Getting our hands dirty to clean up our exchanges
When I received a message from Director of Central Region Grant Stent at 6.30am on Saturday morning telling me that he had started his day on “toilet duty”, I began to worry.
Arriving at Camberwell exchange for the Exchange Clean Up Day I was put to work pretty quickly. Thankfully the tasks I was given made use of my physical attributes (I am 6 foot 8 inches tall) and did not involve “toilet duty”. My first task was to change the light bulbs in the exchange, followed by my version of tagging the wall our building shares with the Thai restaurant next door. And by that I mean I helped put a fresh coat of paint on the wall to cover the existing graffiti.
Exchange Clean Up Day is part of a national program giving Telstra a renewed focus on the appearance and maintenance of our network sites. The exchange maintenance program is all about maintaining our exchanges and similar sites to a much higher standard. A well-maintained exchange sends a strong message to our customers and the community that we are looking after their services for them. It’s also great for our people, because our exchanges are also workplaces for our staff.
So we’ve changed the way we maintain our sites. We have around 22,000 network sites providing services to customers across Australia. Of those, there’s over 5,000 exchanges.
Now, we know we cannot fix everything, but we will be trying to find as many solutions as possible to change the things we can. On Saturday 5 December across the country there were coordinated working-bees to clean over 150 exchanges.
The bulk of these were in New South Wales and Victoria.
Originally we had planned to clean around 200, but we were able to clean quite a few in the lead-up to Saturday. In fact, since first announcing the new maintenance program, before Saturday we had already cleaned over 200 exchanges nationally.
So after Saturday’s working bees, we’ve cleaned around 300 exchanges across the country. And, we plan to clean another 150 before Christmas, bringing the total to 500.
And that’s just what’s in plan – we may do even more. So it really is a coordinated, national program.
And the really positive thing for me was the cross-company teamwork and enthusiasm of everyone involved on Saturday. On Saturday, I was out there in Melbourne cleaning exchanges, and the local TCW team was there lending a hand, too.
And it really does fill you with pride seeing everyone getting together and working together.
We had teams of people there scraping off old paint, mowing lawns, trimming hedges and painting walls and doors
But we didn’t just do work to the outside of the exchanges. Inside our buildings got a spruce-up too.
And it’s amazing what a difference the program has made. Obviously they exchanges look fantastic.
But it also made a real difference to the community… On Saturday, while we were working, people were stopping-in all the time asking us what was going on and saying that it’s great to see us out there taking pride in our buildings.
We expect more positive feedback as we continue to clean more and more sites. And, let’s not forget that our people also live in those communities, so having the exchanges clean and tidy is a real positive for them, too.
So Saturday was a big-bang exercise for us, but it certainly wasn’t the be-all and end-all of the program.
This is an ongoing program to maintain our sites to a much higher standard.
We know we cannot fix everything, but we will be trying to find as many solutions as possible to change the things we can.
Our Communication Technicians, Team Managers and Field Managers are a big part in all this.
Saturday was a great day, but it was just one day. We’ve changed the way we do things and we think that this new way of working will make a difference.
I’d also like to thank everyone who gave-up their time on Saturday to get involved. That includes all the people in Service Delivery as well as everyone else who helped-out.
It really was a great team effort and something that I certainly took pride in.
Hi Phill,
Well done to you and your team on this great clean-up initiative.
I hope that this initial action may be extended to involve community volunteers as well in future – happy to lend a hand to be involved in improving the visual amenity for local communities.
Will Telstra be following-through and providing your staff and your maintenance contractor (Sentinar) with the necessary resources and authority to continue keeping your exchanges and network assets in a presentable state?
For some years now I have been very vocal in regards to the poor state of Telstra’s assets, and have pleaded with your Property people and Sentinar to remove graffiti from Exchange Buildings and multiplexer cabinets, yet have been informed every time that it is Telstra’s policy that graffiti only be removed if the graffiti is extremely offensive. The result of this policy has been less than ideal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11312189@N03/sets/72157618632930197
Can you please confirm if that policy has now been changed?
Thank you again for promoting this great initiative which provides tangible benefits to local communities and Telstra staff/contractors. And remember, no escaping ‘toilet duty’ next year!
It is pleasant to see this change, but as a former Telstra employee I found it very difficult to understand why with so many high profile CEOS and managers, the services were left to slip.
An area of great concern is the public relations(solving enquiries,billing and some technical advise)
It started many years back when Telstra was employing high profile public relations officers and not enough technical field to solve promptly the network problems.
Since the introductions of automated services it is a horror to try to explain to a machine with such a limited array of options what you want to get help with. Such equipment it is designed as I found out a few times only to anger or on purpose to make the caller to give up. It seems the fewer the calls the less problems to solve.
I hope that from now on the conscious voice of common sense will allow Telstra to appreciate its loyal customers before they will desert the only network built by the previous generations of old fashion Australians and hopping that Telstra will regain the market leader status.
It’s great that volunteers get together to do this work, but why doesn’t Telstra have proper scheduled maintenance in place for its assets ?? The profits to support such work is clearly there.
