One in two customers in dispute with telcos

Telecommunications companies and ISPs are in the firing line again with new research showing that one in two customers has faced a problem with their phone or internet service provider in the last year.

The Australian Communications and Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) commissioned research by Galaxy which found that there are some 2.3 million people who are less than impressed at the way their complaint has been handled by their telco.

The most common complaints have to do with technical issues, customer service and the complaint handling process.

Most customers tried to resolve the complaint with the service provider with just a tiny four percent of cases making it to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).

“The 230,000 or so complaints that make it to the TIO each year represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the number of people with unresolved complaints,” said Elissa Freeman, ACCAN director of policy and campaigns in a statement.

ACCAN wants the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to introduce a complaints handling standard for the telco industry, as part of the major customer service inquiry, Reconnecting the Customer, which is currently underway in response to the increasing number of complaints to the TIO in recent years.

ACCAN has also released a tip sheet twhich details the steps to take to have phone or Internet complaints resolved. It also includes telco contact details for complaints departments.