The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has announced the formation of a small business team, which will commence operations on 1 April 2019.
The move came as a response to the increase in complaints from small businesses by 8.7 per cent to 20,433 during 2017-18. This increase was seen as largely driven by issues including no action or delayed action by their service provider to resolve their phone or internet issue, followed by complaints about disputed charges for a service or equipment.
In announcing the small business team, Ombudsman Judi Jones said, “Small businesses are relying more than ever before on phone and internet services to be accessible, be informed, and to do business. It is critical they are able to rely on the phone and internet services they sign up for, and to have access to a free, independent, and effective complaint resolution service when their complaint is unresolved.”
Assistant Ombudsman of Dispute Resolution, Jillian Brewer, says that she is looking forward to the delivery of this specialised service. “Resolving small business complaints can involve complex phone, internet and equipment setups, and an understanding of how these issues impact business loss. The Small Business Team will deliver a dispute resolution service that is responsive to the high impact phone and internet problems can have on the day to day operations of small businesses.”
