Telstra's $1.3M misunderstanding

Date: 24 July 2006

Telstra is trying on a novel approach to dealing with its self-created problem of $1.3 million dollars worth of returned mobile phones. They are instructing call centre sales workers to 'convince' the customer to keep them. The phones are sold to customers by the sales staff, but the sales campaigns have resulted in a high level of returned, unwanted phones. Telstra claims that this is all due to misunderstandings between the Telstra and the customer. Telstra claims that the phones are being returned because the customers don't like the colour, or the phone is too complicated. The CEPU alleges that Telstra have again created a culture of 'slamming' whereby phones are sent out to customers who have clearly said 'no they do not want the phone' and haven't asked for one.

Telstra impose an impossible performance regime on workers throughout the company. Dismissal is the end result of not meeting a sales target. Telstra has hundreds of its long-term, loyal workers facing disciplinary action and dismissal nationally because they cannot meet the impossible targets. Generally we find that it is workers doing the right thing that cannot meet the targets. That some workers feel they have to resort to unethical practices to make a sale is an indictment of Telstra says Len Cooper CEPU. We allege that Telstra is again turning a blind eye to the results of the culture that they have created, a culture that hurts the customers and customer sensitive workers. Shareholders and the market should be concerned about the way the company is being managed. A $1.3 million dollar misunderstanding is an enormous communications problem.

For further information

Contact:	Len Cooper
Union:	CEPU Victorian branch
Phone:	03 9387 3703
Contact Mobile:	0438 389302
WWW:	http://www.cepu.asn.au

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