That’s a change: Telstra’s new customer service initiatives
Filed under: business, corporate, customer service, customers, news, Telstra CEO, thinking
Today I’m announcing new initiatives to improve the way we serve you, our customers.
As you know, one of our key priorities is to improve customer service and satisfaction. Over the past year we’ve had formal feedback programs and listened to more than 700,000 Australians – both customers of Telstra and of our competitors – who have told us how they’d like service to improve.
Our effort to really listen and respond to feedback is just one of the ways that change is afoot at Telstra.
- Because you have busy lives, we’ll offer appointments on weekends. Customers in metro areas and some regional centres will be able to pre-book Telstra technicians to visit their homes on weekends to connect or repair fixed line or BigPond cable services. And, we’re looking to expand this service into other products in the future.
- We’re making it easier for customers who call us by simplifying the steps they need to take to speak to the right consultant.
- We’re making it easier for customers to tell us what’s wrong. If our consumer or small business customers have trouble getting a problem fixed, they can call us and say ‘complaint’, and then be connected to specially trained staff who will help put it right.
- Because your time is valuable, we’ll trial a service that gives customers the option of having us call them back if queues prevent us speaking to them fast.
What we have been doing to improve customer service
Already we have -
- invested millions of dollars more into training customer-facing staff
- put more front-line people into complaints handling and established a program to systematically fix the root causes of problems
- established a dedicated team to manage all service changes from start to finish when consumers move house
And we have improved the value of Telstra products with new bundles that give discounts to consumers, new fixed and wireless broadband pricing with increased data allowances and no excess usage on most plans, and better value small business pricing and data allowances.
We also dropped the $2.20 administration fee for bill payments made over-the-counter or by mail.
What else can we do?
We know there is plenty more for us to do and we are going to keep listening to your feedback.
Please let me know your thoughts and keep posting your suggestions below.
David
Hello Brendan/ David,
If you could PLEASE help me with the following issues, that would be great. I will give a bit of back round to my problem as well.
I have been a new customer of Telstra for ~ 8 months now. I signed up on a home bundle package including ADSL, home and 2 mobile phones.
I use the internet for basic web browsing and online games. I intially thought I was on ADSL 2+ as I was playing a PC game that didn’t require high speeds. Later when I connected my xbox to xbox live, I had learned from slow performance that I was only on ADSL, not 2+.
I had called Telstra and Telstra had changed ADSL to 2+ for me. Prior to this, I had NO DROP OUT problems (on ADSL 1).
Since then I have been experience MANY drop outs during my online gaming, and then it re-connects automatically. As a hobbie, I play games and earn money for it (5 K tornement i am in currently) if I drop out of the game I am playing… It ruins my chances! And ruins my fun, and questions my purpose of paying telstra to provide me with internet…
I was previously a customer of optus for 8 years before I moved to this new house. I have never experienced this issue before with Optus. What angers me a little, is that Telstra says it’s the best internet in Australia?! Compared to?… Fix my issues and prove it, PLEASE!
I have called Telstra a many times and have had technicians “stabilise my line” at least three times now now…
case number 14-7-11 140869009
case number 14-8-11 141182308
2 more recent ones that I do not have case numbers for…
All the time it has not resolved the issue… I want them to do more then that this time, please! Before yesterday, my internet seemed fix (for about a month – no drop outs). What happens to cause the inconsistency?
Questions of importance: 1) How does ADSL not drop out at all where as ADSL 2 does?
2) If I was to try a different branded modem, would this fix the issue (I have seen on forums that the thomson TG782T modem is suspect of these issues in use of ADSL. Something about it dosen’t allow for online games as it can’t handle UCP/ UDP ports or some thing?)
Thanks for any help to resolve these issues.
Summary:
Main issue: Fix my internet so that it does not drop out. I was with Optus for 8 years before moving house and I never had an issue regarding drop outs
Answer “How does my ADSL not drop out at all where as ADSL 2 does for my experience?”
Thanks for any help to resolve these issues.
Hi Grant. I’ve organised for someone from the Office of the CEO to get in touch to look into your situation. Brendan
That’s it! I’m totally gobsmacked by Telstra’s lack of in dealing with their clients!!!!!!!!!
