[LINK] Telstra has a plan!

stephen at melbpc.org.au stephen at melbpc.org.au
Tue May 22 22:27:18 AEST 2007


Hmmm,

Telstra has a new plan ... 

Customer-service-staff are now sales-staff, and, must sell you something.

Mind, Trujerko got a $1.5 million bonus for writing their strategic plan.

What a pack of cowboys.

--
Pitch part of Telstra's 'service'  by Michael Sainsbury, MAY 22, 2007

<http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21771306%5E16123%5E%
5Enbv%5E,00.html>  

TELSTRA is forcing its customer service staff to sell internet, mobile 
phone and other products to callers, and has put 20 per cent of their 
salaries at risk if they fail to reach sales targets. 

The giant telco is now converting all its call centres to sales centres, 
where previously it had separate staff to deal with complaints and 
billing inquiries. 

"Every customer needs to be sold something if you wish to hit your 
target," a Telstra call centre staffer told The Australian, on condition 
of anonymity. 

"The company is undertaking coaching for staff ... on how to take a call 
further so that the company can increase revenue." 

Telstra's main rivals -- Optus, Vodafone and Hutchison -- said they had 
dedicated customer service staff who were not required to sell new 
services. 

"Our customer service staff are purely engaged in responding to customer 
enquiries," Vodafone service director Bob Buiaroski said. 

"We are completely focused on what customers want and do not try to use a 
call for help as a sales opportunity." 

Employees of Telstra, which made $3.18 billion in profits last year, have 
been given targets relating to how quickly they can finish calls and how 
many internet connections and mobile data packages they can sell. 

The new staff conditions, part of Australian Workplace Agreements used to 
sign up employees, are part of a major strategic shift in how Telstra 
uses it customers service centres. 

For example, if a customer phones a mobile call centre to have message 
bank removed from their service they would be asked by a consultant to 
look over their account. 

Then staff are expected to sell the customer something, be it a new plan 
or a handset. 

Staff have been told that if they do not meet sales targets their salary 
will be reduced by one-fifth. 

But they can also make extra money by exceeding their targets. 

Targets vary across the organisation. One example, in a Queensland sales 
centre, was for $360 in sales a day. 

Full-time call centre staff employed by Telstra earn about $45,000 and 
contract workers in its outsourced call centre are paid as little as 
$14.50 per hour. 

"The work environment is like a pressure cooker as staff are extremely 
stressed," one former employee said. 

The Australian understands that call centre staff morale is at an all-
time low. 

Telstra declined to answer any of a list of questions put to it by The 
Australian about its call centres, staffing and remuneration policies. 

The conditions for Telstra's call centre employees stand in stark 
contrast to those of its senior executives. 

Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo received $8.7 million in 
remuneration for the year to June 30 last year. 

As part of his salary, Mr Trujillo received a $1.5 million bonus for 
writing a strategic plan for the company. 

Most companies have this as part of a chief executive's duties. 

In a series of stories last year, The Australian revealed that Mr 
Trujillo paid management consultants to assist with the plan.
--

Regards all ..
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia



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