Calls to Telstra customer service and complaints lines now free
Filed under: corporate, customer service, customers, free calls, news, Telstra CEO, thinking, trends
In another new customer service initiative, Telstra will make nearly 50 million service and support calls free of charge for Telstra customers.
Last month I posted a blog about new customer service initiatives including weekend tech service appointments. That blog generated many comments, complaints and feedback and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to write to me.
Today, I’m announcing another new initiative to improve the value we provide to customers and to help make it easier to connect with Telstra to resolve a customer service issue or complaint.
Millions of calls are made each year to our most frequently rung customer service numbers and, as of yesterday, calls to those numbers from Telstra services will be free of charge.
So, calls from a Telstra home phone or Telstra mobile, in Australia, to our general enquiry numbers for consumers and small businesses will be free as well as calls to our fault numbers, the BigPond helpdesk and our general service number for pre-paid mobile. Calls to activate and recharge pre-paid accounts can already be made without cost to customers.
125 111 Telstra residential mobile enquiries
132 203 Telstra residential faults
137 663 BigPond enquiries
133 933 BigPond Tech Support
125 8880 Prepaid enquiries
125 8888 Prepaid recharges
125 8887 Prepaid activations
132 000 Telstra Business enquiries
132 999 Telstra Business faults
Before we decided to launch this initiative, we researched a number of potential customer service improvements. This initiative came out as the most important when we asked people to tell us what they thought. I’m glad to make it a reality today but I’m also interested in your thoughts. We are very serious about wanting to hear from you. Really listening and acting upon customers’ feedback is a key part of the change we want our customers to experience.
More than two hundred people provided feedback to my blog last month announcing new customer service initiatives. The feedback offered us some encouragement but also gave us clear indications on what we must continue to improve upon. You told me that we can still do better and I agree.
Your views on our services, including our prices and products, have been passed onto the appropriate members of our teams.
Please keep posting your views, ideas and suggestions to me here on Telstra Exchange.
David
I’ve had my landline service with Telstra since it was the provided by the PMG so you can do the sums regarding my longevity as a loyal customer. I’ll doubt that the person or supervisor reading this email is Australian let alone knows what’s the meaning of the acronym.
I’ve had a dial-up service since 2009 and my last phone bill included $70.00 of call up charges for dial-up. This is because I redial, perhaps two or three times to get the max speed of 50.6 Kbps. Tonight, the first speed I was given was 33.0 Kbps. This isn’t good enough to read emails. The speed I’m using at the moment is 44.0.
I feel that this practice is deliberate to force people onto broadband. Please do not insult my intelligence by responding that dial-up is a pool service.
I’m at my tether, loyalty be damned, it is not reciprocated in any way.
I’m going to iinet.
Hi there – I’ve just sent you an email to follow up on this issue.
tether haha great pun
I have unfortunately been lumbered with this bloody company since we arrived in Australia and to say they are the most incompetent bunch of cowboys Ive ever come across is being kind. You are very lucky as a company that the competition is so little that you almost have the monopoly on broadband and mobile coverage. I have my house phone with you and my computer access and all I wanted to do was to set up the same email address on my new Samsung mobile which is with opt us oh my god you think I have asked the meaning of life, 4 departments 4 different barely English speaking operatives repeatedly asking the same questions and not listening in the least to what I’m asking, pretending to put me on to supervisors but really handing the phone to any one of their colleagues who then proceeds to pretend to be a little higher up the food chain than the last incompetent fool. Stop pi***ng people about and start offering a service worthy of a company your size start employing people who speak the same language as 95 per cent of your users and give your hard paying customers some respect I would like someone to get in touch with me regarding getting my bloody email sorted out or I am determined to to take this so much further you need to me more accountable Telstra you’re a joke…convince me different.