I have just got off my fourth phone call in relation to the lack of response of my iPhone3GS. I have been waiting all day for some phone calls from some friends and blow me down they ring on another fixed line phone saying that my iPhone has a message that either I am out of the area, or my phone is switched off.
It isn’t! It has 4 bars on the activity strength. It also says “Call Failed”, all the time …
This is really stupid – amazing, almost, when Apple releases a new handset, the older ones start to die …
When you try to get some help the customer service people say that I have to pull the sim card out of my iPhone, and stick it in another handset, and then run some tests, on it to check whether the fault is in the sim card, or in the handset.
And where might I ask, am I going to find another handset? Do I go and buy a chicken, and pluck a handset from the chicken’s entrails? Can I expect to find a handset under the leaf of a cabbage in my refrigerator? I don’t think so!
Now, down to brass tacks. I would like to upgrade my phone, to at least an iPhone4, but don’t really see why I have been paying vast amounts to Telstra at inflated prices, and all of a sudden the phone handset is virtually worthless ($716 compared to $ 288). That’s a vast difference. With Telstra wanting to hang on to loyal customers it should start looking at doing something to honour their customers (for a change) instead of pushing them towards the plank with a blunt stick.
C’mon Mr Thodey. Now is the time to step forwards and do the right thing. There are plenty of other telephone service providers in Australia …
Robert, I have organised for someone to call you and assist.
Brendan,
Thanks. I spoke to Bec yesterday and we came to a mutual understanding that, in fact, it appeared not to be my handset that was at fault, but maybe the Telstra Mobile Cell, that is situated on top of Wollongong Hospital.
My handset is happily sending and receiving calls, texts, and SMS so it appears that it was not the problem and the only other thing possible was the cell controller.
Maybe you could get somebody in Tech Support to look into this.
cheerz
Bob More
My complaint was lodged over a month ago, and after some contact it ‘died in the water’ without resolution.
My subsequent complaint was not responded to in the promised time of 5 business days so I rang and received an assurance that I would be contacted within two business days. Again there was no contact. Last Friday I rang again and again received the same assurance – WITH THE SAME RESULT – ZIP, ZILCH.
I just rang again and guess what – the Case Manager was again unavailable and I was promised he will contact me – guess what – I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!!
I asked how I could escalate my complaint – your man told me there is a way, but he couldn’t tell me – I would have to work it out for myself – is this it??
Sorry to hear that Geoff. We can and should do better. Please allow me to have this investigated. I’ll need your account and a contact number. You can use this form to send me them. Brendan
Referring to the complaint by Geoff and as a Telstra shareholder and a person who has been a long time defender of Telstra, I wish to document my disappointment at the speed at which the commands of David Thodey for better customer service are being implemented.
Those in Telstra employ who were recently employed (at great expense) to investigate and instigate improved customer service for Telstra customers seem to be failing dismally in their task and it may be time for the CEO to abandon his nice guy persona and kick a few backsides.
Brendan you are not included in the arse kick as you are to be commended for your valiant efforts to help displeased Telstra customers. I do know many appreciate your difficult position and I also know that your struggle to help has caused many to remain with Telstra when their intention was to change SPs.
Sydney, your comments are appreciated but way too late! Mr Thodey promised to fix customer service in 18 months. We have been promised return phone calls by 6 different supervisors over tha past week relating to two major complaints that total thousands of dollars. Not one call! The last time I tried to use this forum, Brendan’s contact did nothing! Seriously, from our perspective, Telstra’s service could not be worse – and it definitely isn’t getting better, they are being more creative with their statistics.
Hi Nigel, Sorry to hear that your last experience here on T:EX was not helpful. Can I do anything to help now? If you’d like some assistance just use this form to send me your account and contact number. Brendan.
Hi Syd, Thanks for the feedback. I’ve passed your comment on to David Thodey and Geoff has been contacted and taken care of by one of our customer support teams.
Hi Sydney,
Thanks for your feedback. I want to reassure you that customer satisfaction remains a priority for Telstra and while we’ve made significant progress, I know there’s still more we have to do.
Improving customer service isn’t something that can be done overnight. It’s important that we take the time to make the right changes so we address the issues that are impacting on the customer experience. I have full confidence that we have the right people in place and are taking the right actions to do just that.
Best wishes,
David
This morning a Customer Service Team Leader rang, quickly and pleasantly dealt with the initial concern raised about a month ago and went on to make amends for the subsequent failures to return calls that were promised.
