mobile network, yet experiences vary widely between providers.
Tesco Mobile consistently sits at the top of customer satisfaction rankings, with low complaint levels and strong overall scores for service.
Other smaller providers such as giffgaff and SMARTY also tend to perform well, while some of the bigger networks more often appear around or below the industry average.
Overall, most UK mobile customers are fairly satisfied - but your choice of network can still make a noticeable difference to the service you receive.
The best customer service for mobile
Choose's top mobile providers for customer service are:
We look at why in more detail below but here are some of their best SIM only deals before we get started:
| Package | Minutes | Data | Contract term | Monthly price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco Mobile | Unlimited data | Unlimited | Unlimited | 18 months | £27.50 | Get deal |
| giffgaff | £25 goodybag | Unlimited | Always On data | 1 month | £25 | Get deal |
| Sky Mobile | 50GB data | Unlimited | 50GB | 12 months | £25 | Get deal |
Overview
| Overall winner | Tesco Mobile |
|---|---|
| Recent complaints history | Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile, EE |
| Satisfaction with overall service | Tesco Mobile |
| Fewest complaints in 2021 | Tesco Mobile |
| Complaints resolved on first contact | EE |
| Satisfaction with handling of complaints | Virgin Mobile |
| Average call waiting times | Three |
| Most likely to be recommended | giffgaff, Tesco Mobile |
| UK Customer Service Index winner | Tesco Mobile |
Top pick for mobile customer service in 2026
Our current top pick for mobile customer service is Tesco Mobile, based on its very low complaint levels and strong performance in Ofcom's annual customer service research.
The latest complaint figures for Q2 2025 show Tesco Mobile, Vodafone and EE leading the field with the lowest complaint levels:
| Mobile provider | Complaints per 100,000 customers |
|---|---|
| Tesco Mobile | 1 |
| Vodafone | 1 |
| EE | 1 |
| O2 | 2 |
| iD Mobile | 2 |
| Sky Mobile | 2 |
| Three | 3 |
Ofcom's approach is that very small differences in complaints (less than 1 per 100,000 customers) should not be treated as meaningful. Using that yardstick, Sky Mobile's performance in Q2 2025 was effectively in line with all other providers, as overall complaint levels have fallen and the gap between networks has narrowed.
Which mobile provider's customers are most satisfied?
One of the most helpful sources for mobile customer service data comes from Ofcom's Comparing Customer Service report, which uses large-scale consumer research to compare how customers feel about their providers across satisfaction, service performance and complaint handling.
The 2025 report shows strong satisfaction overall among mobile customers in 2024, with 88% saying they were satisfied with their service. Some providers stood out above the rest: giffgaff and Tesco Mobile customers were significantly more likely than average to be satisfied with their mobile service (both 94%). In contrast, O2 and Vodafone customers reported lower than average satisfaction levels.
The mobile providers included in the report are:
- EE
- giffgaff
- iD Mobile
- Lebara
- Lyca Mobile
- O2
- Sky Mobile
- Tesco Mobile
- Three
- Vodafone
These consist of the main UK network operators and a selection of larger mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). According to the report's analysis, giffgaff, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile all use O2's network, Lyca Mobile uses EE's network, iD Mobile uses Three's network and Lebara uses Vodafone's network.
Satisfaction with overall service
Top performers: giffgaff and Tesco Mobile
According to Ofcom's Comparing Customer Service 2025 report, mobile customers were generally satisfied with their service in 2024, with an overall satisfaction rate of 88%. Of the individual providers, giffgaff and Tesco Mobile customers were most likely to report being satisfied with their service, both with satisfaction scores of 94%.
Following those two, Lebara's customers also reported high satisfaction (91%), with EE close behind (90%). Other providers such as Sky Mobile and Three were around the sector average, while O2 and Vodafone sat below the average level of satisfaction.
