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The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has revealed it reallocated employees from other areas of the agency to prepare for an anticipated deluge of complaints following Optus 2023 outage.
Revealed in its annual report for the 2023-24 financial year, the TIO said that the November 2023 outage reallocated its workforce to make sure all complaints that were received were processed and referred to Optus in a timely manner.
In addition, the agency actively monitored its call and email queues and had some call centre staff work overtime.
“Most complaints we received were from consumers seeking compensation for a range of harms, such as lost income from being unable to work, pay for food, bills and other essentials, study and contact family, friends and support services,” the report said.
“Small businesses also made claims for lost revenue as they were unable to operate their business.”
Aside from financial compensation, the agency also said consumers were looking for remedies like the reconnection of services, release from contracts without cost, information from Optus about how the outage occurred, when it would be resolved, and an apology.
Despite the reallocation of employees, the TIO said complaints and total contacts continued to fall, continuing the trend seen over the last four years. Complaints about providers compared to the financial year prior fell by 14.6 per cent, to 56,718.
“It’s pleasing to see overall complaints declining[. H]owever, the data shows that consumers remain frustrated by the same issues: poor customer service, delays in fixing problems, and service and equipment fees,” said Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert.
“Telecommunication services are essential. We rely on them for our health and wellbeing, access to government services, employment, and community connections. It’s critical that consumers receive timely assistance when issues arise.
“Telcos must ensure they meet consumers’ needs, offering flexibility and understanding, especially for those who are vulnerable or struggling.”
However, enquiries to the TIO rose by 22.6 per cent, to 32,384. Meanwhile, unresolved complaints fell from 13,131 in 2022-23 to 11,894 in 2023-24.
In addition to the Optus outage, the shutdown of 3G networks by Telstra, Optus and TPG was another trend in complaints.
The latter telco turned off its 3G network in January, while the two former businesses are set to switch theirs off later this month.
“While the full impact of the 3G network shutdown won’t be known until Telstra and Optus also switch off their 3G networks, the TIO has received complaints from consumers who are concerned about the shutdown of the 3G network,” the report added.
“Consumers raised concerns about access to triple zero, device compatibility issues, coverage issues and connectivity during natural disasters.”