Systemic investigation – Consumers could not report urgent complaints

The issue

We identified an increase in urgent complaints from consumers who could not contact Mode Telco to report service issues. These complaints were urgent because the consumers had serious medical conditions and not having access to a landline, mobile or internet service presented a safety risk. Customers said they had tried to contact Mode Telco by phone, online chat, and using Mode Telco’s App.

The investigation

We raised a systemic investigation with Mode Telco. Mode Telco said, due to government lockdowns, a significant number of its offshore call centre staff were unable to travel to the office.

The outcome

Mode Telco created temporary contact centres staff could travel to. In Australia, Mode Telco redeployed staff from its retail outlets to contact centres and recruited new staff, many from an industry that had been significantly impacted by COVID-19.

Mode Telco said it would prioritise customers who were vulnerable or experiencing urgent issues such as financial hardship, service issues or fraudulent activity. Mode Telco also established a dedicated COVID-19 Hardship line.

Mode Telco’s response to this issue appears to have been effective, as we observed a significant decrease in urgent complaints about Mode Telco in May and June 2020.