Hi Nigel,
My apologies – this is not good to hear, this kind of service is unacceptable (espeically for what should be such a simple task). Can I get you to fill out this webform so that I can get one of our customer service guys to call you? http://www.telstra.com/24x7help
I have spent 3 hours on the phone with telstra today, out of cost to my pocket because my mobile is with Voda, but my internet is with Telstra and I was trying to find a better deal!
I was put through two sales departments because no one could answer my simple question “for a 4GB monthly plan how much is a single MB” and not the overall monthly cost. no one knew although it’s on their website! Also I would like to make a massive complaint where on pre-paid telstra websit it claims it’s costing customers 1.46c/MB whilst on my billing it is 1.47c that adds up my friends over the years and I consider that faulse advertising! Also I just got off the phone with Kay from billing and she nearly sold me a 12 month plan telling me I wouldn’t have to pay for the USB device, which was incorrect when I asked her to check this with her supervisor! So now after 3 hours no plan, false inaccurate information and theft because they are charging me more than the advertised price! I am soooo annoyed!
Jada, I’m sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I’ve just sent an email to you to follow up on this directly.
Had to ring you about a fault on our landline number, using a mobile which is with Optus. I was charged $12.00,for reporting this fault, which I am not very happy about.Surely all fault reports should be free irrespective. I hope that you can see your way to refund this amount to my account,as I am a pensioner & every bit helps
Thank you,
Neil A Feld.
Hi Neil – I’m sorry to hear that. I’d recommend contacting our customer service team to discuss further. You can start a live web chat with them here.
Like most people here, using my VB mobile to call Telstra help center about an internet fault on 125111. Received phone bill for last month and got charged $19 which was “Telstra operator assisted services” as told by VB.
Never knew Telstra charge their customers for reporting fault until have seen phone bill. Be aware!
today I thought I would try to make a comment about a fault on Telstra’s facebook page to see if it was faster than their telephone fault reporting service. It wasn’t is some ways, but I did get a response, call the fault line.
You see we had a telephone part fall off our power pole around 3 months ago in a bad storm. If I had left the large metal part on the ground as it was, in the wind it could have seriously injured someone, so I reported it immediately and acted upon it to secure the metal part and protect the public.
I phoned Telstra’s faults department immediately that day and they indicated that someone would fix it within 24 hours, that I should tie up the piece of metal to the pole (that could have blown around and injured someone) and wait for someone to come out.
It is now 3 months later and my string has broken and the metal fell onto the ground yesterday. I was planning to phone Telstra today and retie the metal part to the pole.
Unfortunately, but amusingly, it is now council cleanup time and someone has just come and taken it off the naturestrip!!!
So much for the 24 hour repair period. Not only were they incompetent and unable to respond to their fault, the part is now GONE, assumedly to the scrap yard. Great service Telstra. When the cables fall off the pole, and our’s and other’s telephone cables fall to the ground, I will be sure to point out that if you had fixed the problem when I pointed it out – 3 months ago – your potential future major fault wouldn’t have occurred.
I realise that with the advent of the National Broadband Cable, both Telstra and Optus have done NIL maintenance on your current systems, but I might remind you, that WE actually pay you to do that maintenance and provide a service. But I guess your priority is NOW for shareholders profits. Such is life eh!!!
Congratulations on such FABULOUS work!
In response to my contacting the Facebook page, Telstra did respond, but as mentioned above, with the same old comment that I should phone the call centre. Unfortunately that number is not free to me as I am NOT a Telstra customer, just a community member wishing to help Telstra and save them money and further problems. But even THAT results in a brick wall.
Hmmm.
Interestingly there were two other people who replied to my facebook post on Telstra’s facebook page. They were not employed by Telstra, yet were more helpful in solving my dilemma in trying to help Telstra.
Well done Telstra. When a community member tries to protect the public, and help you, not only does the community member have to pay out of their own pocket to help you, but you are also unwilling to make the effort to call ME to try to solve your problem.
Hmmmm.
No wonder your share price is stagnant.
Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. The service you received is certainly not to the standard that we like to provide our customers or members of the public. We’d like to investigate this matter further and will be in touch with you directly to understand why this was not rectified as promised.
My restraint from telling you what I think of your customer service is admirable, despite your bloody disgraceful effort. I’m given an SR number and phone number to call, but the phone number is incorrect. Even so, I’m only to call it in business hours. But hey, guess what…..I WORK and don’t get home until after 6pm. So you tell me, what the hell am I supposed to do when I wait TWO HOURS to get thirty seconds of internet connection, that enables me to send you this message. You really are a joke.
Hello???????
Is there anybody there?????
My internet is still crap, and I’m still waiting to read the absolute pearls of wisdom that you will get someone to look into it for me. Even though that’s how I got the SR number two months ago. What do I have to do to get you off your hands and do the job you are paid to do, which just in case you’re not aware, is called CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Waiting…..waiting…..waiting…..waiting…..
Hi Mick
Sorry for the delay in reply. For urgent customer support please contact our 24/7 Live Chat team http://tinyurl.com/24×7-service with your SR number.
Well Dan, it took you four days to nonchalantly respond to my concern. That in itself shows your committment to helping me.
OK, so I have tried several times to access the 24/7 help page. After being in a queue for over an hour on the weekend, I gave up.
I succeeded in getting to ‘speak’ with someone during the day today, only to be told I have to be at home when I contact them. So I try to contact them this evening at 8.30pm. My internet connection holds up until 40 minutes later, when I have progressed in the queue from 14 to 5, that the 24/7 website has gone down and I’m back to square one. The message I got was:
Unfortunately the Live Chat service is currently unavailable.
We’re sorry for the inconvenience and hope to have things running smoothly again soon.
Please try again later.
OK Dan, I tried it your way and true to form, you failed. For the last 15 minutes since your 24/7 site fell over, my connection has been going up and down like a yoyo. I can’t rely on my connection to contact Telstra 24/7 for them to tell me I have a bad connection.
SO NOW, WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Little wonder the TIO is the next step when Telstra’s minions go back to sitting on their hands.
Come on Dan, give me some advice. Intelligent advice would be nice, but I don’t want to aim too high. So how about you just give me the NAME and CONTACT DETAILS of someone…..ANYONE….who has the ability to help me get the most basic level of internet service.
p.s. Landline ADSL would be nice, but the Tophat project was to have completed my local upgrade by Dec12. News flash……..it’s Feb13.
Hi Mick,
My apologies for this, I can appreciate how frustrating this whole experience is. Can you please fill out this webform and we’ll get someone to call you: http://www.telstra.com/24x7help
Thanks.
Brendan….Dan….Gigi…..or whatever name you are using this week:
Just to let you know, and perhpas give you fair warning, I have “agreed” to opt for an ADSL2+ account to replace the garbage 4G Wireless that has turned my hair grey since the day I got it. The 4G replaced the numerous options of 3G Wireless that your learned technical colleagues “guaranteed” me would work QUOTE without a problem UNQUOTE.
In order to get the ADSL2+, I had to accept the installation of a landline – which I don’t need or will ever use – and now I sit here patiently picking my teeth as I await delivery of the modem and install kit. Imagine my continuing DISGUST when I open a letter that tells me I have to pay a $48 ADSL Connection Fee. NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT THIS BY THE CONSULTANT. So the Telstra BS continues.
So I ask you here and now, to respond to me, and everyone else here that will read it, EXACTLY how much does it cost a customer to connect to your ADSL? Is it too much to ask for a bit of common courtesy and truth? Yes, the truth. Remember that old chestnut?
But don’t worry, I’ll still be here waiting for my internet to come back one around 11pm so I can remind you of the request.
Have a nice day.
p.s. Don’t have any more staff who have overdosed on happy pills call me……it’s pretty sickening.
