Telstra Customer Service Fails

L[Deactivated] on 01/10/2015 - 15:46

About a month before our Internet contract with Telstra expired, my husband called them up to ask if they had a cheaper option for us. The interesting exchange started from there.

  • Call 1: we were told that there was nothing cheaper, feel free to switch to a different service. We said OK and would call them again on the last day of the contract to terminate the service.

  • Call 2: a different staff offerred Option 1 (less GB, but cheaper and within our budget). We told her that we would think about it and call back.

  • Call 3: couldn't get hold of the previous staff, talked to a different one and were told that the other staff got it wrong. They couldn't offer that package but suggested Option 2 at a still acceptable price. We said OK but they couldn't sign us up on that day because their system was down. The staff promised that he would call us on the following day when he came back to work.

  • Call 4: waited a day, didn't get any call so we called them. Talked to another staff this time and were told that the previous two got it all wrong. We were offered Option 3 this time, slightly more expensive but acceptable and came with a bonus. We had everything set up on that night. Hubby checked the account but the bonus wasn't shown up.

  • Call 5: another staff (couldn't get hold of any previous staffs) said that we couldn't get the bonus because of blah blah. This time we were offered a small discount and the bonus was taken away. The contract was finalised and all.

  • Complaint 1: Hubby got angry about spending over 5 hours in total for those phone calls and decided to submit an online complaint. The first email from them asked if we still would like to use Telstra services. Well, we signed the contract two days before duh! The second email offered a resolution, a package that was much more expensive than the one that we signed up for. We were a bit puzzled. Don't they ever talk to each other or read the customer's profile???

  • Complaint 2: complained about the person handling the first complaint. Still waiting….

The experience was annoying but kind of funny. I didn't imagine that Telstra customer service would be that bad.

Any similar experience that you can share?

Thanks :)

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Comments

  • TRENT86 on 01/10/2015 - 16:40
    +1

    Do it online. when I talk to the 24/7 chat service online every time at the end I get an email with the person's contact info so I can talk with them again if I need to

    • [Deactivated] on 01/10/2015 - 17:20

      Ah, thanks for the tip! I didn't like online chat service because I felt it was a bit slow but I will start using that channel from now.

      Same question as I ask Cheap Charlie: With the evidence that you have from online chat, what would you do when they admit that they were wrong and unable to provide the package that they promised? Would you accept their apology and walk away?

    • PVA on 01/10/2015 - 18:58

      you also get that email if you call them.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/10/2015 - 17:22

      Thanks for sharing.
      What would you do when they admit that they were wrong and unable to provide the package that they promised? Would you accept their apology and walk away?

    • Diji1 on 01/10/2015 - 17:29
      +2

      Generate an invoice to Telstra for your time, make them responsible for there actions.

      Does contacting a business without solicitation and then sending them an invoice for your time usually work for you?

        • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2015 - 13:10
          -1

          Lol. You're one of the most delusional people I have ever come across.

  • Gotchas on 01/10/2015 - 17:13
    +1

    I refuse to speak to anyone unless they are an Australian based call centre and from a loyalty/customer relations or retention department for contract related queries.
    This way you support local jobs and you actually get to speak to people with authority
    In relation to the bonus ask them if they've heard of Mr Ombudsman

      • Gotchas on 01/10/2015 - 18:45

        Politely asking first then insist.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/10/2015 - 17:33

      Re speaking to AU based staff and support local job, I'm totally with you. But usually I feel bad asking for such thing. How do you politely ask to speak to an Australian based staff by the way?

      Can you elaborate a bit more on how the Ombudsman would work in the bonus situation?

      • Gotchas on 01/10/2015 - 18:53

        I politely ask to get transferred
        Generally the retention teams are based in Australia anyway.

        Part of the verbal contract you signed up for included the bonus right? They can't promise you something then take it away when they feel like it

  • Diji1 on 01/10/2015 - 17:24

    I didn't imagine that Telstra customer service would be that bad.

    You should try getting a Commercial Quote for them. It's like they make every effort to get out of having you as a paid customer lel. You could make a sitcom with the material.

    For those that don't know a commercial quote is something for Telstra cable internet only.

    You'll ask for the same thing about 100 times in between being offered ADSL, being informed that you cannot get cable internet when you can, being informed that you cannot get ADSL when you can, having the operator pretend to do what you ask for and not. That's in between phone calls from different sales people who call you up after the previous hasn't helped and start explaining how faster internet relies on Foxtel being delivered so why not get an ADSL bundle with Foxtel etc. Remember no ones calling up about wanting s***y ADSL.

    If you keep repeating that you want a commercial quote after about 1 week of phone calls you finally get to an operator who realises that people don't ring up with requests for made up things and they can go to a so called "subject matter expert" who can point them to the appropriate script.

  • [Deactivated] on 01/10/2015 - 20:04

    I seem to remember a few years ago Telstra topped the most complaints against a Aus company - ever. Dodo were going well too.
    I'm doing the Telstra dance currently, for just two months and have had both of my problems, created by Telstra, only partially fixed or refunded. How do they manage such disorder?
    Won't mention the details here, but 3 hours on the phone with nice, well meaning people who can't do anything directly.

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