Fewer consumers angry about telcos, but some issues still smart

Tens of thousands of complaints reached the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in 2021-22. Here’s what upsets consumers the most.

Consumers are complaining less about their phone and internet services, but grievances about poor mobile coverage are rising.

Almost 80,000 complaints were made to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in the year to June 30, according to the TIO’s annual report published Wednesday.

It was a 33 per cent drop compared with the previous financial year, and the report says more than 86 per cent of complaints were from residential customers, with mobile phone services the most complained-about issue.

“The TIO has seen complaints go up and down over the years, but this is the largest reduction we have seen,” TIO chairman Michael Lavarch says in the report.

Complaints about poor mobile coverage rose more than 6 per cent – the only category that failed to improve.

Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said this reflected the rising importance of mobile phones in Australians’ lives and the disruptions to their lives that problems caused.

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert says telcos can do more to help.

“Increasingly people see mobile services as essential for banking, shopping, and accessing health and government services, and there’s an expectation that it’s going to work when you need it,” Ms Gebert said.

“When that expectation’s not met, people complain.”

Ms Gebert said many consumers did not realise they could call the free and independent Ombudsman service on 1800 062 058 to help them in disputes with telcos.

Of the 79,534 complaints made to the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman in 2021-22, 35,678 were about no or delayed action by a service provider – 45 per cent of all complaints.

Service and equipment fees were second, at 23,169, followed by no phone or internet services on 10,265.

Ms Gebert said as the pandemic cooled down, fewer premises were connected to the NBN, industry improvements were made and internet complaints fell significantly.

Complaints to the TIO have more than halved in four years, after climbing above 167,000 during the peak of the NBN rollout in 2017-18.

“It’s fantastic to see that the industry is really looking to drive improvements in the services that they are providing to customers,” Ms Gebert said.

“The opportunity is still there for telcos to do more to resolve complaints before they come to us,” she said.

“The vast majority of consumers give their providers an opportunity to resolve their complaint before they come to us.

“We are concerned that people don’t know that they are allowed to complain.”

Telecommunications complaints have dropped sharply since the peak of the NBN rollout.

PHONE FURY

Top 10 issues for complaints 2021-22

No or delayed action by provider: 35,678 complaints

Service and equipment fees: 23,169

No phone or internet service: 10,265

Intermittent service or dropouts: 8,839

Resolution agreed but not met: 7,467

Delay establishing a service: 7,358

Slow data speed: 5,667

Poor mobile coverage: 4,275

Failure to cancel a service: 4,273

Inadequate fault testing: 3,655

Source: Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman annual report