That should have been the first or second response, not the fifth.
What happens to the customers who don’t have the time or resilience to fight on?
A scan of this blog site shows that many complaints are about the complaints system. I’m sure I’m not alone in my reluctance to complain to the section that the complaint is about.
How about a more clearly signposted ‘escalator’?
G’day Brendan,
On Tuesday at 10:16 Renae (Customer Support Team Leader) rang and seemed to resolve my problems. She finished with an undertaking to email me with the details and her email address ‘in case’.
Not wishing to be a nark, but it has not happened.
Hi Geoff,
Thank you for sharing this experience. While I understand your initial complaint has now been resolved, I agree this should not have happened in the first place and I want to apologise on behalf of the company. We need to do better and honour our commitments.
I have asked my team to review this situation to ensure it does not happen again. I have also asked them to look at a more transparent system for complaint escalation, which is easy for customers to understand and use.
Feedback like yours is incredibly valuable as we continue our journey to improve customer service. Thank you again for bringing this matter to my attention.
David
Yesterday evening, I called BigPond regarding my ADSL’s ethernet light not showing as green. When I got through to someone, asking me some questions, the person advised me that I needed to call ADSL Technical Support myself. Note: this person did not offer to transfer me – I had to ask. This person then agreed to transfer me through to the correct area.
When I did get to speak with someone else at BigPond Technical Support, I had to repeat the same response to the person on a number of questions that were put to me. Eventually, I tired of doing so, and advised the person that when we got to the end of the conversation, that I looked forward to the opportunity of rating the person accordingly.
The time came, I advised the representative that I was keen to supply my responses to the level of service supplied, the Telstra representative advised me that he would get me through…and then…the call was disconnected that the Telstra representative’s end.
I do not think that this is an improvement on Telstra customer service.
Hi disgruntled. Agreed, we can do better than that. Would you like me to pass on your resonses? Please forward them to me with your account details. Brendan
Hi Brendan,
What is the e-mail address to forward my account details to?
You can use this form or reply to the email I sent.
I now have my problem resolved, and a pretty clear indication of how keen Telstra are to do better. Bye
Hi – for the fourth year running I’m coming up against the dead-end, couldn’t-care-less attitude of Sensis, Telstra’s yellow pages business, in the online section which is, of course, more frequently searched than printed yellow pages.
Against my instructions and objections, Sensis has interfered with my telephone number and has replaced carefully negotiated and authorised wording with complete nonsense.
Sensis also diverts attention away from the information that potential customers need to see first.
Two desperate reminder emails to Sensis received the response: ‘changes are currently being worked on’ on October 3 and 25 – and nothing has changed.
Business people I’ve told have rolled their eyes knowingly. Some tell me they do not use Sensis any more.
The finance department informed me in their first phone call that such problems are not their concern. They are still at me with letters and phone calls.
Today I received a call from ‘Collections’.
Please help!
Sabine
Hi Sabine. I will ask to see if I can get you some help at Sensis.
I became a Telstra customer(again) back in July 2010. A lot of money is spent on telecommunications in my household! My mother’s mobile contract ends in January (she is currently with a competitor), and I am encouraging her to move to Telstra. I want to ensure that she gets the very best deal if she decides to go with Telstra. Who can I speak with about options and deals? I don’t want to go into a Telstra store again and get the ‘you might get a welcome credit, but we need to ring Telstra and sometimes they say no’ kind of treatment. I want to speak with someone who has a knowledge of Telstra customer service policy, a person who has the authority to make decisions and a person who feels that every customer is important.
Hi Lisa. I sent you and email requesting a contact number.
A couple of things
1. From my experiences service definitely seems to be improving. (telstra mobile customer service business and consumer)
2. Survey at end of call. A number of your representatives have told me to stay on the line and press 1 and 5. These keys 1 = yes my issue was solved. 5= service is rated excellent.
Customer support should NOT be telling customers to rate them excellent (5).
It should be up to the customer to rate them 1 through to 5 based on their satisfaction of the call. Obviously employee performance ratings are based partly based on the survey results.
Someone should probably look into this.
