TELCO INDUSTRY HITS RECORD-LOW CUSTOMER COMPLAINT NUMBERS

Sydney, 10 August 2022 – The telecommunications industry has achieved new record-low complaint numbers during the sector’s latest reporting period.

Released today, the latest Communications Alliance quarterly Complaints-in-Context Report shows a continuation of the overall downward trend in complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), with the lowest ever all-participant average complaint rate.

The latest report, covering the April to June 2022 quarter, shows that, for participating organisations, there was an average of 3.9 complaints per 10,000 services in operation (SIO) – or one complaint to the TIO for every 2,564 services in operation. This result is less than half of some of the results generated in the early years of the scheme.

The Complaints in Context Report provides meaningful information about complaints recorded against individual providers by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), by creating an index that allows direct comparison of complaint numbers against individual telcos, regardless of their size.

Participation in the index 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, with voluntary participation also welcomed.

Commenting on the latest results, Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton, said,

“The decrease in complaint rates for most participants reflects the hard work by all of industry to improve customer service. Importantly, it also illustrates the effectiveness of the key provision of the Communication Alliance Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) Code.

“The TCP Code is one of the many telecommunications standards, codes and guidelines in Australia designed to protect telecommunication customers. Created by industry and enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), it is designed to ensure good service and fair outcomes for all Consumers of telecommunications services in Australia.

“The decision in 2019 to make it mandatory for identified telcos to participate in the quarterly complaints-in-context index was driven by a desire to increase transparency and competition in the areas of customer service and complaint handling performance.

“When it began, the average all participant number was rarely below 7. It has consistently been below 5 this year – and this quarter, for the first time, below 4.

“Although the index is not the only driver of improved service provider performance, it’s clear that it helps emphasise the fact that customer service excellence has become a key competitive battleground in the telco sector – to the benefit of consumers.”

More information about complaints-in-context reporting is available here. The TCP code can be found here.

Communications Alliance encourages any RSP interested in joining the index to contact it (email: info@commsalliance.com.au ).