TIO Annual Report 2006/07

Ombudsman’s Overview

The continuing demand for the TIO’s services by consumers of telecommunications and internet services, manifest in this year’s figures, is evidence of the importance of the TIO’s role as a central element in the framework of consumer protections.

The reporting period has seen yet another increase in the number of contacts the TIO has received and in the issues raised with us by consumers. (In 2006/07, the TIO received 122,721 contacts, a 14.1 per cent increase on 2005/06.)

The telecommunications industry itself has continued to evolve as new technologies are brought to market and enhanced service offerings are made available, and there is no sign that the pace of change will lessen in the future. The rise in internet complaints to almost equal the traditional areas of landline and mobile services is a sign of the importance of internet services to consumers. However, the overall rise in complaint numbers and complaint issues strengthens the TIO’s message that our members must have good internal dispute resolution systems in place, including appropriate and accessible escalation mechanisms. This is reinforced by the complaints the TIO receives about poor customer service and complaint handling practices.

During the year another significant activity for the TIO was the receipt of complaints under the Mobile Premium Services Industry (MPSI) scheme. This has been in operation, and has generated complaints to the TIO, since December 2006. (The complaints are detailed separately in this report.) There will be a 12 month review of the MPSI scheme in October 2007, and the TIO complaint data will provide a valuable contribution to this review.

Against this background, the office itself underwent a major change when its long-term leader, John Pinnock, moved on in late May 2007 after an exemplary career as the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman from 1995 to 2007. John’s legacy is an office that has not just grown to keep pace with the evolving industry but has at its core the values and commitment to serve telecommunications consumers by offering the best possible dispute resolution scheme. This foundation is what we will build on to ensure our ongoing relevance as an ombudsman scheme.

Lessons the industry can learn from TIO complaint data can serve to make the sector more responsive to its customers, and hence give those customers greater confidence that their concerns are not just heard but acted on. This is a message we constantly reinforce to our members. As well, we continue to give high priority to assisting our scheme members to improve their complaint handling performance by learning from their customers’ feedback and from TIO investigations and complaint resolution. This will be a priority for the year ahead.

I am proud and honoured to take up the role of Ombudsman, following in John’s footsteps. The TIO staff have done an excellent job under John’s guidance, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their continuing commitment to all that the TIO stands for. There is no doubt that the year ahead will present many challenges, but we look forward to dealing with these in order to ensure that our complaints handling role continues to improve and develop.

Deirdre O'Donnell
Ombudsman

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