Annual Report 2003

5497_TIO_AR_Text_print2.qxd 20/10/03 5:05 PM Page 1 2 Complaints at a Glance Directories 39 Disability Services 39 6 Statement from the Claiming Compensation Board Chairman for Business Loss 40 8 Statement from the Disconnection 40 Council Chairman Faults 40 Land Access 41 10 Ombudsman’s Overview Payphones 41 12 Operations – Administration Phone Cards 41 Funding 12 Priority Assistance 42 Governance 13 Porting 42 Review of the TIO 14 Privacy 42 TIO Administration 15 Provision 43 Public Affairs 15 44 Mobile Service Organisational Chart 16 Investigation Issues Disability Action Plan 17 Overview 44 Member Services 18 Billing 45 20 Operations – Contracts 47 Complaint Handling Credit Control 48 Jurisdiction 20 Customer Service 48 TIO Policies and Procedures Directories 48 and Position Statements 22 Disability Services 48 Systemic Complaints Procedure 22 Disconnection 49 Relationship with Industry and Faults 49 Government Agencies 23 Porting 50 Industry Codes 24 Privacy 51 Reports to Members 24 Provision 51 Quality Assurance and Staff Training 24 52 Internet Service Complainant Satisfaction Investigation Issues Survey 25 Overview 52 Billing 53 26 Complaint Handling Performance Contracts 53 Definitions 26 Broadband 54 Enquiries 26 Credit Control 55 Resolving Complaints 27 Customer Service 55 Deciding What is Fair Acceptable Use Policies 56 and Reasonable 27 Disconnection 56 Determinations 28 Faults 57 Classifying Complaints 28 Privacy 59 Complaint Handling Provision 59 Performance 28 60 Systemic Issues Investigations 32 Landline Service Investigation Issues 63 Code Breach Statistics Overview 32 67 Complainant Statistics Billing 33 70 Member Complaint Statistics Contracts 36 Credit Control 37 74 Glossary Customer Service 37 76 TIO Member List Customer Service Guarantee 37 Customer Transfer 38 83 Financial Report 5497_TIO_AR_Text_print2.qxd 20/10/03 5:05 PM Page 2 Complaints at a Glance The TIO handled a total of 72,771 contacts in 2002/03 – a 15.3% decrease on last year’s total of 85,927. Total contacts included 17,256 out of jurisdiction enquiries and 55,515 complaints. The 55,515 complaints investigated in 2002/03 was 10.9% less than the 62,275 complaints investigated last year. A single complaint may contain more than one complaint issue. In 2002/03 the TIO recorded 62,670 complaint issues, down from 70,234 last year. 60.2% of complaints handled by the TIO were about landline services, 26.3% were about mobile services and 13.5% were about Internet services. 88.6% of complaints were resolved at Level 1, compared to 91% last year. 54.9% of complaints were resolved partially or substantially in favour of the complainant, 24.1% were resolved partially or substantially in favour of the member. 2 5497_TIO_AR_Text_print2.qxd 20/10/03 5:05 PM Page 3 TOTAL NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES, COMPLAINTS AND COMPLAINT ISSUES 2002/03 (NUMBER) 80,000 72,771 70,000 62,670 60,000 55,515 50,000 40,000 30,000 ,256 20,000 17 10,000 0 Issues Contacts Enquiries Complaints Where did they come from? TOTAL COMPLAINTS SINCE 1998/99 (NUMBER) 92.3% of complaints were made by residential consumers, 80,000 72,264 6.8% were made by small businesses, and 0.9% were made 70,000 62,275 55,515 54,400 by government bodies or charities. 60,000 54,136 50000 56% of complainants were men. 40,000 30,000 90.9% of complaints were lodged by telephone, 20,000 4.5% were lodged by email, 3.1% were submitted 10,000 in writing and 1.3% were sent via fax. 0 998/99 999/00 1 1 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 Our Members The TIO has 910 members, down from 963 last year. TOTAL ISSUES SINCE 1998/99 (NUMBER) 231 new members joined the TIO Scheme 100,000 in 2002/03 and 284 members departed. 80,000 80,710 70,234 62,670 The vast majority of these, 86%, paid nothing to the 60,796 60,000 56,275 TIO during 2002/03. Only 127 members (14%) were charged for complaints. 40,000 20,000 Areas of concern 0 998/99 999/00 1 1 2000/01 2001/02 Landline Credit Control complaints increased by 82% 2002/03 in 2002/03, from 2,374 in 2001/02 to 4,317 in 2002/03. The TIO received 354 complaints about the unavailability TOTAL CONTACTS SINCE 1998/99 (NUMBER) of landline services due to the existence of an ANT 1 box or Pair Gain. 98,853 100,000 Internet dumping complaints increased by 175% 85,927 80,000 72,771 67,761 from 1,271 in 2001/02 to 3,496 in 2002/03. 64,394 60,000 Mobile Credit Control complaints increased by 48.7%, 40,000 from 1,597 in 2001/02 to 2,374 in 2002/03. 