Hi Mick,
My apologies, this is not acceptable. Firstly, I recommend that you submit a complaint via this site: http://www.telstra.com.au/help/contact/complaints/.
The $48 activation fee applies to all new Broadband activations – both self-install and professional install. More details about the pricing and the Activation Fee can be found here: http://www.telstra.com.au/internet/home-broadband-bigpond-elite-plans/
Why do you continue to charge and advertise a “Premium service” when all you deliver is billing issues, delays and frustrating calls with the Phillipines who can not speak or read english clearly! My billing issue is now 5 months old and you owe me a credit of $1,258 for re-contracting me without my permission!. I have been in store 3 times and had 5 over 40 minute calls to the useless ‘customer service’. I’ve called the 132200 number now 3 times this morning and after going through the wasted time of the annoying IVR options the line disconnects. Thanks for nothing Telstra, I’d get better service from a bunch of donkeys!
Hey sometimes you need to read and understand first the contract of your service before you call telstra and complaint,
You keep on murmuring and saying a lot of unnecessary words yet it was all your fault why is that happening..
Beasty, in pure Aussie vernacular, the word “twit” comes to mind.
Just because the calls are free does not mean the person on the other end of the phone is going to be helpful explain why the hell people should stay with telstra
best advice to anyone is call the tio who will be in australia that way you get it resolved the way you want
i had a disputed with Telstra which dated back to almost a year ago. Long story cut short, even the community manager (Brendan O’Keefe) and Telstra finance department made false promises to me. As soon as they get the money, i dont get any reply to any email or requests i sent through. Guess what, now i base my business oversea, anytime that i set up a new business for my clients in Australia, i always choose anyone except Telstra. Payback time Telstra, you dont respect your current customers, what chances have you got to service new customers? for a few hundred bucks, you are going to loose thousands in the long run.
G,day, My land line is not working, again second time in two months,been out now seven days also other people in the area, fault is in the main cable, problem is we are getting the runaround from Telstra some opperaters say that there is a team working on it,[there is not] some say its fixed[its not] now the last person I spoke to tells me it will be fixed by 7pm Monday 10/2/13. first it was 7/2/13 then 8/2/13 then 9/2/13. On monday it will still be crook as there is no one working on it.Now people who call us get diverted to my mobile at Telstra expence, that don’t help us we have to pay mobile rates for local calls even 1300 numbers. We used to have a good service once now we are no longer important to Telstra, I do not want to complain to the Ombudsman, but its getting that way, perhaps Mr Peter Jamieson the Excetive Director of Telstra customer non services would like to ring me.
Hi there Kevin,
This doesn’t sound good – my sincere apologies. Can I grab some more details off you so that we can get someone to call you and get it sorted ASAP? If possible, would you please be able to fill out this webform: http://www.telstra.com/24x7help
Thanks.
It seems that my woes with Telstra is increasing with one unresolved issue for 14 weeks as I have been informed after two mails that my case Manager is not in until next week. Good on me that I have sent the reminder only then to be told that nothing will happen in next week. While overseas and took time to chat on line about the International Calling Pack and have taken details and mentioned that I wish to take up the offer as soon I am back home ( I have a PDF copy of the chat) On return I called Telstra to subscribe me to the international calling pack. Shock was waiting for me to be told that my plan does not qualify me for the subscription. What? The offer is available to does who are willing to pay .50c flat for local calls, .50c for connection fee another .50c per minute for call to mobiles and national calls. Oh yeah, I will make a saving of $10.00 /month if I agree to the plan. How deceiving and manipulative offer is given to customer. I need an clarification as why this basic criteria was not mentioned to me and why this deception. As Telstra is been deceptive and did not care about a customer I might need to go some one where I can request for an explanation. Can anyone in the community give me a hint where should I go to have my problem resolved.
