To view our Broadband Speed Code of Practice please click here

As of November 2020, if a customer has an existing FTTC or G.Fast service and uses their telephone number to check broadband availability, their actual speed will be used to determine the speed estimates that we give to our customers.

A series of calculations will be made on the current line speed to determine the speed range & Minimum Speed Guarantee. For more information please visit Ofcom's website.

For customers using a postcode to check broadband speed, or who are currently without an FTTC or G.fast service, we will continue to use speed estimates from Openreach. These estimates are based on the performance of similar premises across the country. 

This code of practice covers Wholesale Services (trading as "TalkTalk Business"). Our main registered address is Soapworks, Ordsall Lane, Salford, M5 3TT. TalkTalk Business provides business grade services to the UK market place across two direct sales channels with a wholesale division covering the reseller and dealer market places. TalkTalk Business is a leading player in the development and delivery of next generation IP based converged voice and data services.

The purpose of this Code of Practice is so that our customers can easily find certain important information about our services. It is written for our business customers who purchase telecommunication services from us directly.

The majority of this code applies to all Small Business Customers defined as a company having 30 employees or fewer and is not a telecommunications provider in itself.

Certain sections of this Code of Practice applies only to customers with 10 or fewer employees (such as Alternative Dispute Resolution) and some sections to all Business Customers who take a service directly from us. These differences are in line with Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement and for ease we have indicated on the relevant sections where the differences apply.

This Code of Practice replaces all previous versions and was updated on 12th October 2022.

This code aims to provide:

• Information on how to contact TalkTalk Wholesale Services

• Information on sales and marketing activities

• Informational on some of our main services

• Information on billing and pricing issues

• Information on how to make a complaint

• Contact details for alternative complaint bodies or help and support.

To speak to our Small Business Customer Services team please call the following free phone number 0800 083 3003

Lines are open from 8am - 8pm, calls may be monitored or recorded for training and security purposes.

For all enquiries, you may contact us by e-mail at the following address:  customerservices@talktalkbusiness.co.uk

To speak to our Large Business Customer Services team please call the following free phone number: 0800 298 2883. Lines are open from Monday to Friday 8am-6pm and calls may be monitored or recorded for training and security purposes.

Or write to us at:

TalkTalk Business PO Box 674 Salford M5 0NJ

Or find us at: www.talktalkbusiness.co.uk

Contact details for a number of related organisations are given in section 13 of this code.

4.1 Background

TalkTalk Business is one of the leaders in providing telecommunication services to organisations across the UK. Customers join us through business to business marketing, over the telephone, through the internet and by signing up with our field sales representatives. We are committed to delivering outstanding service, which includes our sales and marketing activities. This section sets out how we aim to achieve these standards. It is essential that our customers understand, at the point of sale, the services offered and the contract they are entering into.

4.2 Sales, marketing, advertising and promotion

TalkTalk Business adheres to all applicable Codes of Practice, and legislation. This includes; the Mailing Preference Service, the Telephone Preference Service, the Fax Preference Service and the E-Mail Preference Service. Our advertising and promotions comply with the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion. We always aim to ensure that our advertising and promotional literature is clear, unambiguous, accurate and fair and that it does not contain any false or misleading information about price, value or service. We do not denigrate other providers of telecoms services.

4.3 Recruitment

TalkTalk Business follows strict procedures when we hire and train staff who will market and sell our services whether in face-to-face sales or telephone sales. Whilst operating within current employment legislation, we specifically take into account the following factors when recruiting sales agents:

• Behaviours - we recognise that the sales person may be seen as the ‘public face’ of the telecoms industry as a whole;

• Security - that all references and relevant convictions for criminal offences to be checked thoroughly and taken into account;

• Evidence of mis-selling or lack of integrity in any previous selling employment.

We also operate a number of reference and new employee checks as part of our recruitment procedures.

4.4 Sales training

After recruitment, all our sales agents are trained to ensure they have a sufficient understanding of the relevant sections of this Code of Practice. All our sales agents are also trained to ensure they have a sufficient understanding of the following topics:

• How competition in telecommunications works in the UK and relevant consumer protection law;

• What telephone services TalkTalk Business provides, how they may differ from other competitive telecoms products and how they may be ordered.

• TalkTalk Business' prices and other terms and conditions of service and, in particular, methods of payment, duration of contract and any termination fees;

• The nature, and cost, of any additional TalkTalk Business services;

• The process for cancelling the contract both during the cooling-off period and at any time following commencement of the service; and

• The TalkTalk Business procedure for handling customer complaints.

