Internet services overtake mobile as most complained about telcos revealed

The number of complaints about telcos may have dropped by more than 20 per cent, but there is one type of service we are constantly whining about.

Complaining about your telco is practically a national sport at this point, but new industry figures show we may be losing interest in doing so.

The number of complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) in the last financial year dropped by more than 20 per cent, but complaints for one type of service has emerged as the most dominant.

Internet services replaced mobile services as the most complained about in the last financial year, with more than 43,000 customers contacting the ombudsman with a complaint — nearly 120 a day.

The TIO received a total of 132,287 complaints, with a little over 85 per cent of them coming from residential customers.

Internet services complaints accounted for almost a third of all those lodged, with mobile services comprising another 30 per cent: more than 40,000.

Unsurprisingly, landline complaints were considerably lower at about 13 per cent.

The figures are revealed in the Ombudsman’s annual report released on Wednesday.

But while the number of complaints are falling, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Judi Jones said that was only one part of the story, because the complaints the Ombudsman does receive are getting harder and harder to solve.

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Judi Jones.

“The volume of complaints coming back to us unresolved shows an emerging picture of complexity in technical and small business issues,” Ms Jones said.

The TIO planned to address this with the formation of specialist teams to handle more technical escalated complaints, and by working closely with telcos to better understand why the issues weren’t being resolved.

Problems with a bill and receiving poor customer service were the most common complaints lodged, but Australians were beginning to expect more from their internet, wanting better quality and more reliable services.

“It’s how we live our lives, we expect to be connected all the time and we want good quality,” Ms Jones said.

“It’s very hard for most people to live their lives without being connected to the internet.”

Telstra remained the most complained about telco, accounting for more than half of all complaints escalated to the TIO.

A Telstra spokesperson said that there’d been a “significant drop” in complaints, just under 20 per cent, but conceded there was more to be done.

“We continue to focus on getting our customer experience right first time.”

More than a quarter of complaints from Telstra customers were related to services delivered over the national broadband network.

Across the top 10 most complained about service providers, who chalked up more than 122,000 complaints between them — or 92 per cent of the total amount — 31,744 complaints related to NBN services.

If complaints about NBN services were included in the list, they’d be second, slightly ahead of complaints about Optus.

“We continue to work closely with NBN Co to make the migration experience for customers as smooth as possible and to give them the best possible experience once they’ve made the move,” the Telstra spokesperson added.

TOP 10 MOST COMPLAINED ABOUT TELCOS

• Telstra

• Optus Group (includes Virgin)

• Vodafone

• iiNet

• TPG

• Dodo

• Southern Phone

• MyRepublic

• Primus Telecommunications

• M2 Commander

Telstra topped the list.

While Ms Jones said not all dissatisfied customers will end up going through with a complaint, it’s important consumers are continuously reminded to contact the Ombudsman if the telco can’t resolve it.

But even then, there’s no guarantee the problem will be fixed.

Townsville resident Kathy contacted the Ombudsman after receiving dropouts on her home phone.

She described the process of complaining to Telstra as a “constant nightmare”.

“I’ve given up arguing with them because it’s going nowhere,” Kathy said. “They’re not prepared to listen.”

She’s not the only one who feels like her complaints are being ignored either.

When a tree fell in the Sydney yard of his neighbour last week, Neil Ewins, 55, thought the resulting power outage was the reason his internet had gone out.

But when it didn’t return he contacted his provider Optus, to learn his service had been cut off.

Mr Ewins, of St Ives, had recently arranged for a new service to be set up in his name at the rental apartment of his 77-year-old father, and despite telling Optus he wasn’t moving house and didn’t want his existing service cut off, it was anyway.

Mr Ewins still remains without internet and has been told it won’t be restored until next month.

He said he’d spoken to “50 odd people” within Optus.

“I’ve been on hold for 40 minutes every phone call… the customer service is absolutely sh*t.”

Spending all that time on hold hasn’t even been the most frustrating part.

“I cannot get to speak to anyone in Australia, that’s what I’m so frustrated about,” Mr Ewins said. “You’re just talking to an operator overseas, they don’t really care.”

It looks like @Optus has lost a 20 year customer today. No one from their so called #escalation team could be arsed to get my issue sorted. Only been 6 days without service. The ombudsman will be busy for sure.

— Neil Ewins (@neilorange63) September 24, 2019

An Optus spokesperson said the telco had a number of contact centres in Australia and overseas and that customer queries are directed to different teams based on “their expertise and training”.

“Optus provides our customers with a range of platforms to communicate with us in the way which suits them whether or not that is in store, over the phone, or online chat.”

“We remain committed to providing positive experiences to all of our customers,” the spokesperson added.

But Mr Ewins said failing to keep customers happy would start costing telcos, and after 20 years with Optus he would be looking elsewhere.

“They’ve lost $100 a month off me.”

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