- Original Poster
- #1
Not something I want to do myself - I find it a bit cheesy - but I see quite a few businesses advertising themselves this way. Does this term carry any legal weight at all, or is it one of those unenforced terms?
Can any business call itself "the UK's number one"?
- Thread starter itsnathanhere
- Start date
D
Darren_Ssc
Do these businesses refer to some form of authentication such as 'from a survey of 7 people, 4 said we were number one'?
A similar annoyance of mine is 'award winning' which usually means a plastic trophy they 've got from a magazine or website where they just happen to spend a lot on advertising.
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Always laugh when I see uk no1 claims, take plusnet for instance, always claim to have award winning customer service, an award given them by their main introducer such as comparison sites.
Anyone who has ever had the miss fortune to use them know their customer service is truly abysmal, so such claims are worthless IMO, but probably sway some people.
Anyone who has ever had the miss fortune to use them know their customer service is truly abysmal, so such claims are worthless IMO, but probably sway some people.
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With the risk of sending this thread off on at bit of a tangent, I always wonder how it is one person can say this company is bad this one is good (I am not having a pop at anyone here)
Take the Plusnet example for instance, given me fantastic service, would I recommend Talk Talk or BT never in a million years.
Plusnet could not have been more helpful. I could pick other examples, from Insurance companies to Domain hosting the later I have just moved all my hosting of some 25 plus years to 1 and 1 (or whatever we call them now) again they could not have been more helpful and always seem on the ball when I call them.
So my question is what makes these differences we all seem to experience, does it just happen to be the sales person you happen to talk to on the day, surly it cant be that simple as you never tend to get the same person on the phone.
I suppose if we could bottle the answer on here we could make some serious money. The UK Business Forum would truly be No1, although I am sure it already is.
Again apologies for going off topic a little
Take the Plusnet example for instance, given me fantastic service, would I recommend Talk Talk or BT never in a million years.
Plusnet could not have been more helpful. I could pick other examples, from Insurance companies to Domain hosting the later I have just moved all my hosting of some 25 plus years to 1 and 1 (or whatever we call them now) again they could not have been more helpful and always seem on the ball when I call them.
So my question is what makes these differences we all seem to experience, does it just happen to be the sales person you happen to talk to on the day, surly it cant be that simple as you never tend to get the same person on the phone.
I suppose if we could bottle the answer on here we could make some serious money. The UK Business Forum would truly be No1, although I am sure it already is.
Again apologies for going off topic a little
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Darren_Ssc
Speak for yourself, I'm number 2.
I have a good experience with BT but, obviously, lots of people haven't; same for EE.
Without naming names, there are hugely successful businesses that have absolutely shocking customer reviews and, conversely, there are some who are struggling despite having mainly good reviews.
Of course, I'm not saying to be successful you shouldn't care about good service but it doesn't seem to make so much difference as one might think, not at the top level anyway?
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Come in number 2 
Yes agree, but I just find it interesting that there can be such a difference between peoples experiences with the same company
Yes agree, but I just find it interesting that there can be such a difference between peoples experiences with the same company
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Darren_Ssc
I think a lot of it is the first point of contact, some people are interested in helping you and some are not?
Just luck of the draw, really.
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Hey, I'm at #2 as well.
And that's despite being the only one in the UK who does what I do!
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Obviously some people will be happy with any company, but my problems were far from unique, to the extent many posts on Facebook from unique customers seemed the best way to get an answer, since the live chat used to be turned off, and the phones were very understaffed. Many people reported waiting 30-60 mins in a que just to be cut off with no answer. Their new billing system was the main cause of problems, it even made the national press https://www.telegraph.co.uk/bills-a...snet-make-customer-services-listen-complaint/ and their complaints were double the industry standard at the time.
Anyway, glad you are happy with them.
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On a regional Facebook page an argument has been raging for months about which is the number 1 Fish & Chip shop in town........of around a dozen establishments.
The somewhat ironic claim made by most contributors is that their No1 'chippy' is so good they would never go anywhere else, so a decision reached without having tried the other 11!!!!
The somewhat ironic claim made by most contributors is that their No1 'chippy' is so good they would never go anywhere else, so a decision reached without having tried the other 11!!!!
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The ASA is the authority in this area https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/03.html
But they seem to be unsure of how to deal with the issue.....
3.2
Obvious exaggerations ("puffery") and claims that the average consumer who sees the marketing communication is unlikely to take literally are allowed provided they do not materially mislead.
3.7
Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation.
But they seem to be unsure of how to deal with the issue.....
3.2
Obvious exaggerations ("puffery") and claims that the average consumer who sees the marketing communication is unlikely to take literally are allowed provided they do not materially mislead.
3.7
Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation.
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