Here are the latest overall satisfaction figures for 2024:
| Rank | Provider | Overall satisfaction with service (2024) | Compared to sector average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | giffgaff | 94% | Above average |
| 1 | Tesco Mobile | 94% | Above average |
| 3 | Lebara | 91% | Above average |
| 4 | EE | 90% | In line with average |
| 5 | Sky Mobile | 87% | In line with average |
| 5 | Three | 87% | In line with average |
| 7 | O2 | 85% | Below average |
| 8 | Vodafone | 84% | Below average |
Note: iD Mobile and Lyca Mobile were included in the report's mobile customer research, but their overall satisfaction figures were not published in a way that could be reliably ranked in this table.
This new data shows a similar pattern to previous years รข€" smaller providers like giffgaff and Tesco Mobile continue to lead on customer satisfaction, while some of the larger network operators score more modestly in comparison.
How many customers have a reason to complain?
Lowest rate: Tesco Mobile
Ofcom's 2025 Comparing Customer Service report found that 14% of mobile customers said they had a reason to complain about their provider in 2024, up from 12% in 2022. In other words, a minority of customers felt they had cause for dissatisfaction, whether or not they submitted a formal complaint.
Looking at individual providers' results, Tesco Mobile customers were the least likely to report a reason to complain (6%), followed by giffgaff (8%) and Lebara (13%), all below the sector average. By contrast, Sky Mobile (19%), Three (18%) and Vodafone (17%) were the most likely to have had cause for complaint.
Here's how the main providers compare in 2024:
| Rank | Provider | % with a reason to complain (2024) | Compared to sector average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesco Mobile | 6% | Lower than average |
| 2 | giffgaff | 8% | Lower than average |
| 3 | Lebara | 13% | In line with average |
| 4 | EE | ? | Not separately published |
| 5 | O2 | 14% | In line with average |
| 6 | Vodafone | 17% | Higher than average |
| 7 | Three | 18% | Higher than average |
| 8 | Sky Mobile | 19% | Higher than average |
Note: Lyca Mobile was included in the overall satisfaction research but did not have a separately reported "reason to complain" figure in the 2025 mobile data.
This updated data shows that, although most mobile customers do not feel they have a reason to complain, there are still meaningful differences between providers. Tesco Mobile and giffgaff customers were the least likely to report dissatisfaction, while Sky Mobile, Three and Vodafone customers were more likely to have had a reason to complain.
Which mobile provider has fewest complaints?
Winner: Tesco Mobile
Tesco Mobile generated the fewest complaints in 2020 for the fifth consecutive year, although their rivals gained some ground.
The average number of complaints in 2021 was 10 per 100,000 customers, a reduction of 3 on the previous year.
Here are the full rankings covering nine mobile providers (minus giffgaff):
| Rank | Provider | 2021 complaints per 100,000 | Change from 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesco Mobile | 4 | +1 |
| 2 | EE | 5 | -1 |
| 3 | Sky Mobile | 6 | -1 |
| 4 | BT | 8 | -8 |
| 5 | O2 | 9 | 1 |
| 6 | iD Mobile | 12 | -2 |
| 7 | Vodafone | 14 | -6 |
| 8 | Three | 14 | -9 |
| 9 | Virgin Mobile | 16 | -9 |
So, Tesco remains the provider to beat when it comes to low complaints, with EE in second place for the second year in a row. Sky Mobile, BT Mobile and O2 also have complaint levels below the average.
On the other end of the table, Virgin Mobile remains the worst mobile provider for complaints, but they have reduced their figures significantly since 2018 when they registered 41 complaints per 100,000.
Three's complaint figures reduced significantly compared to the previous year, bringing them almost into line with their 2019 figure of 13 per 100,000 customers.
Vodafone also continues to improve year-on-year, registering 32 complaints per 100,000 customers in 2018, down to 26 in 2019 and 14 in the 2021 figures.
Overall, it's good news for customers across the mobile industry - lower average complaints mean a better experience all round.
Complaints resolved on first contact
Winner: EE
EE customers are more likely to have their complaints resolved the first time they contact their mobile provider.
46% of EE complainants say their issue was resolved on first contact, slightly above the industry average of 43%.