Hi there Nasim,
We have dedicated customer support team who will be able to chat to you about the International Calling Pack and talk you through your other options while overseas. The best way to access that support in an efficient manner is to use the links above and connect with us on Facebook or CrowdSupport. You can also contact our support team 24×7 on Twitter @Telstra.
I would like to know, why every day after 5 PM my ADSL speed drops to just over dial up speed. I had to go back to ADSL from adsl 2 as I was getting even slower line speeds all the time. Now Saturday and Sundays it is around 1mbps, I do think Telstra is doing a bad job for us costumers. That is not what I am paying for.
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
This doesn’t sound good :S have you tried chatting to our dedicated 24×7 online customer service team via Live Chat: http://tinyurl.com/24×7-service ? They’ll be able to look up any faults etc in your area and talk you through the usage details of your plan. Also the Bigpond Tech Support is a handy number to have, you can catch them on 133 933
Thanks
Just wondering if it is still free to call all if the telstra numbers for free off a telstra mobile, no matter what plan??
Hi Catherine,
Yes it is
If you call from a Telstra mobile, in Australia, to any of the general enquiry numbers (listed above) it is free, no matter what plan.
Oh My Goooooooooood, this is so far beyond frustrations I ever came across in mt 46 years! What is going on with this company Telstra? (is this perhaps your shares cannot go upwards?)
We’ve been your customers for years, we pay you cash. I am not going into THE DETAILS here and now as to why I’m writing this. In so VERY SHORT: we initially ordered another service, Cable Broadband on the 12th of February. Today is 8th of March, two serviceman came here to put the modem in place, poor guys they can do only so much. It cannot be activated at the Bigpond Server from here, only manually by YOUR people. TODAY, after so many tiring phone calls I had to give you in days, I was told I have to wait 3-5 working days for the TT team to manually activate your modem. So the day 1 will be next Monday the 11th of February. How acceptable is this!??? Why didn’t they start the count-down e.g. last Monday?
So I ask you here and now, to respond with some INTELIGENT action PLEEEEEEEEEEESE, and to everyone else that reads this, HOW MUCH does it cost a customer’s LIFE to really connect to your server (and then perhaps download a bigpond movie or two movies and kids can study with their own Internet.)
Do you know what and/or how long it takes to connect to a real fast internet in Europe. We pay you your earnings. how do you want your shares to go up, like this?!
Please bring back customer service to Australia. We have waited 7 weeks to get ADSL on at home and dozen’s of calls to the customer service with no resolution. Each time I have to explain the whole problem to a different person. The language barrier and the distance is a huge problem, let alone the time wasted waiting on the line. How can someone so far away and in a completely different country and time zone and with a limited understanding of english resolve your problem efficiently. I am generally a patient person but this is ridiculous. We will be forced to take our business elsewhere.
It’s quite simple, Allison. They DON’T care. Hence you will continue to get the runaround, until you either bring in the TIO or take your business elsewhere. If you are recommended to take your problem to the Telstra 24/7 Help forum, they are giving you electronic lip service. I won’t say anymore. I’ve been sanctioned too often on here.
To any one who cares to read,
Unfortunately I am a customer of Telstra, I am originally from the UK and I have lived though out the world, I have had numerous contracts with numerous different telephone/internet providers and I am honestly quite shocked at the service provided by telstra. My brother is a senior enterprise architect for 3 Hutchinson, a large provider in the UK which also operates here, he deals with the strategy of the company. I have discussed at length with him the frustrations with Telstra, the bottom line appears to be from a professional perspective, Telstra really don’t want to provide a good service to their customers, it is not in their interest. why would they want to spend 10′s of millions of dollars admitting their shortcomings when there is no competition. it is their interest to fob us off and do the bear minimum as we really have no option.
i have been trying to make a complaint about my streaming speed which has drastically dropped recently for the last 2 weeks, i keep getting promised, again and again by overseas call centers that some one locally, in Australia, will call back tomorrow.. two weeks the same conversation.. you reckon Ive received a call…? no, i have calculated conservatively, between my own hand phone, home services and work hand phone, my wife and I must have spent over 24 hours on the line to Telstra in the last year.. is this really acceptable..? so why do we take it..its an absolute shame and an embarressment to Australians.. the government should do something.. its a disgrace..