Agree with Mike that Telstra customer service continues to improve and under David’s guidance, and with co-operation from excellent Staff, the gigantic ship that is Telstra is turning onto a new heading. Mike’s suggestion that the five point “excellent” call is a little complicated is correct and perhaps if the customer was asked if the service “acceptable or not acceptable” this would facilitate clearer satisfaction results. Seasons greetings to all.
Loss of EMAILS to customers on BIGPOND HOSTS.
When are you going to LEARN WHAT is SERVICE.
I had problems with emails last night approx 10pm. I thought I leave it to today and everything would be right.
But I was wrong.
This is a MAJOR ISSUE these days and why is it NOT FIXED.
Why is it that all resources are put to have the problems fixed URGENTLY.
In the OLD TELSTRA if a major issue happen all resources were called on to have services restored ASAP. Customer service was number one. Today it appears Telstra has completely lost this understanding of service. Staff who answer phones and the set up in answering calls appear to not understand true service. It makes me very upset at the way service is given out today by Telstra. Do you want to loose all customers.
If Telstra is spending millions on retraining its shop staff to improve customer service then WHY are the trainers only teaching the staff that its all about sales that the customer doesn’t know what they want and that they can only have what gives the store a high gp and that customers with problems are to be brushed aside as there is no profit in resolving there issues.
Please explain ????
Hi,
just wondering about:
1) how long a bigpond bundle takes to be changed? It’s ADSL 2+ I’m pretty sure.
2) What the devil “transcription” charges are on my bill? I rang up and the lady said she couldnt see them on the bill but they are quitely clearly on the bill we recieved.
and finally 3) Why when my mum rang up last time they put on an extra 2 GB data pack onto my mobile plan but when i rang up today its apparently not there but i’m still getting charged for it?
Some help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks heaps
Hi Belinda. I can have someone look into this for you. Please use this form to send me your account and contact details. Brendan.
Just received an email, saying that Telstra had tried to contact me on my mobile “earlier today”. CRAP!
I have checked my call logs on my mobile, and the only contacts I have had today were at 19:58, and this message is being typed at 20:19!
My mobile did not ring at 19:58.
Telstra – CRAP!
Try telling the truth, for a change!
I posted this comment on 19 December, 2011 and it has only just been posted by Telstra on 5 January 2012.
Whilst some people must have gone on leave over Christmas, I cannot see why it takes over three weeks to have these posts disseminated.
This could explain the HUGE number of emails I’ve been getting from Telstra’s complaints blogs …
Good to see the Captcha System is still up the …
Hi Robert, You are right, there were some issues over the break. Some comments went into spam folder, and some have been late to publish. I am doing my best ato reach out to those who need help. All the best for 2012. Brendan
Well, Telstra Bigpond have surprised me yet again – and I thought it couldn’t be done – that I have already heard it all.
I took a 3-year contract for Bigpond wireless service (a big mistake 2 1/2 years ago). I won’t even begin to list the troubles I have had that are too numerous to mention, but since November 2011 my service has been disgusting. It drops in and out, is so slow that many websites time out on me and is just generally wasting so much of my work time and costing me so much money that I am fed up. But I know how long you spend on the phone when you ring, so most of the time rather than try to contact Telstra I have just used my partner’s TPG account (very reliable) in place of mine – his is a fraction of the cost of mine, though. Anyway yesterday I had enough so decided I really should ring and chase the service I have been paying for. So over the course of the next 3 hours while on the phone I learned that 2 months ago (coincidentally in November) Bigpond “updated” the service to our area and that I should have downloaded updates to the software my USB stick uses. But apparently this must be a State Secret, because despite the fact that Telstra has my phone numbers (from my accounts with them) and, believe it or not, my email address, as well as knowing when I log onto the internet they have not contacted me in any form to tell me to update the software! Many other computer programmes I use tell me of updates when I log on to use them, but apparently Telstra either does not have the sense or decency to do this or lacks the knowledge of how to make this happen.
Anyway, during my 3-hour phone call with them I was given the details of how to update the software (which I did using my partner’s internet connection). OK. But from the point of updating I could no longer connect to the network (at even a snail’s pace)! So I then got what sounded like a very technically savvy person (but I have been fooled by this before) who got me to reboot my computer 1,000 times, tell her my phone number a number of times, etc etc and eventually told me that she would have a technician check this out and call me “within 8 hours”. That was at 6 pm yesterday and here it is midday today but no call. OK – I accept that my “8 hours” may be up at 5 pm today, so I won’t bother calling them till tomorrow, but really I have not one shred of confidence that I will ever get that call anyway.