Seven mobile companies were ranked on this metric:
| Rank | Provider | 2021 complaints resolved on first contact | Change from 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EE | 46% | -4% |
| 2 | giffgaff | 42% | -4% |
| 3 | O2 | 42% | -5% |
| 4 | Vodafone | 42% | -2% |
| 5 | Tesco Mobile | 41% | -1% |
| 6 | Three | 41% | -1% |
| 7 | Virgin Mobile | 39% | +3% |
Apart from poorest performing Virgin Mobile, every provider saw a decrease in the number of complaints they were able to resolve on first contact.
In practice, this means that more than half of customers will need to speak to their provider multiple times to resolve an issue or wait for assistance later.
Satisfaction with complaints handling
Winner: Virgin Mobile
Average overall satisfaction with complaints handling in the mobile industry was at 53% in 2020, but Virgin Mobile were above their competitors with 57%.
While there wasn't too much variation on this metric, it's interesting to see that Virgin Mobile (with high complaints and lower levels of complaints resolved on first contact) have higher overall satisfaction when it comes to complaints handling.
In fact, if we look at 2018's figures for Virgin Mobile and their complaint handling satisfaction figure of 44%, we can certainly see how they have improved.
Here are the rankings:
| Rank | Provider | 2021 complaints per 100,000 | Change from 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virgin Mobile | 57% | +1% |
| 2 | EE | 55% | -1% |
| 3 | giffgaff | 53% | -4% |
| 4 | O2 | 53% | -9% |
| 5 | Three | 52% | -4% |
| 6 | Vodafone | 52% | -3% |
| 7 | Tesco Mobile | 49% | -6% |
Overall, this is a metric where most providers are showing significant drops year on year.
This could suggest that customers are becoming more intolerant of delays following the leeway given to providers during the coronavirus pandemic or it could suggest that companies are being hit with complaints that take longer to fix.
Average call waiting times
Winner: Three
Three customers waited an average of 16 seconds for their calls to be answered, much faster than the 55 seconds recorded by BT Mobile customers.
Three have shown a consistent improvement over recent years, going from being the slowest provider to answer the phone at 2 minutes and 37 seconds in 2019 to their market-leading performance in 2021.
A trio of other providers improved their average call waiting times between 2020 and 2021: Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile.
On average, calls to mobile providers were answered within 2 minutes and 15 seconds, but there were some higher waiting times skewing that average as the table shows:
| Rank | Provider | 2021 average call waiting time | Call abandonment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three | 16 seconds | N/A |
| 2 | BT Mobile | 55 seconds | 4% |
| 3 | iD Mobile | 1 minute 39 seconds | 23% |
| 4 | Sky Mobile | 1 minute 50 seconds | 4% |
| 5 | Virgin Mobile | 1 minute 59 seconds | N/A |
| 6 | Tesco Mobile | 2 minutes 15 seconds | N/A |
| 7 | EE | 2 minutes 25 seconds | 9% |
| 8 | Vodafone | 2 minutes 30 seconds | 9% |
| 9 | O2 | 3 minutes 59 seconds | N/A |
Note: giffgaff has not been included as they do not have a call centre. Some companies were not able to provide comparable call abandonment rates.
O2 were the slowest provider to pick up the phone, registering call waiting times that were almost double the industry average.
On call abandonment rates, iD Mobile were the most concerning of all providers who were able to supply information, with almost a quarter of their customers hanging up before they got to speak to an adviser.
Most likely to be recommended
Winner: Tesco Mobile and giffgaff
Ofcom also ask respondents whether they would recommend their mobile network to their friends, with customers of both Tesco Mobile and giffgaff more likely to do so than customers of other networks.
O2, EE and Vodafone were in the middle of the pack, but Virgin Mobile and Three were less likely to receive recommendations from their customers.
These rankings are the same as 2020.
Institute of Customer Service
Another great source of information for mobile industry customer service satisfaction are the bi-annual reports published by the Institute of Customer Service.
The UK Consumer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) looks at customer service across all industries from telecommunications through to retail and transport, listing the top 50 companies in the UK for customer service satisfaction and providing sector-specific insights.
These are the telecommunications providers analysed by the January 2022 UKCSI:
- BT
- EE
- giffgaff
- O2
- Plusnet
- Sky
- Sky Mobile
- TalkTalk
- Tesco Mobile
- Three
- Utility Warehouse
- Virgin Media
- Virgin Mobile
- Vodafone
Note that some providers offering multiple services are split down into their component parts (i.e. Virgin Media and Virgin Mobile) while others aren't. So, it's not completely clear which element of the company is being analysed and some of these like TalkTalk don't offer mobile services.
