[LINK] A consumer's experience ... Was: Phone line down

[Adam Todd]

>>Not telstra?
>Yes, Telstra.
>
>Lightning fried my ISDN network terminator on the Thursday.  I couldn't 
>get through to the call centre until Friday morning.
>
>The following Monday, I got a text message saying that I had an 
>"appointment" that morning.  I was on the bus at the time, headed for work.
>
>After midday, I got a call saying that Telstra hadn't managed to get a 
>technician to my job.  I agreed to an appointment the following Friday 
>afternoon.
>
>Come Friday, nobody turned up.  I gave some poor call centre droid a bit 
>of a blast, then demanded compensation.  The droid said that Telstra is 
>claiming an exemption because the problem is attributable to "non-Telstra 
>equipment", then added that I could expect the line to be out of action 
>into the next week.  I don't remember much after that: it's all a red 
>haze.  Anyway, the box was replaced next day (plus a Telstra-supplied 
>surge-guard/filter).

Oh my goodness.

I have a stack of NT1's here if anyone ever needs any.  Telstra refuse to 
collect them and they are pretty useless to me :)

>An NT1 Plus II isn't Telstra equipment?  Failing to keep appointments 
>isn't attributable to Telstra?  I guess I should pursue compensation (I 
>did take time off work after all), but I'd much rather minimise my 
>exposure to Telstra's bureaucracy.

Put in a claim for your Customer Service Guarantee.  A missed appointment 
is a serious claim :)

>Come to think of it, that's brilliant.  To avoid compensation claims, just 
>be such obnoxious arseholes that nobody wants to have anything to do with 
>you.  As a shareholder I see merit in that.  As a customer on the other 
>hand ...

If you don't get satisfaction with the first RECORDED telephone call to the 
call centre, say you will lodge a complaint with the TIO.

Go to the TIO web site, lodge the complaint.  It costs Telstra $20 odd 
straight up.  Then after three days contact the TIO and ask for an 
escalation - that's $160 I think :)