Roll on August 2011 when my contract is up and it’s goodbye Telstra Bigpond and probably hello TPG.
But, seriously, David Thodey, could you maybe look into Telstra joining the 21st century and advising customers when they need to update software (and how to access those updates) – but maybe only do that AFTER Telstra is sure the updates will work? Here it is the next day and I am still in shock to find out that the only way customers are finding out about these updates is when they place a complaint call. No wonder when I talk to others about my problems with Telstra their eyes just glaze over, roll into the back of their heads and then they start making gurgling sounds. Please use a dictionary (dare I suggest an online one???) and look up the meaning of “proactive” and try to apply that to Telstra. Though I see you have used the term “customer service initiatives” though we are not seeing any improvement at all in service.
Hi Kerry. Thanks for taking the time to share your story. Sorry you had to endure this. I’m going to ask for a local team to look into it, document it so we can learn form it, and also to do what we can to ensure you are happy with the outcome. Brendan
Hi Kerry, Melanie tells me she’s been in touch and explained the issue that is impacting you and applied a credit to your account. I’m here should you need anything in the future. Brendan
I was contacted some time ago about bringing my business back to Telstra. The sales person was very rude so I hung up on him.
Looking at your plans I can’t see any reason why I should come back. At the moment I receive homephone line rental, unlimited broadband, voip (which has free unlimited local & std calls, and 500 free mobile minutes to any mobile Aust wide) for $100 a month.
I would be willing to sit down and speak with a person who acts like a true customer representative of Telstra, that can provide me with the same or better products.
I am very disappointed with the lack of honesty by Telstra.
A few weeks ago after speaking to a Telstra consultant , I arranged for a repayment on a weekly basis , in regards to an oustanding amount on my account, and that person had happily set up the repayment plan for me.
But today, much to my dismay I have received a letter from a collection agency (Specialised Recoveries) demanding a full payment by monday or they will give me a bad credit plus additional costs.
Very disappointed indeed.
Hello Dan. I’d like to help and get someone to call you asap to sort this out. Please reply to the email I sent or use this online form to send me your account and contact details. Brendan.
Just talked to my older sister re her Telstra bill. She informed me that she is paying $79.95 p/m for Broadband. Then she informed that her last bill was $160.oo. She is a pensioner and can’t afford these bills. But alas NO ONE from Telstra has informed her of all the deals that they have at the moment. I have searched and found other plans on the Telstra website, cheaper than she is paying.
I also informed her that at the moment OPTUS has a deal for people over 50 years. It is $50 for Broadband 5GB and all calls included. They also have a $65 deal for 10GB and all calls. Maybe Telstra should look at their competition and do some deals that are similiar.
So tomorrow I am going to help my sister get some money back into her pocket and not into companies that couldn’t be bothered to assist the pensioners of this world. That really deserve it.
Hi Lesley, I’d like to hep but I’ll need your sister’s details so we can look up her account and call her. If you ask her to send her account and contact details then I’ll arrange for someone local to check in to this and call your sister. If you want to act on her behalf, you’ll need to have her call while you are with her and have her give authority for you to act on her account.
Dear Messrs David Thodey and Brendan O’Keefe,
I would like to draw your attention to: Complaint 1-88301128728, and ask if you think that I have justification in being a disgruntled customer.
Additionally, as at writing this, the applicable Telstra customer service representative’s supervisor has not contacted me.
As at writing this, I have a Telstra account that is due for payment. I would like a deferment of this outstanding balance until this matter and, complaint 120302-012538, have been resolved satisfactorily.
I’ve passed this on for you and asked for an investigation.
Dear Brendan,
I received two calls yesterday afternoon regarding the complaint.
As for the, “…investigation…,” I have requested that at least part of this is provided to a Supervisor for resolution.
Here is why: the Telstra representative with whom I spoke to on 3rd March, 2012 did not leave a note in my account, and did not provide me with her name.
So much for the investigation being able to progress normally.
This left the following options: tracking back the telephone number that I had already provided, or tracking back my mobile and fixed service. Now, surely, if there is an investigation, one of these three could easily be done by a Telstra representative.
