Telstra brings its customer call centres back to Australia

Telstra has announced it is bringing its call centres back to Australia for its consumer and small business customers to create a better experience.

Having foreign call centres in the past has been a frustration for Telstra customers who felt their local needs were not being and their issues not being resolved.

So Telstra decided to hire more than 2000 new team members scattered across the country to answer calls from consumers and small businesses in their area.

“Our team are your neighbours. They’re located in cities and towns across Australia, including regional hubs like Maryborough, Bunbury and Bathurst,” says Telstra CEO Andy Penn.

“Thanks to hybrid working, this means the person helping you could be in your state, suburb, town or – who knows – even your street.”

We’ve seen exactly how effective this could be during the Queensland floods earlier this year where Telstra customers were able to speak to local team members who knew exactly the challenges they were facing.

Telstra says locals helping locals will deepen the company’s local expertise.

Thanks to hybrid working, the person answering a Telstra customer’s call could very well live in your state or your suburb.

Usually, nine out of 10 of Telstra’s consumer and small business service teamwork from home.

For quick questions, Telstra suggests doing things like checking your bill, managing your services and even troubleshooting your connection issues can be done through the My Telstra app.

But if you have something more serious and need a little extra help then Telstra has someone you can talk to who will understand your service history and appreciate what you’re going through.

For example, 60-year-old Kaylee from Hervey Bay, a former country publican and community volunteer, works from home and enjoys helping older customers.

You might also chat to Daniel, who set up Telstra’s most remote contact centre from the heart of the outback in Longreach, yet his team works from home all over Central West Queensland.

All these changes are part of Telstra’s T22 strategy with the goal of making life better for its customers.

T22 was launched four years ago to transform Telstra and its customer experience and to simplify its product offerings, services and contracts.