Telstra AGM and Exchange launch online response
Filed under: business, social media, Twitter
Yesterday was a big news day for Telstra, here’s some of the response:
David Thodey announced that the $2.20 administration fee for bill payments made over-the-counter or by mail would be dropped.
- Telstra scraps $2.20 fee to pay phone bills in person or by mail – Fran Foo, The Australian
- Telstra drops fee to pay telephone bill – News.com.au
- Telstra dumps controversial billing fee – Business Spectator
There was wide ranging response to the AGM and some of the topics raised:
- Thodey’s tender Telstra replaces Sol’s Show – Michael Rowland, ABC
- Hand’s Off, say Telstra investors – Dan Oakes,The Age
- Telstra shareholders voice their concerns – Jennifer Hewett, The Australian
- When angry Telstra shareholders attack –Liam Tung, ZDNet
We also saw an interesting array of responses to the launch of Telstra Exchange, with the following analysis complemented by 38 first-day comments and a ton of tweets.
Reni LeMay at ZDnet has created a monster. I am now on a Twitter follower binge and am suffering serious withdrawals today. Follow me for fun and good times (in the name of Telstra).
Stuart Corner at IT Wire was the first person to link to us saying “The role of the site as a forum for discussion and for input from sources outside Telstra is heavily stressed. ” Spot on Stuart.
Trevor Cook would prefer we served up content that is more chilli and less vanilla. It’s a good point and one I hope to address soon.
“But looking at Telstra’s new blog, called, in best marketing speak, Telstra exchange, I can’t help feel a little sad and a little more convinced that big corporates and social media don’t really mix – well, maybe a little bit, maybe as a little superficial gloss on the dull, besuited hearts of the corporate world. Edgy, it’s not.”
Finally, Lee Hopkins gives us points for trying. Some would say we’re very trying.
“Good bloody on ‘em! They started before anyone else. They listened to the conversations and comments about their first foray. They regrouped and they entered the conversation again. Stop the bloody whinging, Australia – at least they are IN THE MIX – how many other Aussie blue chips are?”
Thanks to all who took the time to comment and contribute to the start of the conversation here at Telstra Exchange.
Scrapping the $2.20 fee was a good thing. I also read the CEO decided that due to a decline in fixed service takeup, there may be broadband price drops as well.
Are Telstra still considering this, and if so is there any consideration to remove the counting of upload data towards usage, and restructuring plans?
People on those ridiculous 200MB ADSL2 plans are at immediate risk of breaking their limit and being charged a fortune – from, for example, watching a single HD youtube video 10 minutes long.
Good work Telstra in creating this website. I have a few comments:
* Telstra’s network (especially NextG) is world class and something to be proud of.
* Telstra’s Internet pricing is embarrassing and uncompetitive. It’s likely that Telstra will become just another retailer under the NBN regime, so they’ll have to compete on customer service and pricing. Right now, Telstra have a reputation for mediocre service and terribly poor value for money. Reputations are a difficult thing to change, and that means you need to start now. Fix up your pathetic pricing and stop charging for uploads, and then Telstra will be well positioned by the time they lose the monopoly advantage.
How can Telstra be congratulated for dropping the $2.20 fee? This fee should have not even be charged in the first place. By charging this fee Telstra is being arrogant and asking it’s customer to pay for the previlege. Telstra Customer Service…the biggest oxymoron of all time.
Excellent customer service = less churn away of services and customers to competitors.
And customer service is what Telstra needs in spades.
I for one am a shareholder and have ported away all my services to other carriers bar my mobile which is now on Prepaid as opposed to on plan.
ie. Transact for landline/data at work and home on their own independent VDSL network.
Bring service and value back and I will come back with no issue whatsoever. Until then, no chance.
I sense this was made clear at the AGM by many of the attendees.
Nice job.
I have been on paperless for ages, so as to help the environment and to save Telstra from wasting money.
But after this little money grabbing exercise, which backfired badly PR wise and made you have do an embarrassing about face, I now will probably go back to paper and urge everyone else to do so too, just for the heck of it!