I don’t ask volunteers to paint my house, service my car or mow my lawn.
Maintenance is a part of your business costs….
Very sad in my opinion.
I agree with Rocco. Having worked for PMG to Telstra for nearly 39 years you soon see that a maintenance program is required to do this work. A more productive way to do the work would be the main aim. A building maintenance program that is very productive and present assets in a way that is very acceptable.
It is very upsetting for previous staff to see the state of Telstra properties. It gives the opinion of management not interested in looking after the assets. They appear like look after them the cheapest common way. Is it the sharing of exchange resources make it too expensive to maintain them the way they should be.
I have been told of a previous employee who was very dedicated and with pride in his exchange being very sick and upset at the way it has been let go.
It also makes me upset at the way the local exchanges look.
From a problem I have had with Telstra it appears a lack of true direction and experience in management these days. This results in problems and waste of vital resources.
Hazelbrook exchange NSW has been a graffiti eyesore on the Great Western Highway for a very long time.
I was thrilled to see it is now graffiti free, freshly painted, neat, clean and the gates locked. Well done everyone.
What a great day. I really enjoyed the opportunity to help out and I fealt proud to participate in this great initiative. I had the added bonus of spending a couple of hours with a great field team manager and we were able to discuss many aspects of the business and share knowledge and epxeriences. I even took a few action items to work on some process issues impacting his team. Great initiative and everyone I saw participating were enthusiastic and positive.
What a great idea! the photos look great and so do the exchanges! keep up the good work people!!!
What a fantasic idea to clean up these work places that we all have pride in, this initiative will go a long way to building team unity. Great work to all the people that donated their time and enthusiasm.
It was a great day, not only was it an excuse to get out of a few hours of our house renovation, it gave some great time to meet more of the ‘local’ Service Delivery team under John Parkin. The time flew, it was only a few hours out of my day, would recommend it to anyone wanting to help make a difference to our Brand Image.
Hi Adam,
Thanks for the note and kind words, much appreciated. Telstra’s Policy does say that we will remove offensive graffiti, however, our new program is all about maintaining our sites to a much higher standard than the minimum specified under the policy, and this includes graffiti of course. In terms of your photos, I can confirm that Cremorne, Balmain, Waverly, Bondi Junction, Chatswood, St Leonards and North Sydney have all been cleaned and I am just checking on the remainder. If these haven’t been cleaned yet, they soon will be.
We already have had some Community involvement, particularly in smaller Regional communities. This involvement has primarily taken the form of being involved in watching out for our exchange assets and reporting to Police any vandalism should any occur. In terms of more practical help, ie clean up and the like, we haven’t engaged with Communities to do this primarily around duty of care and health and safety issues. If we were to engage the local community in the clean up activities our Policies (which I believe are good Policies) would require people to undertake some level of HS&E training as well as being kitted out for the same. Taking an extreme example I couldn’t imagine a mining company engaging the community on a similar programme.
best wishes Phill
One of the most profitable companies in Australia calls on volunteers to clean up its exchanges. You have to be kidding me. I could understand if you were a poverty stricken state school. I am a Telstra shareholder and I actually find this embarassing. What next Rio Tinto getting volunteers to clean the iron ore trucks? Westpac getting volunteers in to vacuum the carpets before opening time? Has the company been run into the ground and bankrupted by Sol’s obscene payout that we have nothing left to maintain the assets. Get real Telstra!!
Hi Phil, good to see that you and your team helped remove graffiti and trimmed overgrown bushes at Camberwell exchange, it looks alot better. May I suggest, that You take a trip to Footscray exchange and view the dangerous health risk that exists in the car park of this exchange. Not only is it a health risk and a disgusting eyesore, but a very dangerous health risk to the public and Telstra staff. You talk about duty of care and health and safety, well these issues are very lacking at this exchange. I hope you can make a change at this exchange and help remove the dangerous and disgusting OH&S issues that exist. Your staff and other Telstra staff deserve more. Keep up the good work.
Wouldn’t it be smarter to simply invest Phill Sporton’s executive bonus into increasing the maintenance budget, and get proper R&M work done to Telstra’s exchanges which are in an appalling state.
It defies logic to see a multi billion dollar company having to get staff to clean up the absolute mess on a weekend, a mess that short sighted SM have caused in the first place (cost cutting = bonuses) – even funnier that they go public about this as if it’s a great marketing initiative.
It seems with examples such as Westpac’s Banana advertisment and with Telstra’s Exchange clean up day that the executive management of some of our larger companies have simply lost any idea of what customers and shareholders want and expect from them.
Cut the spin, deliver service and respect and be rewarded in spades. pretty simple really.
Will this “cleanup” involve clearing sufficient space internally to not have to knock back TEBA requests from competitors for this reason?