With those caveats, let's take a look at what the latest UKCSI has to say about telecommunications providers.
Top ranking telecommunications providers
Tesco Mobile are the highest ranked of all Telecommunications & Media companies listed in UKCSI, taking 22nd place in the January 2022 rankings.
Their score was 83.7 out of 100, 2 points shy of Pets at Home in the top spot.
This is a fall compared to the 6th place recorded by Tesco Mobile in the previous report, although they actually improved their score by 0.4 points. The drop in the rankings was due to many organisations increasing their performance by several performance points.
Two other telecommunications companies made the top 50 and they were both mobile specialists:
- Sky Mobile were ranked 38th with a score of 82.7
- giffgaff were ranked 40th with a score of 82.3
As the figures suggest, there isn't much between these providers and the gap between the highest and lowest ranked telecommunications companies is 15 points, according to UKCSI data.
Most improved telecommunications providers
No telecommunications providers made the list of most improved companies in January 2022.
However, in July 2021, Virgin Mobile were listed in the rankings of the most improved providers across all sectors, improving their score by 4.6 to 72.7.
That tallied with the improvements noted in the official Ofcom complaints figures, with Virgin Mobile's customers complaining less in 2021 than they did in 2020.
Overall telecommunications performance
It's worth taking a moment to consider how the telecommunications sector performed overall in the January 2022 report.
Average customer satisfaction for Telecommunications & Media was up by 2 points compared to the same time a year earlier, making them one of five sectors to increase their average score by at least 2 points.
None of the providers mentioned in the Telecommunications category had dropped their scores by more than 2 points (compared to companies in eight other sectors), while seven had increased by 2 points or more.
UKCSI say the biggest driver of improvements in the sector came from increased satisfaction with complaint handling, something that again matches the decreasing levels of complaints across the industry.
Fewer customers chose a telecommunications provider based on their customer service than the average across all sectors (17.7% compared to 20%), while customers were slightly more likely than average to base their choice on a provider's privacy and data policy (7.3% compared to 6.8%).
Finally, there was a growing trend across all sectors suggesting customers were willing to pay more if they were going to get excellent service.
In January 2020, 26.1% of telecommunications customers said they would prefer this, while the figure had risen to 32% by January 2022.
The top reasons given for this were trusting the companies they use (33.8%) and feeling happier knowing they have the support and advice available (28.5%).
Why does mobile customer service matter?
Customer service is often one of those elements we don't notice until we're most in need of it when something goes wrong or we need an answer to an important question.
At the same time, customer service records can be the key difference between mobile providers, and that might be the deciding factor if we're looking at similar handsets and similar price plans.
It's worth pointing out the satisfaction levels in the mobile sector are higher than the broadband and landline sectors, meaning the differences we've seen in this guide aren't as large as we'd find elsewhere.
Even so, understanding what level of service you're likely to receive, how long you'll be waiting on the phone before your call is answered and how likely other people are to recommend a mobile provider are key to switching to the right mobile provider for you.
Verdict: Who is the mobile customer service winner?
For 2022, Tesco Mobile is the best mobile provider for customer service in the UK.
They excelled in the following areas:
- Most satisfied customers overall
- Lowest complaints in the mobile sector
- One of the providers most likely to be recommended
- Top mobile company in UKCSI rankings
Tesco Mobile offer a consistently strong service with low complaint levels, so it's no surprise to see them in the top spot.
Our runner-up for 2022 is previous winner: giffgaff.
We still like them for the following reasons:
- Runner-up for overall customer satisfaction
- Likely to be recommended
- Features in top companies in UKCSI
Other providers perform well in different areas too, with iD Mobile customers have little reason to complain and Three answering the phone rapidly when a customer needs assistance.
We think Sky Mobile deserve third place thanks to their low complaint levels alongside their other good results, including their placement in the UKCSI alongside giffgaff and Tesco Mobile.
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