Organisation: 118 Providers

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Analysis and commentary by Echo Research.

The National Audit Office investigation into the liberalisation of the Directory Enquiries (colloquially DQ) market offered little sanguine cheer for either Oftel or the 118 Service Providers. The spending watchdog dourly surmised that while deregulation of 192 Directory Enquiries had produced more choice and additional services for customers, it was at the cost of "an increase in average prices and uncertainty over improved quality"(Sir John Bourn - Auditor General, Daily Mirror, 18/3).

However, with most users cold-shouldering all the 118 providers, talk of the benefits of supplier and service choice sounded a hollow note. "Numbers don't add up as 118 costs more and is used less", noted The Scotsman (18/3), a view supported by both the Daily Mail, "Callers hanging up on 118"(18/3) and The Times, "Why Britain is hanging up on directory enquiries"(18/3).

The public have switched to alternative sources such as the internet because of the problems with 118: confusion over costs, difficulty recalling 118 numbers and the inaccuracy of some details provided. Notably, and ironically, earlier research showed that 90% of people were content with the original 192-enquiry service. Edward Leigh, Commons Public Accounts Committee chairman, duly noted the folly of ignoring the old wisdom, "'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'"(Channel4.com, 18/3/05).