Hi Alix, sorry but the word “volunteer” has been misunderstood here. We asked our employees to give us some of their personal time on a weekend. Participation was not mandatory, thus the use of the word ‘volunteers’ and, where volunteers were entitled to it, we happily paid them overtime for their work. It is true that the leadership staff (such as myself) who participated did not receive any payments which I think most people would agree is appropriate. Best wishes Phill
Hi Mark, Firstly thanks for the kind words, most appreciated. Yup Footscray is absolutely on our list. My Regional Director for the region has personally made two trips to Footscray in the last week or so to develop a plan of action for this exchange. This one’s not going to be a simple fix and will involve many tens thousands of dollars (possibly more). Best wishes Phill
Phil, a smart bloke like you to create a website as ridiculous as this surprises me !
If Telstra had any control over their contractors, via audits,etc. and were prepared to spend some money on building maintenance the propaganda campaign that the company has embarked on would be completely scrapped by intelligent shareholders !
How much money is wasted via the internal corporate propaganda machine that exists in Telstra to persuade employees and customers/shareholders into thinking that Telstra is so wonderful ?
Perhaps some expenditure on infrastructure maintenance, including the interior of buildings/foundations and tackling the disgusting state of the underground copper network could start the ball rolling.
Publicity stunts such as this one just serves to ridicule OUR company and portray people like yourself as merely tools of a huge useless and misguided corporate machine with no genuine interest in customer service !
Sincerely my opinion,
Andrew Cavill
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
I’m really disappointed that you feel this way. Our new maintenance program is not a publicity stunt; it’s about listening to our people and putting in-place programs that can help us do things better. I’d also like to add that, as a Telstra employee and shareholder myself, I’m proud of this program. Rather than continue this conversation over the web, my door is always open, and I’d be happy to to hear any ideas you might have on how we can do things better.
Regards, Phill
Thanks Phil, since I have left Telstra I have noticed the tendency to contract work out that was once done by full-time employees. Is this the new trend of driving down wages in the telecommunications industry. Do you think that PR and clean exchanges will help young people find an employer like Telecom Australia. I remember in 1986 being told, as apprentices, we were the future and we were looked after. Are the new labour hire employees given the same training and conditions I had back in 1986 ?
Of course not.
Would it not be better for Telstra to restart an Apprentice Technician program again and treat young people as assets to develop rather than costs ?
I suppose all private industry should answer this question.
Cheers Phil ( at least you respond to your employees) …look further down the chain of command !!!
Hi Andrew,
I can sense your frustration.
However, this initiative has to be a step in the right direction, and I thank Telstra for finally (after many years of my whinging and complaining!) listening to their customers and community.
Credit where credit is due and this is a positive start; good to see leadership principles being applied also, with senior management becoming involved in championing the program with hands-on involvement.
In 12 months time we will be able to judge if this is indeed a corporate turnaround and shining example of a good corporate citizen, or (hopefully not) a publicity stunt as you have suggested.
Cheers,
Adam Hardy
We have logged numerous calls regarding graffiti with foul language next door to a community centre in Peregian Beach with not a single acknowledgement. Very digusted in the service.
Hi Phill,
Hoping you, your family and the Telstra crew are all enjoying the festive season.
I would appreciate in your ongoing asset maintenance program if you could possibly add Port Macquarie (PTMA) Telephone Exchange to the list (corner of Church Street and Grant Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444).
It is unfortunate that some months ago, vandals have climbed onto the roof of the smaller exchange annexe building at PTMA, painting a hideous graffiti mural onto the side of the main brick exchange building. As it is up so high, it is visible to many nearby apartment buildings and the Port Macquarie Primary School, along with motorists/pedestrians in busy William Street and Grant Street.
Note the issue has been reported previously – reference letter from Anthony Price (Telstra Property) dated 14 May 2009 and also Sentinar service order 41715191 dated 29 November 2009.
It would be fantastic if Telstra could arrange for this unsightly graffiti to be given “the flick” to improve Telstra’s corporate image in Port Macquarie.
Many thanks and all the best for the New Year.
Cheers, Adam Hardy
Not sure if this blog is still active or not, as the silence is deafening.
Appreciate if Telstra could add Grafton (GRNN) Exchange (King Street, Grafton NSW 2460) to the long list of exchange buildings in a disgraceful state needing a spruce-up. I’ll also report it to Sentinar with the faint hope that they may be bothered to do anything about it in the next few years.
The building is still covered in the same graffiti that was there 5 years ago.
It will be a race between the sun fading the graffiti and Telstra cleaning it off.
I’ll be taking some photos around the local exchanges in Sydney in the coming weeks so that a before/after comparison can be done to the previous images I posted a link to, so as to see what really happened on the clean-up day. A recent drive past North Sydney exchange revealed that most of the existing graffiti was still there, with a token effort to clean the graffiti-covered windows and paint a single door, presumably for the PR cameras.
Come on Telstra, you made a commitment – see it through and make a concerted effort to clean up your exchanges now, not just a token one-day publicity event.
Adam,
On Monday of this week we began tidying up eight exchanges starting at Port Macquarie and working through to Grafton later in the week.
John
Thanks John, good stuff.
Looks like this intiative has fallen by the wayside, grass so long, dirty blds, grafitti…..