Phone and internet providers across Australian receive more than 2500 complaints each day, a number that remains stubbornly high.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But how long should customers be expected to wait for a response?
An investigation has uncovered dozens of cases where complaints went unresolved for more than two working weeks.
And the company involved - Southern Phone, which is wholly owned by AGL Energy - has been hit with a whopping fine.
The telco has been made to pay almost $250,000 for 77 breaches of complaint-handling rules between April and June 2023.
It must also complete a compulsory review of the way it handles customer feedback.
Telcos are required to meet minimum standards and time frames when handling complaints.
Customers must be informed if these standards cannot be met.
Southern Cross failed to notify customers of expected delays or resolve their issues within the 10 days required for non-urgent complaints on 38 occasions, the Australian Communications and Media Authority has found.
The telco failed to keep appropriate complaints handling records on 39 occasions, the watchdog discovered.
Samantha Yorke from the ACMA said customers had a right to expect complaints to be dealt with in a timely manner.
"Experiencing issues with your phone and internet can be frustrating, but to then have a complaint mismanaged by your service provider just exacerbates the problem," she said.
Ms Yorke urged Southern Phone to "do better" in handling customer complaints.
Despite some improvements, the number of complaints across the entire telecommunications industry remained too high, she said.
"Telcos need make a concerted effort to address the unacceptable level of complaints and the way they are being handled," Ms Yorke said.
Southern Phone said it had been working to improve its systems.
"Since that investigation, (Southern Phone) has made a number of improvements including implementing changes to its IT systems," a spokesperson told AAP.
"It has also paid infringement notices and provided an undertaking to the ACMA setting out remedial actions and steps as to its systems, processes and practices for achieving compliance going forward."
No timeline has been set for a court-enforceable review of the company's complaints-handling processes.
Telcos that supply more than 30,000 services must report on their complaints to the ACMA every three months.
Australian Associated Press
