It is official, the UK’s fastest growing broadband age group is the over 55’s with over half now having broadband in their home.
It is also official, according to a recent survey carried out by Direct Save Telecom, that the silver surfer market is more switched on than ever before. In contrast to many of their younger counterparts, who are attracted by the eye catching headline offers, the silver surfer is delving deeper into the market and seeking out the best value deals that combine a great price with an excellent service.
One in six of us is now at pensionable age. These stats prove the huge market the silver surfer now provides. And as a result, they can no longer be regarded as the forgotten market that the broadband providers have labelled them since its formation.
This is certainly the view taken by consumer champion Direct Save Telecom, which is fast making a name for itself as the UK’s best value telecom provider.
In a recent survey conducted by Direct Save, in which they questioned all their new silver surfer customers over the last month, it found that value for money, trust and UK based technical help is what is most important to them. Eighty-five percent of those questioned said price was the major factor when selecting a broadband supplier, while 90% said 24/7 UK based customer service was important.
Direct Save Telecom’s CEO, Stavros Tsolakis explains that the company has created many of its phone and broadband offers to directly appeal to the ‘switched on’ silver surfer.
“We have developed many of our deals with the silver surfer market very much in mind, as they can no longer be regarded as the forgotten market. We believe the older generation are becoming increasingly switched on when it comes to the internet. As our statistics confirm, they want value for money, good customer service and trust from their telco provider, and this is exactly what we provide.
“Our £2.49 deal for home phone and broadband is second to none in the UK, and therefore is obviously very appealing to the silver surfer. This age group has often labelled broadband as an added expense they do not need and cannot afford, but this is clearly no longer the case.
“We also offer complete transparency to all our customers with no hidden charges or unexpected price hikes which help to build confidence and trust. Our UK based 24/7 customer care freephone service is another big plus, as it means someone is always at hand to provide technical assistance - again this is very important to the silver surfer.”
Silver surfer Ian Boothby, from Norwich, explains that he researched several companies on the internet before deciding to go with Direct Save Telecom.
“I was moving house and was not particularly pleased with the service Virgin was providing me with, especially the fact I was put through to an overseas call centre and forced to wait over twenty minutes if I ever needed technical help.
“So I searched on the internet for the companies that had UK based customer support, and found that Direct Save not only provided this but also had the best price. I have been delighted with them since I signed up, the customer service is excellent and the operators are well trained and know exactly what they are talking about.
Boothby adds: “I really cannot fault them, I think sometimes people are scared of change when it comes to their phone, broadband or even energy supplier. But if they just do a simple search they can see how much money can be saved.”
New Direct Save over 55 customer, Mrs Moore from Thurleston, Devon, also confirms that price and trust is what she is looking for from her broadband supplier.
“First and foremost I went with Direct Save because they could offer me the best price for my home phone and broadband. The fact I was able to have a freephone conversation with someone in the UK who was able to answer all of my questions was also important, as it made it so easy to set-up.