To a degree I agree with rocco that certain parts of Telstra service is not good especially in my case where it took nearly 2 years to sort out mobile problems which were eventually fixed by Telstra Melbourne, in this particular case I was told that the Telstra office I was dealing with was Robe st Brisbane which is where I got treated very badly by more than one person. In general conversation with friends many are complaining about service, one in particular was where evidently Telstra offered free internet protection for a period but if you had two hard disks on your pc it cost more. There is many persons including myself who do not fully understand the many parts of Telstra.
Losing the $2.20 fee was a wise move, but shouldn’t have been introduced in the first place. The only thing now for telstra to do is fix its internet pricing. If you could cheapen prices and match those of exetel/TPG you WILL be powerhouse of broadband in Australia. There is no doubt about your coverage being the greatest, but your prices scare customers off. If this was properly addressed, your cancellations department would have less business and moreover alot of customers after years of confidence in telstra.
PS. Lose the upload counting
Phillip, if Telstra cut its prices to match TPG and others it would have the ACCC come down on it like a ton of bricks… in fact this very action happened a few years ago from memory. The best Telstra can do is provide superior content and service. on the last point, David Thodey is on the right track.
Greg, tell the whole story, please.
Because of the Trade Practices Act, big organisations everywhere aren’t allowed to predatory price/undercut.
This is a safety net we should all applaud, because you could imagine large organisations in any sector, undercutting the smaller players (to put them out of business) and once the competition are gone, prices would skyrocket!
Especially so with Telstra, because they own the last mile, control retail and sell wholesale! Giving them an even greater advantage!
But Telstra are able to “match (or at least come within cooee of) competitors prices”, but choose not to – although to be fair, Mr. Thodey has already announced a more competitive pricing.
Another, thumbs up for Mr. Thodey.
But oddly and to clearly demonstrate the contradictory and uneducated views of some Telstra supporters, a lot complain about the leeches [sic] accessing Telstra network, costing Telstra money (saying it must stop) and complain about the unfair nature of the TPA (as above)!
Do you know what would help fix all of the above?
Structural separation… but you don’t want that either, lol!
Looks like no matter what, you people want to have your “whinge/blame cake” and to be able to eat it too!
Robbie noting your correspondence above it would indicate that you are in favour of competition. Do you agree then, that there is no need to split Telstra but simply to allow Telstra to engage in honest competition with the proposed FTTH NBN?
Here we go again.
Even though I threatened not to answer you Sydney, as you continue to run and hide my questions (still unanswered in months – remember TelstraClear are they leeches and the D3 satellite does it exist?). There’s no need for grandstanding or vainly trying to put me in that very same corner I obviously have had you in for months – with what you think is a loaded question to catch me out, lol…
FYI – I have already responded and answered you on this very topic – ZDNet 13/11.
It is difficult to answer you though! Simply because of your incessant contradictions and daily flip-flopping. Each day you change your stance a full 180 degrees, to whatever you think suits TLS shares the most.
For example…
SL ZDNet, 13/11 – “Why not simply let the Government build their NBN and compete with Telstra and let the consumer decide who they choose”?
Plus of course, that very similar comment (above) you wrote right here at ET (lol) which is similarly dated 13/11… BUT
VERY NEXT DAY
SL ZDNet, 14/11 – “Working together in the search for a win win situation NBNCo and Telstra can deliver a world class system to the benefit of every Australian”.
So which do you want working together or competing? Your curious but always typical portfolio driven flip-flops, are making it hard to ascertain.
Seriously Sydney, do you actually have any principles and a concrete position on anything? Apart of course from the obvious – TLS shares up = good?
Fairs fair…
AFR – “Consumer pressure groups in Australia have stepped up their public campaign to make telcos follow the lead of main rival Telstra and abolish fees charged for the payment of bills. Telstra had been forced by widespread criticism to drop its new surcharge for paying accounts in person at a post office or by mail, but Vodafone, Singtel Optus and AAPT have signalled they will not alter their current arrangements”.
Almost everyone bagged Telstra when they introduced this fee (including me). Now it’s time and only fair for us all, to bag these other greedier companies, who implemented first and still refuse to abolish!