The changing landscape of customer protection in the telecommunications industry

There has been extensive debate in Australia recently about the level of customer service and consumer complaints levels in the telecommunications industry. This debate has focussed on whether the level of customer service provided to consumers is the main cause of a recent increase in consumer complaint levels. This paper argues that it is not only the level of customer service being provided but that the consumer protection system designed to help complainants is itself struggling to cope with complexity of the telecommunications industry. Through a comparison of the Australian Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) and the United Kingdom’s alternative dispute resolution schemes I highlight some of the key differences which may illustrate why the operation and establishment of the TIO scheme may be contributing to the high number of complaints in Australia.