Hi Lee,
This is really disappointing to read. We are focused on our customers and over the past few years Telstra has been working hard to improve our customer service and make sure the customer is at the centre of everything we do. We are trying, but as your comment shows, we don’t get it right all the time.
Can I ask that you lodge a formal complaint so that I can get this looked at ASAP? As mentioned in this blog post, you can do this via this site: http://www.telstra.com.au/help/contact/complaints/
Gigi – the customer IS at the centre of everything you do. The centre of the complaints, at least. But how about we take a vote amongst those commenting on here, on just how often you DO get it right?
I hope Lee gets some level of satisfaction, before the ubiquitous freezing over of hell.
To anyone who cares to read.
I have been a customer for more that thirty years and a fifth generation Australian. While nothing on this Earth is perfect, and everything could, and must be subjected to continuous improvement, I do find some critical comment on this Site rather suspicious considering the lengths Telstra opponents go in an effort to disparage Telstra and cause Telstra harm for their own advantage. Is there a check, Gigi, on those who make complaint to ensure that the complaint is genuine?
Hi there Sydney, thanks for the feedback
We hope that every complaint is genuine (although we are obviously hoping that our customers would have no reason to complain) and our complaints team take every complaint seriously so investigate the root cause and solution. If the complaint is not legitimate then it would be discovered in the initial investigation.
Hi there, i can guarentee that my comment is based on my own experiences of telstar as a domestic customer in Adelaide, I am in no way plugging another tel company.
I will add that since my last comment I tried one last time to speak to someone who cared and discussed at length the issues i have had will a lass named Charlie.. to her credit she was fantastic and honestly seemed to give a damn and done her best to placate my frustrations. She has sent a new modem and credited me $200 off my bill.. for now the problem still exists.. i will install the new modem when it arives.. i don’t need the money credited i would rather have the use of my service as promised by telstra..we will see.
I am still totally in awe at the complete disregard for customers telstra has and believe wholly that it is a deliberate business strategy and a way of minimising their costs and maximuiseing their profits
really, Sydney Lawrence? being a customer of said company for a long time means diddly squat once something happens to you. Last problem I had with Telstra was when i did a sim swap. They for some reason changed the sim of my prepaid broadband instead of the post pay number. Had to high tail it upto the corporate owned store in Perth to get it fixed as the phone support was hopeless (oh by the way i could understand the phone support perfectly). be nice if Telstra sent me a free ruler or pen
oh well just have to buy one.
I have been trying to get a home phone line connected for months now with no luck, Made an appointment with telstra to get in connected, the telstra serviceman came out weeks later and left five minutes later having not done anything saying he had another urgent matter to attend to. He then called me at 4.50pm and said that the connection I need was a difficult job and he didnt feel like doing it so he would get someone else to do it!!I had to call everyday for week to get another appointment for another months time… What a joke… Still no home phone and internet connection!!! Using prepaids is VERY Expensive….
Hi Rado,
This is really disappointing to read – my apologies. I have just sent this to our customer service team who have reassigned a case manager to look at this ASAP.
Gigi
Why does this problem have to be re-assigned????? What happened to the first assignment????? It may not be my issue, but if the numbnut who was supposed to be looking after Rado is fortunate enough to deal with me, what do you expect the outcome will be? I sincerely hope Telstra if preening out the non-performing deadwood amongst its so-called customer service team. But then, if that were to happen, who would do the work?????
Hi Gigi,
Thank you for your reply. But nothing helped. Another 8 days passed since this post. In 9 days it will be 2 months and the new Cable Broadband purchase DOES NOT function.
