TIO Annual Report 2002/03

Summary of Complaint Handling Performance - Definitions

The TIO uses four terms to describe how it defines the calls, TTY messages, emails, faxes, and letters it receives.

Any contact made by a member of the public with the TIO regarding telecommunications services.

A contact regarding a matter that is not an expression of dissatisfaction or grievance, or which is outside the TIO’s jurisdiction, or which is a first attempt to resolve a dispute or which is anonymous, frivolous or vexatious. The costs of enquiries are distributed amongst invoiced members according to their respective share of complaints.

A complaint is an expression of grievance or dissatisfaction about a matter within the TIO's jurisdiction that the company concerned has had an opportunity to consider. The cost of a complaint is billed directly to the member concerned.

The matter or matters about which a member of the public has complained to the TIO. A complaint may involve more than one issue. The TIO bills members according to the number of complaints logged against them; members are not billed according to the number of issues.

Enquiries

Whenever a member of the general public contacts the TIO about a matter that is outside of the TIO’s jurisdiction, not an expression of grievance or dissatisfaction, a first resort complaint or a frivolous, vexatious or anonymous complaint, the TIO will log that contact as an enquiry. Enquiries are charged at $27.50 each and the costs are distributed amongst invoiced members according to their respective share of complaints.

In 2002/03, the TIO recorded a total of 17,256 enquiries, a 27% decrease on last year’s total of 23,652. Landline enquiries accounted for 42.3% of the total, mobile enquiries for 19.5%, Internet enquiries for 15.3% and non-allocated enquiries for 22.9%.

A large proportion of the enquiries recorded in 2002/03 were about matters that fell outside of the TIO’s jurisdiction, for instance the business practices or policies of a TIO member or the activities of a company in liquidation. Enquiries about mobile phone equipment were also common. The TIO received numerous calls about companies who were not members of the TIO Scheme, and calls in relation to complaints where legal proceedings had commenced or in regard to complaints that were more than 2 years old.

The TIO continued to receive numerous enquiries regarding matters not related to telecommunications and enquiries that did not constitute a complaint.

A significant number of the Internet enquiries recorded after January 2003 were attributable to telephone and Internet service provider Justified Communications Pty Ltd (Just Internet), who went into receivership in March 2003. Just Internet ceased paying TIO invoices late in 2002 and in order to protect its financial position the TIO elected to commence classifying Just Internet complaints as enquiries rather than as complaints.

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