Australians more satisfied with telcos, marginally

Complaint handling and ease of contact are two areas in which Australian consumers are slightly more impressed with the country’s telecommunication providers. This is according to a survey conducted for Communications Alliance.

The telecommunications industry body commissioned Roy Morgan Research to conduct the survey. It showed satisfaction increased marginally from 66 to 67 per cent of customers satisfied or very satisfied with their service. When the metric included customers who had a neutral view of their service, it rose from 81 to 83 per cent.

The survey took place during March 2014. It was the fifth in an ongoing quarterly series designed to measure the overall experience of Australian customers. The study focused particularly on key customer ‘touch points’ covered by the revised Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) code.

Collaboration between Communications Alliance, industry representatives and other stakeholders lead to the code’s creation. It was registered with the industry regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in late 2012.

Customer complaints to the telecommunications ombudsman fell by over 20 per cent to a six-year low. Communications Alliance attributed the drop to quality of service from providers, and the impact of the TCP code.

Ease of contact satisfaction rose by 16 per cent since the survey began. The latest figures were up to 80 per cent from 69 in the first round.

The survey also showed consumers were more satisfied with the way complaints were handled. Numbers in that sector rose to 70 per cent from 64 in the previous quarter. In the first run satisfaction was at 66 per cent.