4.5 Responsibility for complying with the code

Responsibility for code compliance by all TalkTalk Business representatives, including any 3rd party sales agency lies with TalkTalk Business. The Sales Director for TalkTalk Business is accountable for ensuring that TalkTalk Business and its agents observe the code, and is also responsible for handling of the complaints relevant to the code. You can email or write to us about to adherence to the Code of Practice at the addresses given above under section ‘3. Contact Details’

4.6 Remuneration systems

Remuneration systems for TalkTalk Business are such that they do not encourage misleading or exploitative sales practices. Any agencies representing TalkTalk Business must disclose all details of incentive schemes related to TalkTalk Business.

4.7 Customer contact

TalkTalk Business wants to ensure that the customer has a pleasant and reassuring experience whenever they come into contact with any of our sales agents.

• Our representatives will show discretion when they visit customers’ premises. We do not visit premises outside the hours of 9am and 8pm.

• We do not call customers outside the hours of 8am and 8pm, unless at the customers’ request.

• Our representatives will immediately identify themselves, giving their full name and that they work for TalkTalk Business. They will also explain that TalkTalk Business is a business telecoms provider, why they are calling and the expected call duration. If visiting or meeting in person, they should draw the customers’ attention to their identity card immediately.

• When visiting a customer’s premises, our representative will give the customer a generic business card or TalkTalk Business leaflet which holds the company name and address, a contact telephone number and email address. The customer will be able to call the contact telephone number and confirm the representative is genuine.

• Our representatives will be courteous, use appropriate language and offer clear and straightforward explanations. They will use only the material that TalkTalk Business has provided them to explain the service to the customers including how the service may include the provision of network services by other companies.

• Our representatives will never misrepresent the services of TalkTalk Business or any other company and will always provide factual and accurate information.

• Our representatives will check that the customer understands that they are entering into a contract with TalkTalk Business which will provide the customer with an alternative provider for their telephone calls and/or other telecoms services.

• Our representatives will cease contact with any person who indicates that the contact is inconvenient, unwelcome, inappropriate or too long. If the customer requests it, the representative will end the discussion and leave the premises immediately.

• The representative must confirm that the sale is being made to a customer who is a decision-maker for the business.

• Marketing campaign records will be maintained for 24 months, including the date and the approximate time of the contact with the customer. These records will be such as to allow subsequent identification of the salesperson(s) involved and to assist in dealing with any complaint or query.

4.8 How the customer enters into a contract with TalkTalk Business

A customer may enter into a contract for TalkTalk Business services in three separate ways:

• In writing (when our representative visits the customer’s premises or when the customer visits a high-street shop selling TalkTalk Business services); or

• Verbally (when the customer has agreed over the phone to take the TalkTalk Business service).

• By signing up via the TalkTalk Business website (www.talktalkbusiness.co.uk).

We have safeguards in place for all sales routes to ensure that the customer understands the service they are buying from TalkTalk Business and that they are entering into a legally binding contract.

4.8.1 When we ask the customer to enter into a contract for TalkTalk Business services our representative will provide in writing the following information:

• Essential information including the name of TalkTalk Business, its address, telephone and e-mail contact details;

• A description of our telecommunication service to enable the customer to understand the service the customer has chosen, and how it works;

• Information about the major elements of the service, including the costs of any standing charges, the payment terms, line rental, key call types and details of “protected or special support” arrangements;

• The arrangements for provision of the service, including the order process and, as accurately as possible, the likely date of provision. Where there may be significant delay in the likely date of provision, we will inform the Customer;

• The customer’s right of cancellation and the process for exercising it; and

• The period for which the TalkTalk Business charges remain valid.

• Any minimum term contract periods

We have designed our order forms and contracts to ensure the contractual nature of these documents is clear to the customer.

We may record all calls for training and quality assessment purposes.

4.8.2 The TalkTalk Business representative will ask the customer to confirm that they have the authority to change telecommunications provider for the telephone number concerned. 

When the customer enters into a contract for our services by visiting the TalkTalk Business website the customer will be prompted to agree to the terms and conditions before completing the transaction of signing up for TalkTalk Business. During the process we request that personal details are confirmed.

4.8.3 After the customer has agreed to take the TalkTalk Business service(s)

Every customer will receive a communication which contains the following information:

• Date of notification;

• Calling Line Identification(s) affected;

• List of services affected/unaffected;

• Date of switchover;

• TalkTalk Business’ contact details for any queries;

With the letter the customer will also receive general information providing details of the service and how it works. We aim to complete the process from agreement to the service going live within a total of 30 working days.

We reserve the right not to enter into agreements.

4.9 Consumer protection and other legal requirements

We comply with all applicable protection legislation and other legal requirements. To find out more you please visit our Legal section. We take protecting your data seriously and will do our utmost to employ appropriate organisational and technicalecurity measures to protect you against unauthorised disclosure or processing.

To find out more about how we collect and process your data please visit our Privacy Policy section.