20,000 0 998/99 999/00 1 1 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Annual Report ‘03 3 5497_TIO_AR_Text_print2.qxd 20/10/03 5:05 PM Page 4 Areas of COMPLAINT BREAKDOWN (PERCENTAGE) COMPLAINT OUTCOMES (PERCENTAGE) 80% 40% Improvement 36.9 70 35 60.2 Complaints to the TIO 60 57.4 30 50 25 decreased by 10.9% 21.0 20.1 8.0 40 20 1 29.1 in 2002/03. 26.3 30 15 20 3.5 3.5 10 1 1 The TIO recorded a reduction 10 5 4.0 in faults complaints in the 0 0 Internet and landline Neutral 2002/03 2002/03 2002/03 of member categories – down from of member tially in favour tially in favour of complainant of complainant Mobile 2001/02 r r Internet 2001/02 Landline 2001/02 2,384 in 2001/02 to 1,775 Pa Pa Substantially in favour in 2002/03 in the Internet Substantially in favour category; and down from 3,508 in 2001/02 to 3,022 COMPLAINT MIX (PERCENTAGE) COMPLAINANT TYPE (PERCENTAGE) in 2002/03 in the landline C D A B BC category. Mobile billing complaints reduced in 2002/03 to 4,797 complaints from 7,047 complaints recorded A in 2001/02. This reduction D was offset by the removal ALevel 1 88.6 A Small Business 6.8 of 960 early terminations BLevel 2 8.6 B Charity 0.2 CLevel 3 2.7 CGovernment 0.7 fee complaints in 2002/03. DLevel 4 0.1 DResidential 92.3 Mobile contracts complaints decreased from 5,168 in 2001/02 to 4,164 in 2002/03. 4 5497_TIO_AR_Text_print2.qxd 20/10/035:05PMPage5 40% L Complaint IssuesataGlance Complaint ANDLINE ISSUES MOBILEISSUES INTERNETISSUES 20 25 30 35 15 10 0 5 Billing Contracts 602 / 1.6% 14,519 / 39.0% Credit Control 4,317 / 11.6% Customer Service 5,381 / 14.5% Customer Transfer 3,287 / 8.8% Directories 853 / 2.3% Disability Services 25 / 0.1% Disconnection 700 / 1.9% Faults 3,022 / 8.1% Land Access 546 / 1.5% Payphones 42 / 0.1% Phone Card 133 / 0.4% Porting 72 / 0.2% Privacy 1,003 / 2.7% Provision 2,704 / 7.3% 30% 20 25 15 10 0 5 4,797 / 28.6% Billing Contracts 4,164 / 24.8% Credit Control 2,374 / 14.2% Customer Service 2,607 / 15.5% Directories 40 / 0.2% Disability Services 3 / 0.0% Disconnection 210 / 1.3% Faults 2,051 / 12.2% Land Access 4 / 0.0% Porting 180 / 1.1% Privacy 244 / 1.5% Provision 99 / 0.6% T elecommunications Industry Ombudsman 40% 20 25 30 35 15 10 0 5 Billing Contracts 746 / 8.6% 3,347 / 38.5% Credit Control 232 / 2.7% Customer Service 1,744 / 20.1% Disability Services 2 / 0.0% Annual Report ‘03 Disconnection 266 / 3.1% Faults 1,775 / 20.4% Privacy 60 / 0.7% Provision 519 / 6.0% 5 5497_TIO_AR_Text_print2.qxd 20/10/03 5:05 PM Page 6 Statement by Chairman of the Board This has been a year of real progress at the TIO. 231 new members have joined the scheme The Board welcomed to its ranks Trevor The Board has focused its energies in the and 284 members have departed, with Hill from Telstra and Jane Harvey as the past year on establishing mechanisms to many of these latter members being new Independent Director. Departing the ensure the ongoing success of the TIO as removed from the register as a result of Board, with my good wishes, was Jane a business. a major review of membership revealing van Beelen of Telstra. It is my sad duty to The TIO returned a small surplus of $9,783 that these firms had ceased operation or also advise that Susan Holmes, who was for the year, entirely appropriate for a merged at some stage over the past few the Independent Director on the Board not-for-profit entity. years. I would like to welcome the new since 11 February 1999, passed away on members to our industry scheme and 20 September 2002. Susan made a major The financial reserve, which was initiated extend good wishes to those who have contribution to the TIO, particularly in the previous year, accumulated to moved on. through her skills in strategic planning, $355,000 by the close of the year. and displayed her courage by attending The reserve, when complete, will be There have been a small number of a Board Meeting only weeks before instrumental in protecting the TIO from changes to the Board during the year. her death. fluctuations in cash flow as a result of the demise of industry members. R Consumer & Compliance, Manager, Group Hill Mr Trevor Independent Director Ms Jane Harvey Regulatory,Director AAPT Ltd Havyatt Mr David Australiaimpaq CEO Mr Robert Manson egulatory Division, Telstra 6 5497_TIO_AR_Text_print2.qxd 20/10/03 5:05 PM Page 7 This in turn will protect members from Treasurer, the Board made these Lastly, I thank all members of the TIO for unforecast demands for funding, such changes which: their cooperation in the TIO Scheme and as special levies.

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