So, as at writing this, the only partial resolution that has been agreed to is making an application for any eligible CSG, and nothing for the level of, “Customer Service Experience,” and my time being wasted – that I received during the days that I put into my last Telstra complaints: 1-88301128728 and 120302-012538.
Dear Brendan,
I would like to raise the following points with you:
Can you advise me whether you think that a person who has wasted their time, through no fault of their own, is entitled to be compensated?
Can you explain to me if you believe that a person who has repeatedly been provided with inconsistent information by a company’s representative is entitled to be compensated?
Can you explain to me why, on 8th March, 2012, that I was advised that I would receive a telephone call by a Supervisor within a certain timeframe, and that timeframe lapsed, with the Supervisor calling after the lapsed time, whether you believe that a contract (verbal or otherwise) was in place?
So far, I have repeatedly heard, “…commercial transaction…,” I say, look at any applicable legislation.
I admit that this evening I had to correct myself after requesting, “…cash…,” I meant that I would like a credit applied to my account.
Oh, and today, (in part) I was asked by a Telstra representative to guess where he was located. So, I guessed incorrectly. This, “Guessing Game,” was completely irrelevant to the matters mentioned above, and I am still at a loss to understand why this was done given that both of us could clearly comprehend the matters at hand.
Regardless, the Supervisor from this evening has now decided to close off the investigation, and has advised me that he will be advising me of my alternative processes in writing.
For your reference, yesterday, I read out to a Telstra representative some information regarding Contract Law within Australia.
Brendan and David Thodey, I am still awaiting a response from both of you with regard to whether you believe that I am justified in being a disgruntled customer.
Hi Disgruntled. Please advise as the whether your complaints have been resolved?
Hi Brendan,
As at writing this, I believe that none of the aforementioned matters raised by me on this forum earlier this month have been resolved.
I am still waiting information regarding an outcome on any eligible CSG payment, and whether you and David Thodey believe that I have reason to be a disgruntled customer.
I would also like to advise that the Supervisor that I spoke to last Friday advised me that he would be speaking directly with you regarding one of the matters that I raised above. Hopefully, this might also find some clarification as to why I was contacted later than the previously agreed timeframe, and the point to the, “Guessing Game”.
Regardless, can someone advise me if these matters are deemed an improvement in Telstra’s Customer Service?
I’m glad I’m not an ISP, as I wouldn’t be able to serve my Clients with decent broadband service, because my supplier, Telstra, can’t either …
What has happened this time? Why has everything slowed right down to dial-up speeds?
Did you forget to pay your telephone bill?
Why is it that its the customers that always get slugged with slow speeds?
Normally, I am getting 1.07 ish download speeds, but today its down to 26!
Waaaaaay tooooooo ssssslllllllllloooooowwwwwww…
Another tale of woe!
I was overcharged on my mobile internet usage. My limit is 1gb. I was charged as if my limit was 500mb.
This was on a bill of 11/12/11
I rang the 132200 number on the bill on 11/12/11.
I was told that the limit is in fact 1Gb and I would be credited back within 24 hours. I also asked for my home phone and mobile bills be combined. I was told this would be done. (this all took half an hour of waiting and talking)
The next month I receive a bill on 10/1/12.
It has overdue charges on it. I rang again. Another consultant tells me that it will be credited back within 24 hours. This time I got a reference number: 83660234255. I asked about combining bills for home phone and mobile ad was told this had not yet been done but it would as the consultant was doing that now. I also asked what my options were in pursuing compensation for the now 1 hour time it had taken me to sort out this mess. I was told I would also be credited with $60.
The next bill (20-2-12) was in credit. I was happy.
The next bill (11-3-12) was again owing!
I have gone on to the My Account website and see that my data limit is still listed as 500mb!
I thought I would give this forum a try to rectify whatever has gone wrong before I contact the ombudsman for their help.
My contract is finishing soon and I have yet to be convinced that I should stay a Telstra customer. Here’s your chance. Convince me.
Sincerely
Disgruntled, Un gruntled then regruntled.
Hi Keith. I can see you have had a frustrating experience with us recently. If you send me your account and contact details I will make sure somone local investigates and calls you to sort this out. Bremdan
soooo…nothing has changed Brendan? lies lies and more lies.
Hi John. Is there anything in particular I can help you with?