VodafoneThree brings 400 customer service jobs back to the UK

VodafoneThree has announced plans to bring 400 customer service roles back to the UK, relocating some support work from India.

The roles are intended to mean more Vodafone and Three customers are supported by UK-based teams.

Staff will receive additional training to handle vulnerable customer needs, with teams based in Belfast and Sheffield.

Credit: mundissima/Shutterstock.com

What's being announced

VodafoneThree says it will bring 400 customer service roles back to the UK, relocating some support work from India into UK contact centres.

The roles will be split evenly between Belfast and Sheffield, with recruitment and training already underway.

The new teams will support both Vodafone and Three customers and will operate alongside existing UK-based customer service centres in Stoke-on-Trent and Glasgow, with the roles delivered through VodafoneThree's customer experience partner, Concentrix.

Jon Shaw, Consumer Operations at VodafoneThree, said the company believes customer care teams should be based close to customers.

What changes for customers

VodafoneThree says the move is intended to increase the number of customer service interactions handled by UK-based teams, rather than overseas contact centres.

The new agents will work across both the Vodafone and Three brands, supporting customers across mobile and broadband services with a mix of customer care and sales-related queries.

The company says agents will receive additional training to better support vulnerable customers, including those who may need extra help resolving complex or sensitive issues.

This includes customers dealing with billing problems, service faults or account changes, where clearer communication and continuity of support can be particularly important.

The focus on specialist training mirrors a similar move by Virgin Media O2, which recently launched a UK-based specialist support team for complex or sensitive customer issues.

It also comes as providers prepare for the UK's government-mandated digital landline and broadband switchover - a transition that has prompted telecoms firms to contact customers using telecare alarms and other safety devices to ensure they remain protected after the change.

Shaw said, "We firmly believe in having care teams where our customers are, and that means having teams based across the UK. It's an exciting time to join VodafoneThree as we build the UK's best network and set new standards for customer care in the industry."

Will customers notice the difference?

VodafoneThree's move comes at a time when frustration with customer service remains high across the UK, particularly when issues are complex or time-sensitive.

A report by thinktank New Britain, published last month, found that 78% of people feel frustrated when dealing with customer services, with consumers spending between 28 and 41 minutes every week trying to resolve problems.

Separate research from the UK Institute of Customer Service suggests satisfaction is at its lowest level in a decade, with 24% of respondents reporting a poor experience in 2024, highlighting ongoing pressure on large service providers to improve support outcomes.

In telecoms specifically, service quality remains a sensitive issue. Recent Ofcom data shows Vodafone among the more complained-about broadband providers, while Three has historically recorded higher mobile complaint levels, even if the differences between major networks are relatively narrow.

Against that backdrop, bringing some customer service roles back to the UK - and focusing training on vulnerable customers - may help improve handling of more complex cases, particularly where continuity and clarity matter.

However, with only a portion of customer support moving onshore, the impact for most customers is likely to depend less on location alone and more on whether these teams are properly resourced, empowered and easy to reach when problems arise.