TELCO CUSTOMER COMPLAINT NUMBERS REMAIN LOW
Sydney, 7 February 2024: Australia’s telcos continue to achieve very low complaint rate numbers from customers, despite continued cost-of-living pressures having contributed to increased complaints in other industry sectors.
According to the latest Communications Alliance Complaints-in-Context Report, there was one TIO complaint for every 3,226 services in operation (SIO) on the networks of participating communications providers in the October to December 2023 quarter – or 3.1 complaints per 10,000 services.
Welcoming the results, Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton, said:
“The sustained low level of complaints is testimony to telcos’ efforts to compete on customer service, reliability and value.
“It is particularly pleasing to see the industry maintain low complaint levels given the significant rise in complaints in a number of other industry sectors.”
The Complaints in Context Report was introduced in the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code 2019 to increase transparency and competition in the areas of customer service by providing meaningful, comparable, and public complaints data. It details the complaints received by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) per 10,000 SIO, creating an index that allows comparison of the customer service and complaint handing performance of different service providers, regardless of their size.
It is mandatory for the 10 telco providers identified by the TIO as having the largest (absolute) number of phone and internet complaints in the previous financial year to participate in reporting. Telcos may also participate voluntarily.
The TCP Code – which is mandatory and enforceable – is currently under review. As part of the review, consideration is being given to other reporting metrics that can, like the complaints-in-context reporting, contribute to better consumer outcomes.
More information about complaints-in-context reporting is available here.
A copy of the TCP Code can be found here. Details of the review and revision process are available here.
Communications Alliance encourages any RSP interested in joining the index to contact it (email: info@commsalliance.com.au).
ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE
Communications Alliance is the primary communications industry body in Australia. Its membership is drawn from a wide cross-section of the communications industry, including carriers, carriage and internet service providers, content providers, platform providers, equipment vendors, IT companies, consultants and business groups.
Its vision is to be the most influential association in Australian communications, co-operatively initiating programs that promote sustainable industry development, innovation and growth, while generating positive outcomes for customers and society.
The prime mission of Communications Alliance is to create a co-operative stakeholder environment that allows the industry to take the lead on initiatives which grow the Australian communications industry, enhance the connectivity of all Australians and foster the highest standards of business behaviour. For more details about Communications Alliance, see www.commsalliance.com.au.
Media information contact:
Sefiani
Aprille Lim alim@sefiani.com.au
0413 317 788