We don’t know what is going on because it feels now like we’re being raped by this company (my apology for the expression, it’s hard to find more appropriate one.) Why were we told that many times it is going to be fixed, or that the case is escalated, leave the modem in power, etc., etc. You can hear that if you listened to conversations of the tel. support we were serviced with – would you like to have all the Ref. ID’s from the support?
Telstra sent us today new bill for ~ $388 and we pay also for the non-functioning cable broadband (before we actually purchased the new additions we used to pay ~140/mth.)
Our client acc. ID is: 2000 11156 2359
There is nowhere else we could scream for friendly help. We plan to take this further simply because it’s too much.
Thank you again Gigi.
Hi Rado,
My apologies, it is so disappointing to read posts like this
I’ve sent this to our complaints team to check on the progress of this.
Re my earlier complaint about our land line being down, it actually took 3 weeks to get fixed I had to call and waste time talking to eight different people at telstra, most were a waste of time and did not know what they, or I was talking about. These people at least were helpful First contact Aliene or some one overseas {ever notice how they mumble their name so you can’t get it} Lineman Brad,Who located the fault in the main cable the next day and put in a order for repair,Deb from Newcastle who rang me three times to try to sort it out, but had been given wrong by someone information that the line was fixed, She even rang back when she said she would, Kylie tried to help Massa was OK. made a credit,James rang back he was ok!Relaldo and Rachael were wasted space.
When Telstra finally got some contractors to open the road and put in new cable the job took TWO DAYS! yet the phone was out for THREE WEEKS!
Now Gigi or someone will write the official answer that” this is unacceptable” and apologise and suggest that such and such web complaint form be filled out. More wasted space.
Telstra should note.not all the customers are dumb enough to feed bull to, Some know what a main cable is, also main pairs “o”pairs and some can even tell when the fault is foreign battery or short circuit and loss between or open circuit!
To those poor soles out there who change company to get away from the terrible Telstra you should know that Telstra still owns the exchanges and cables, there is no escape!
Once again there is no voice service with my telsta line. Adsl is working fine, but not unable to connect to phone/voice service. This is a regular occurrence that happens every few months. The problem always seems to be bandaided until I call and complain and the next tech comes out and bandaids again. Yes I have done the isolation test etc, etc. I am tired of calling Telstra faults and getting an operator who barely speaks English asking me to run the isolation test, only then to realise that there is a problem.
What a joke Telstra have become. Would be better to ditch the service and just go with my Vodafone mobile.
Guess I will be spending 30 minutes of my life tomorrow on a call to India trying to get this sorted! (30 minutes of my life that I won’t get back again)
Hi Brendan,
I have had issues with my phone line for over a month now.
There is a business phone line at my house and I wanted a personal line put in. I paid for the technician to come out and then I wanted my ADSL service transferred from the business line to the personal line.
I have made dozens of calls to the tech support who told me for the first few times there is nothing wrong with the line. I tried to call again last night and the tech support told me my line is not even connected!
The second line I have had connected does not even work and I am paying for this service every single month.
I have lodged several complaints using the online compaint form and have had absolutely no response aside from the automated email.
I have now been keeping a detailed diary of each time I call Telstra as I will be forced to escalate this if this is not resolved.
Can you please email me on my address supplied so that Telstra can resolve this issue.
Regards
Glen
Hi Glen,
I’m sorry you’re having such a frustrating time with this. Can I ask you to fill out this webform so I can get the customer service team to get in contact with you directly? http://www.telstra.com/24x7help
Cheers
Az
Hey Glen…..I’m sorry to hear about your issues as well. But as I don’t have a vested interested in your issue, I can comment without prejudice. My suggestion?? Take all your information and go to the TIO anyway, and see how long it takes Telstra to extract their collective digit.
I wish you well.
