Mixed Results in Latest Telecommunications National Customer Satisfaction Survey

Sydney, 20 January 2014 – The latest Telecommunications Customer Satisfaction Survey has produced mixed results, with incremental gains in some areas being offset by declines against several metrics, Communications Alliance CEO John Stanton revealed today.

The quarterly national survey, carried out for Communications Alliance by Roy Morgan Research, showed a small increase in the percentage of customers satisfied or very satisfied with the service they receive – up from 65% to 66% - but the same metric fell from 83% to 81% after including those customers who had a neutral view on overall service.

The survey, conducted during December 2013, is the fourth in an ongoing quarterly series designed to measure the overall experience of Australian telco customers – particularly in relation to key customer ‘touch points’ covered by the revised Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code.

The enforceable Code was created by Communications Alliance, industry representatives and other stakeholders, and registered by the industry regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) late in 2012.

Many service providers already deliver outstanding customer service and industry’s concerted improvement efforts, combined with the impact of the TCP Code, has already seen customer complaints to the industry ombudsman fall by more than 20%.

The latest survey showed continuing improvement in customers’ satisfaction with the ease of contacting their telecommunications provider (78% of respondents satisfied/neutral, up from 77% in the previous quarter and up from 69% in the first wave survey).

Satisfaction with the ease of understanding information on telecommunications bills fell slightly (85% satisfied/neutral, down from 86% in the previous quarter, but up from 82% in the first wave).

Satisfaction with the complaint handling fell (64% satisfied/neutral, down from 72% in the previous quarter and compared with 66% in the first wave). Mr Stanton said Communications Alliance would monitor this metric closely and investigate whether any external factors such as service disruptions or seasonal effects had influenced the result. 

Results were steady for the other touch-points, relating to:

• satisfaction with the information received about products purchased; and
• awareness of spend management tools.

The full survey results are available here

ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE

Communications Alliance is the primary telecommunications 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, search engines, equipment vendors, IT companies, consultants and business groups.

Its vision is to provide a unified voice for the telecommunications industry and to lead it into the next generation of converging networks, technologies and services. The prime mission of Communications Alliance is to promote the growth of the Australian communications industry and the protection of consumer interests by fostering the highest standards of business ethics and behaviour through industry self-governance. For more details about Communications Alliance, see www.commsalliance.com.au.

Media information contact:

Kreab Gavin Anderson
Lucy Chamberlain lchamberlain@kreabgavinanderson.com 0402 106 613