Telstra axes 400 call centre jobs nationally,

kiwijims · Guru

Telstra axes 400 call centre jobs nationally,

June · Senior Member

Jim, I always ask politely to speak to an Australian operator telling them I am hard of hearing, which I am not, but it works every time for me. The foreign operators really are quite hard to understand and if more people asked to be transferred to an Australian operator maybe we could expect better communication results.

June C.

Desert Dweller · Guru

We haven't struck an Aussie operator for years, didn't realize that there were still some around.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

Most of the Telcos and Banks are off shore with their call centres. Telstra started shedding jobs here late last year and this it the 2nd round of using cheap Pilipino labour (people from this country are preferred for call centres as most still have a slight American accent handed down through the past 2 generations from the number of USA forces that lived and continue to live in the Philippines. Whereas there is still a real bias against speaking to those based in Indian call centres.

But no doubt in a few years time, when labour in these countries get too expensive, we can expect to be talking to call centres in the "deepest" Africa where staff will be paid 50c a day !!

Just a pity our major companies don't really "walk their talk" and support local staff. Most Aussie workers don't march don't major roads with union banners shouting anti Govt and company rubbish and expect to be paid for 8 weeks annual leave, parental leave, special leave on top of their semi or unskilled $120K pa jobs. The majority of call centre staff work their butts off to meet their targets and are paid a very average wage - but better than being made redundant for a foreign call centre paying cents to their staff

Spydermann · Senior Member

I cannot see the savings in overseas call centres. I've had multiple issues with banks & telcos where, after dozens of calls & emails, I've finally got an Australian who solves my issue in seconds. Unfortunately we are blackmailed into these situations. For our Telecoms & banks to do business in Asia, those countries expect us to employ locals, even if it's just in call centres.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

My cable modem is not working .. I'm on here though Mobil network ..it's taken them 6 weeks to get around to fixing modem.. Every time I ring I get an Indian telling me to reset the modem.. I have already done that a 1000 times .. It went off when our phone was fixed.. So it doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out its an outside fault .. Just see what my data bill is going to be ? They have known all this time wifi and Cable is not working .. No service at all .. Not worth complaining about .. There isn't any..

kiwijims · Guru

"Oh" They're Good all right, I had a similar problem earlier this year, I had the cable continually dropping out to our house, after many complaints to Telstra, they decided to get a mob of private contractors in and replace the cable from outside my place to a junction box at the far side of the house next door.

The contractor Gang turned up with a mini hoe and dig a trench out-side my fence and managed to slice the telephone in two, this they took a photo of and in due course, I received a bill for damage to the cable amounting to $ 2300.00 !!! The bloody Contract claimed that it was me who dug the hole and cut the cable over 2m deep,

After contacting my lawyer, I was advised to write to Telstra and tell them what I reckon had happened, This I did, stating that at the time which was shown on the photograph, they had their own contractor digging the trench and it must have been them who did the damage, and that there was no way I could have dug this hole with the crook legs that I have, ( some days they're that bad I can't even walk) and I asked them, why would I want to dig a whole 2m deep out-side the boundary fence in the first place anyway ?????

I heard nothing for a couple of months after that, finally I rang Telstra Damage Recovery Section ( in Tassie ) and I was told that the Bill I received was "On hold" until they investigated it, I haven't heard another thing since then ( about Jan this year ) No apology, No explanation , confuse confuse confuse

And no re-instatement of the mess left outside our front fence, where we had a nice lawn, even after letters sent in by our Neighbours complaining about the mess left outside their place as well, nothing was ever done, so today the weeds grow tall and the shire sends a lawn cutting machine around every 6 Months or so.

K.J.

cultana · Senior Member

Ok just going to be an exception here.
I have had little problem with Telstra. Though I will admit the "overseas" call centre women are hard to understand at times.

But then I dont run what Telstra calls "Personal", I run their DOT system. Its a small business digital line.
Great service as well.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Yep we don't need work here .. All is good ..

hako · Guru

Our NBN modem which supplies phone and internet was fried by a lightning strike 5 days ago - Optus offered to transfer all NBN calls to our mobile free of charge, freighted overnight a replacement modem to us and when I could not get internet on the new Modem to work spent over an hour on the phone with me patiently troubleshooting the problem which turned out to be a fried comms port on the computer. The Indian dude was very patient and understanding and though sometimes I needed to ask him to repeat things he said he managed to say the right words to me to keep me happy. The problems were not of Optus's making yet they replaced everything free of charge.
Sure thing I would prefer an Aussie person and would pay extra for it, but it's a changing world like it or not.

Good Luck.

dING · Senior Member

I reckon tis disgraceful that a company as large and profitable as Telstra

That makes its money out of and in Australia from Australians then Outsources

Its workforce overseas to avoid paying Australian wages tis just plain greed

And hopefully it will come back and Bite em in the wallet