Capítulo 5. Origen y destino en el viaje de aprendizaje del mochilero
5.2. La palabra, la cultura y la transformación del mundo con el viaje
Switchers were asked further questions about the switching process they went through. More than half (58%) of switchers described switching as ‘very easy’ and a further 29% as ‘easy’ (Figure 130).
Only a small proportion (7%) said that they found the switching process difficult.
16% said they were subject to an Early Termination charge upon switching (Figure 131). 3% said they had experienced this but did not pay it (higher amongst medium sized organisations – 12%).
Of those who incurred a charge24, for 51% this was claimed to be £500 or less, between £501-£1000 for 22%
and more than £1000 for 15%. 12% didn’t know what the charge had been.
More than a quarter (27%) said they were not aware of this charge before switching, and 18% said they had incurred this charge because their contract had been renewed automatically
24 QC4b-d: Specific cancellation charge issues
Base: All Switchers subject to a cancellation charge (n=47) *NOTE: SMALL SAMPLE SIZE
76%
Happy with current provider
No time to look into switching No real difference between
suppliers Too risky to change
Tied into existing contract Don't want to be tied into a new
fixed term contract
Non-Switchers
No cost benefit Just decided not to bother Good relations with current
provider Service availability Favourable terms/conditions with
current provider Persuaded to stay with current
provider
Worried would lose service Tied into existing contract
Figure 130: Ease of switching Figure 131: Early Termination Charges
Source: QC2. Once you had decided which supplier to use, how easy did you find it to switch?
Base: All Switchers (n=243)
Source: QC4a. Were you subject to a cancellation charge, known as an early termination charge, to leave your previous provider?
Base: All Switchers (n=243) 58%
29%
5%4%
Very difficult 3%
Quite difficult
Neither/nor
Quite easy
Very easy
13%
81%
3%4%
Subject to an early termination charge?
No
Yes, but didn’t pay
Yes, and paid it DK
Switchers were asked if they had experienced any issues or problems during the switching process (Figure 132).
Almost 6 in 10 said they had experienced no problems (59%). 1 in 5 mentioned that their previous provider had tried to persuade them to stay.
Medium organisations (50-249 employees) were more likely to have had problems or issues, with a lower proportion (42%) saying they had not experienced any at all. In particular they were more likely to mention technical issues (18% vs. 7% overall) or cancellation25 charges (18% vs. 9% overall).
Figure 132: Issues experienced when switching
Source: QC3. Which, if any, of the following issues did you experience when switching your mobile phone supplier?
Base: All Switchers (n=243)
25 In this question respondents could select “cancellation charges” as a general description. Later in the questionnaire these are defined and specifically asked about as “Early Termination Charges”.
59%
20%
12%
11%
10%
9%
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
5%
No problems Previous provider trying to
persuade me to stay Received bills for cancelled service
Took longer than expected Temporary loss of service Cancellation charges Difficulty getting PAC from
previous provider Previous provider cancelled switch
Difficulty porting telephone no.
Arranging start/stop dates Paying for two services Contacting provider to cancel
service
Technical issues Knowing how to switch
8. Contracts
Summary
Fixed Landline (including standard PSTN, ISDN 2/2e and 30, Ethernet, leased lines)
67% of SMEs had a fixed term contract; half of these were for up to 2 years in length and 59% renewed automatically.
77% had a business-specific contract; this rose to 94% in medium SMEs. 14% who did not have one thought business contracts were more expensive.
80% were aware of the T&Cs of their contract and the majority felt these matched what they were sold and were clear and transparent. 13% had problems because things were not specified in their contract.
Just under half (46%) were either unsure of or not aware of the details of Early Termination Charges (ETCs) in their contract. Around one fifth (17%) felt that the wording on their contract around ETCs lacked clarity and transparency.
Many were unaware of Service Level Agreements (SLAs). 49% of SMEs knew they had a contract with an SLA; 90% were satisfied that these were met.
Fixed Internet (including ADSL, fibre, cable and dial-up)
71% of SMEs had a fixed term contract, the majority of which were up to 2 years duration and 58% renewed automatically.
74% had a business-specific contract; rising to 94% in medium SMEs. 21% who did not have one thought business contracts were more expensive.
78% were aware of the T&Cs of their contract and the majority felt these matched what they were sold and were clear and transparent. 9% had problems because things were not specified in their contract.
Just under half (46%) were either unsure of or not aware of the details of ETCs in their contract. Almost one quarter (23%) felt that the wording on their contract around ETCs lacked clarity and transparency.
Many were unaware of SLAs. 46% of SMEs knew they had a contract with an SLA; 87% were satisfied that these were met.
Mobile Phone (including standard and smart phones)
80% of SMEs had a fixed term contract, the majority of which were up to 2 years duration and 42% of which renewed automatically.
50% had a business contract; this rose to 86% in medium SMEs.29% who did not have one thought business contracts were more expensive.
80% were aware of the T&Cs of their contract and the majority felt these matched what they were sold and were clear and transparent. 9% had problems because things had not been specified in their contract.
Just under half (44%) were either unsure of or not aware of the details of ETCs in their contract. Around one fifth (19%) felt that the wording on their contract around ETCs lacked clarity and transparency.
Many were unaware of SLAs. 41% of SMEs know they had a contract with an SLA; 91% were satisfied that these were met.