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Telstra announces changes to save customers money

TELSTRA has begun swinging the axe through its mobile phone plans in mass changes that will save customers money.

Telstra insists customer service will not be affected by job cuts

TELSTRA has begun swinging the axe through its mobile phone plans in mass changes that will save customers money.

Excess data fees are the first target of the telco giant after it today revealed customers could kiss goodbye being slugged by additional data fees in Australia.

And in another win customers will be able to eventually add on different features to their plans to give them more flexibility.

These significant changes are part of the telco giant’s T22 strategy to deliver simpler and more flexible products.

Chewing excess data has long been a bugbear of customers who are hit with hefty costs if they go over their monthly limits.

The new “Peace of Mind data” features in some plans including the telcos’s $69 and $89 Mobile BYO packs.

Or alternatively it can be added at a cost of $10 per month.

Customers can also opt to pay $10 per 1GB for extra data.

Other changes include:

— A $199 Ultimate plan allowing users to chew as much data as they like at the fastest speeds.

— Revamp of stores nationwide to speed up customer waiting times.

Telstra recently came under fire for prompting “unlimited” data plans because speeds slowed once a certain amount was chewed by the customers.

Telstra also revealed it would be slashing the number of core plans from 1800 in circulation to just 20.

Under the new changes Telstra’s group executive of consumer and small business, Vicki Brady, said customers will be given more flexibility.

And she said customers will be rewarded if they sign up to multiple deals with the telco.

“There will be more incentives for customers to have more of their services with Telstra — and the more services a customer has with us, the more value they will receive,’’ Ms Brady said in a statement on Telstra’s website.

Under the new advancements of technology instore Telstra predicts customer queries will fall by around a third within two years.

Just this week new results from the Australian Consumer Action Network revealed the nation’s two biggest telcos — Telstra and Optus — were less popular than their rivals, many of whom offer cheaper deals.

And frustrated telco customers are complaining in droves — latest Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman showed there was a record 158,016 complaints in 2017.

sophie.elsworth@news.com.au

@sophieelsworth

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/companies/telstra-announces-changes-to-save-customers-money/news-story/38169283feb6c36d537b0630641a2660