Since October 2008, Telstra has been active in supporting customers in the social media network called Twitter.

For those that aren’t familiar with our team, during the work week we connect with BigPond and Telstra customers and anyone else who is seeking support or information about Telstra products and services.

Twitter is a great medium.  Not only can people on Twitter contact us directly; but  by using keyword searches or reading blogs and forums, we can reach out to people and ask if they would like to receive our support.

We are able to assist in most situations, and if we don’t know the answer, we do the running around to find the needed solution.

While Twitter is a great tool to help us engage with customers in real time, its 140 character limit does restrict us from time to time.  That’s why the team has decided to expand our social media efforts and create our own blog on Telstra Exchange.

There are a couple of things we want to do with this blog:

• We’ll profile some of the questions we receive on Twitter and share the answers that we think could offer value to the greater online community.  One of the drawbacks about working on Twitter is that information doesn’t stay on the screen for long.  Hosting Twitter-based insights on a blog is a great way for us to archive this information.
• This blog is a great opportunity to profile some of our most loyal users.  One of the reasons we enjoy working on Twitter is that the conversations are more likely to be social.  We want to share some of the comments from users that we found interesting or amusing.
• Finally this blog is a great opportunity to verify who we are.  If you don’t follow us on Twitter and you see us appear in a forum or Facebook, the first question we often get is  ‘are you a real Telstra employee?’  Checkout an example of us helping people in Facebook.  We hope that people will see this blog and feel more confident that we are legitimate Telstra employees who can offer support.

So without further delay, I would like to introduce the team:

Scott Barratt

I joined the BigPond crew in March 2008, where I started out assisting customers with their Billing and Activation enquiries on the phones. From there I moved into emails support before joining the Social Media team in May 2009. I mainly focus on, and manage the @Telstra Twitter account, and assist with enquiries on Telstra Exchange.
Outside of the daily grind, I enjoy music, especially going to live gigs and festivals as well as travelling whenever I get the chance.

Tristo Martin

I’ve been working in the Pond since 2006. I started off doing emails and then branched out to Phones, doing Live Chat and Outbounding support. I was also involved in the BigPond store in Second life as Jamo Lupindo. While I primarily work in the @bigpondteam queue I’ve recently upskilled to help with a wider range of Telstra enquiries. I love the Social Media space and helping change our brand image. My only regret is not having my photo taken like Jason …
Outside of work, I love hiking, hoping to get to the Swiss Alps and Europe next year. I’m also keen gamer and like tinkering with my PC.

Jason Weeks

I’ve been with BigPond since April 2007, I am what you would call an online specialist having assisted customers through both emails and Live Chat. I was one of the lucky three to take the first steps into customer service through social media. Working in both Second Life and then the big one Twitter. I am now a year and a half into my involvement with the @Telstra and @bigpondteam Twitter accounts and loving it (see my profile picture). Currently I am concentrating on developing and growing the team so more people get to experience this great customer service avenue.
I’m big on sport and also love live music and festivals. As a coincidence these all mix well with a couple of quiet ales.

Ben Birbeck

I started way back in 2003 in Telstra Shops prior to moving to call centres handling Billing, Activations, and Sales on the phone. I then moved to the online space assisting customers via Email Support & Live Chat. Like Jase, I was a part of the initial team using Second Life and Twitter to assist customers, and am now working more and more with blogs.

Away from the office I spend a lot of my time on the back of a truck, as a volunteer with both the Country Fire Service & State Emergency Service here in SA.

So that’s it folks, the team behind the account.   Drop us a comment and let us know what you think.