My phone has been”no service” for 6 days. I can get no further than Manila telling me that it will be fixed within 2 weeks. I worked for Telstra, Telecom aus and P.M.G. for 20 years the majority of that time was spent in Fault Dispatch Control on fault repair and analysis. Had I told a custome that I would be round to fix a no service fault in 2 weeks it would have reached the news papers. Now I have a faceless call center telling me “I am so you will be fixed within 2 weeks” na na…… na na na.
Optus as soon as I have service. Telecom is now a bad joke in very poor overseas taste.
Hi Bill,
Sorry to hear of your recent experience with us. If you like you can chat with our 24×7 team online, they can look into the issue for you. http://tinyurl.com/24×7-service
I rang Telstra regarding my bill on 7 May 2010. The query was answered and the operator asked me if there is anything she can help me with. I inquired about the overseas package, the operator wanted to know the countries I may be calling. First I wanted to check if my plan allows me to have the overseas call package, as previously I was told that my call plan does not allow Telstra to offer the overseas call package. I have thrice asked if I am eligible for the plan, she responded in affirmative. Then she wanted to check with a Supervisor and came back to me and I requested that my phone be connected to the plan. Again I was put on hold to be told that she is working on it, in the meantime 28 minutes has
elapsed and I requested that if it is possible to call me back and inform me of the progress of the connection and also provide me a reference number. I was assured that I can expect a call within an hour or so. Today at 2310 hrs 9/05/13 I am yet to get a call. I need to know if the overseas call plan has been added or not?. Thanks
Hi Nasim,
I’m sorry that changing your plan has been a bit of a process for you! If you still haven’t heard back from us, you could have a chat to our 24/7 Live Chat team and they’ll be able to advise on your account.
Az
My 3G modem stopped working so a new 4G modem was despatched quickly to me. How simple was that . However when I recieved my next bill I found that i have been billed for two services – the old modem and the new. A simple phone call should sort that out – michael was very helpful and sorted the problem out very quickly. But when i attempted to access my e -mail guess what – my internet service was disconnected . Now after over one hour on the phone – being disconnected twice – i am back online. If only there was an alternative to telstra but unfortunately the opposition is just as bad.
hi im andrew i am sick off this you cant even get my
T bundle bill right so i web chat with a telstra person & all thay can say is let me look into your bill & thay come back & say the same thing over & over i want this delt with NOW
THEN I HAVE THE PERSON THAT IM LIVE CHATTING WITH HANG UP ON ME HOW RUDE I WANT IT RIGHT NOW YOU ARE A VERY LARGE COMPANY & YOU STILL CAN GET IT RIGHT & HOW ABOUT KEEPING JOBS IN AUSTRALIA OR AT LEAST GET PEOPLE WHO CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS NOT BE RUDE & HANG UP ON ME.
Hi Andrew, can appreciate your frustration here. Can I get you to fill out this webform so I can grab some contact details off you and get someone to get in contact with you? http://www.telstra.com/24x7help
Thanks.
HORRIFIC EXPEREINCE WITH TELSTRA CHAT LINE: Please see my post on 10 May. No no one from Telstra ever calls you to resolve issues with you. I was asked to chat to to the online chat team. It is a long conversation and the outcome is nil. I have repeatedly asked if my plan is eligible for the international pack, so I was transferred to another section, my first line of inquiry if I am eligible for the international pack, not sure what the Officer checked and I was informed it is possible and them within seconds refused as I was advised that I pay another $40 more to be eligible, not a good proposition that Telstra will slug me with more and obviously that was not in my mind. Then the message came “that I refused a service” I promptly not to use any negative terms about my choice then comes the word “declined the service”. I said my question was my eligibility of about the pack not hiking the price. it seems the Officer at the other end was in rage with me (I have a full transcript of the conversation). Maybe, telstra needs a lot of improvement in this area of customer complain handling process or else we may need to escalate this to telstra’s dispute resolution team.
Hi Nasim, this isn’t good to read
I’ll pass it on to the both the Live Chat team and our complaints department.