reconnect the customer summit
TRANSCRIPT
Telecommunications consumer experiences researchLesley OsborneManager, Digital Society Policy and Research
Telecommunications customer research
> Telecommunications customer service experiences and associated behaviours
> 3G mobile bill-payers’ understanding of billing and charging arrangements
> Informed consent
Potential problem areas for customers explored in the research
> Contract understanding> Understanding of charging and billing
arrangements> Including unexpected high bills
> Customer service experience> Complaints-handling process
Contract understanding> Consent versus informed consent> Extent to which customers read their contract:
Base: 3G mobile bill payers from fixed-line HH n= 949.Source: B8a. At the time of purchasing your current mobile phone plan, to what extent did you read the contract?
Contract understanding –3G mobile customers
13%
20%
11%
8%
Chargingarrangements
Language/jargon
Inclusions/exclusions
Consequences ofexceeding cap limit
Base: Fixed-line HH n= 949, non-fixed-line HH n= 120.Source: B8c. What aspects of the contract were the most difficult to understand?
Understanding of charging arrangements – 3G mobile customers
> Three quarters were confident in their understanding of plan inclusions (calls and SMS)
> Just over half were confident in their understanding of excess call charges
> Of 3G feature users, half were confident in their understanding of excess data charges
Unexpectedly high bills – 3G mobile customers> Half of 3G post-paid bill payers have experienced bill shock> 44% of 3G prepaid bill payers have experience credit running
out faster than expected
Base: Fixed-line household bill-payers n=482. Main reasons only shown (>10%).Source: D1c. And where did you exceed your usual usage?
ACMA recommendations 1,2 & 4
1. Clearer pricing information in advertisements
2. Better information about plans (improved product disclosure)
4. Tools to monitor usage and expenditure
Customer service experience> Four in ten customers were neutral or dissatisfied
with recent customer service
Base: Contacted CSP in last six months n=1,420; other reasons omitted.Q21. On how many occasions did you contact your service provider about this issue?
Average number of contacts with CSP, per reason for contact
Total average (3.1)
Drivers of customer satisfaction - telephone
2
21
21
1
13
2
0
5
13
6
5
2
9
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Not having any language barriersThe extent staff did what they said they would do
Being able to resolve the issue in a reasonable timeStaff giving the correct information
Staff being interested in helping meStaff being familiar with my personal account details
Staff being friendly or courteousStaff having the authority to deal with my issue
Staff being knowledgeable to deal with my issueBeing able to communicate easily with staff
Being able to speak to a person if I wanted toBeing able to navigate easily through the voice prompt menu
The waiting time before speaking to a customer service representativeEase of finding providers' contact details
%Base: Contacted CSP in last six months by telephone n=1,295
Opportunity analysis - telephone
Ease of finding providers'
contact details
The waiting time before speaking to a customer service representative
Being able to navigate easily through the
voice prompt menu
Being able to speak to a person if I wanted to
Being able to communicate easily with staff
Staff being knowledgeable to deal with my issue
Staff having the authority to deal with my issue
Staff being friendly or courteous
Staff being familiar with my personal account details
Staff being interested in helping me
Staff giving the correct information
Being able to resolve the issue in a reasonable time The extent staff did what they said
they would do
Not having any language barriers
0
5
10
15
20
25
4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8Satisfaction with CSP telephone customer service
(Performance)
Ke
y d
riv
ers
of
sa
tis
fac
tio
n o
f C
SP
te
lep
ho
ne
cu
sto
mer
se
rvic
e (
Imp
ort
an
ce
)
Focus areas Leverage strength
Monitor Maintain
Respondent comments – focus groups
[Respondent talking about average number of calls on an issue]: ‘Depends if you get cut off or not, by them [general agreement/laughter]. Often if they can’t deal with your problem, oh woops, you’re not on the phone anymore.’
(Alice Springs, female, 18–34, non-switcher, 7 October 2010.)
‘They say they can’t fix the problem, that’s the frustrating part, they put you on to somebody else … or onto someone then the line drops out … then somebody who is going to call you back doesn’t … by this stage you become so frustrated … you’re ready to bin it, put the phone through the wall, be rude’.
(Sydney, male, 51–60, switcher, 27 September 2010.)
Complaints-handling processOf those who had contacted a CSP in last six months:>Nearly half were not aware of CSPs complaints-handling policy>8% had dealt with the CSP’s internal complaints department
>Over half reported a positive outcome >However, overall satisfaction with dealing with the
CSPs internal complaints department was 4.8, on a sale of 1 to 10
External complaints> 11% of those who had contacted a CSP in the last six months had ever
lodged a complaint with the TIO
5
19
4
1
3
15
16
1
5
7
35
0 20 40 60 80 100
Can't say
Others
I didn't follow through with the process
Changed CSPs because issue wasn't resolved
TIO said there was nothing they could do
Nothing/ unresolved
TIO referred me to the CSP's resolution department
Took a long time to resolve
Was refunded
My issue was resolved
TIO facilitated a resolution—mediated
%
48% resolved
35% unresolved
Base: Contacted CSP in last six months and had lodged a complaint with TIO for any issue experienced n=161.Q42. What happened as a result of your complaint to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman?
ACMA recommendations 3, 5, 6
> Comparisons between providers on customer care performance
> Better complaints management> Changes to the Telecommunications Industry
Ombudsman Scheme
Thank you
Full research reports available at:
engage.acma.gov.au/reconnecting/research-studies
Questions?
Contact: [email protected]