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TIO Complaints Reduction Points to Improved ISP Service Levels Says Compare Broadband

/EINPresswire.com/ Reduced levels of complaints to the Australian Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) point to an upturn in quality of service offered by the country's Internet Service Providers (ISPs), says Compare Broadband. Complaint levels to the ombudsman have dropped markedly in the past year, according to the latest statistics released last month.

The TIO manages complaints and concerns from Australian consumers who have had an issue with their service provider and who may need legal advice and mediation. The last three months of 2011 saw the ombudsman manage 16,704 complaints centering on new accounts and pricing of plans, which equated to a drop of 45 percent in comparison with the same three months of the previous year.

The TIO also reported that the biggest drop in numbers came in the field of complaint handing, where figures were down by 62 percent. This drop points to the fact that ISPs have enhanced their customer complain management operations so that subscribers don't need to move on to the TIO for assistance.

The number that decreased least, however, was that of fault-related complaints, which fell by 33 percent.

Broadband comparison experts Compare Broadband says this is due to ISPs committing greater resources and investment to customer services during the last 12 months.

Sarah McDonald, spokesperson for Compare Broadband, comments: "There has in the past been a habit for criticising providers of internet plans for not being completely honest with customers - and for then being unhelpful in the aftermath. However, these new TIO figures seem to point to ISPs addressing the issue."

Direct complaints to ISPs dropped in the new figures as well, with Club Telco complaints down by 72 percent, Eftel down 65 percent and iiNet down 62 percent.

Comparing complaints per specific ISP is difficult since the TIO does not record this data. The scale of the ISP's operations can twist figures slightly - for example, Telstra is the largest biggest ISP in Australia and therefore receives more complaints in total than other providers such as Optus or Spintel internet.

Similarly, Vodafone is the ISP which receives the third highest amount of complaints which does not tally with the size of its operations. Both TPG and iiNet are larger in terms of customers but both get lower levels of complaints.

Compare Broadband reports that Vodafone has seen a tough year with complaints directed at dropped calls and slow connectivity speeds. The past year has also however seen the company invest in its network leading to complaints about its service drop by 41 percent across the last three months of 2011.
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About Compare Broadband:
Compare Broadband is an Australian company providing a free, impartial comparison service and expert advice to consumers in relation to broadband plans from Australia's leading Internet Service Providers.

For further enquiries please contact:
Scott Kennedy, CEO, CompareBroadband.com.au
E: s.kennedy@comparebroadband.com.au
T: (1300 764 000)