Progressive PR

Telco woes plague nation – Australians living with disability experiencing worst service from providers during COVID stress

September 24, 2024

For the fourth month running in the Consumer Policy Research Centre nationwide research initiative, consumers have reported telecommunications providers as delivering the worst customer service of all essential service providers.

August results released today paint a deeply concerning picture for Australians living with disability.

CPRC’s research initiative Consumers and COVID-19: from crisis to recovery is collecting and analysing the experiences, behaviours, expectations and challenges of Australians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with monthly quantitative surveys conducted by Roy Morgan Research from May to October.

“Nationwide results for August show disproportionate financial challenges facing people living with disabilities” said CPRC CEO, Lauren Solomon. “Poor telco customer service is a standout issue. While many people are battling confusing telco websites and long call wait times, people with disability are being pushed further behind by inadequate systems and support.”

“The irony of the telecommunications sector being the most difficult to contact and navigate is not lost on us” Ms Solomon said. "Our technologies are advancing rapidly, but we don’t seem to be using them to ensure consumers across the nation are able to access basic support, regardless of their circumstances.”

“We know that the impacts of this crisis are not being evenly felt. People living with a disability have been drawing down on savings (34%), using credit cards or buy-now-pay-later (34%), borrowing from family and friends (12%) and accessing early super (11%) at higher proportions than the rest of the population to manage basic household expenses. We’re also seeing people living with disability turn to emergency relief agencies like St Vincent de Paul Society or Foodbank at more than double the rate (10%) of the Australian population (4%)”.

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Despite more consumers seeking help from landlords and government concessions, people living with a disability were still the most likely group to miss a payment across many key expenses, including mortgage providers (13%), rental (10%), telco (9%) and credit (6%).

“What’s most concerning is that three-quarters of people who sought payment assistance from their telecommunications providers reported having negative experiences. People are reaching out for help, but something is going very wrong in terms of companies delivering support.”

“Essential service providers must step up to ensure customers facing financial difficulties due to COVID-19 can resolve any issues and access the support they need.”

“Consumer protections can be strengthened, and support programs need to be designed for all Australians trying to access them. We need to be inclusive of people with disability when we design support programs and systems. It shouldn’t be an afterthought.”

In May, CPRC released a research report – Consumers and COVID-19: from crisis to recovery – exploring the global response to COVID-19 which reflected on historical lessons, exploring local and global interventions to protect consumers through the crisis. The report presented building blocks for policymakers and businesses supporting consumers on an uncertain path towards recovery, where policy choices made now will have long-term consequences.

To download the full report and monthly briefings go to: https://cprc.org.au/consumers-and-covid-19-from-crisis-to-recovery/

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5.7 million Australians reported having a recent negative experience with their telecommunications provider in August, up from 4.1 million in July.
Most commonly reported problems by consumers when contacting telecommunications providers included long wait times (17%), unhelpful service (9%), difficulty navigating the website or phone system (8%) or a general lack of ability to resolve challenges (7%).
Almost half of consumers with disability (43%) reported having negative experiences with telecommunications providers – with 22% reporting long wait times, 16% had difficulty navigating the website or phone system, 13% had unhelpful service, and 12% reported unfair terms or conditions in their contract.
People living with disability were more likely to ask for payment assistance than Australians overall in August, with 20% seeking assistance from their lender/mortgage provider (7% nationally), 9% seeking payment assistance from their landlord (6% nationally), 9% asking for payment help from their insurer (4% nationally) and 9% seeking help from their credit or personal loan provider (4% nationally)
Slightly larger proportion of Australians living with disability dipped into savings (34%) or using credit cards or buy now pay later services (34%) to manage basic household expenses.

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