Oracle Blog

Technical support is a joint effort between the customer and the staff member to diagnose and fix a problem. It can't be adversarial. Both parties want the same outcome – to fix the issue, so the blame game is pointless. The problem is that the fix is rarely obvious. When a customer calls up and says "my Internet is not working" there is no button we can push to fix it instantly. We have to diagnose it step by step and try to work out where it's broken. Just to give a few examples, the issue could be:

• A problem with the application that you are using (eg. the web browser)
• A virus or other problem on your computer
• A fault with the computer itself
• The cables connecting to the modem or the wireless device used to tune into the wireless network
• The actual WiFi network (which can be affected by interference from other devices)
• Other devices connected to telephone sockets in another room (security alarm, Foxtel, unfiltered phones)
• A configuration problem on the modem/router
• A hardware fault with the modem/router
• The cables from the modem/router to the phone connection
• The internal wiring in the house
• Any part of the copper line from the house to the exchange (which can be affected by weather or many other things)
• Simply trying to push the link beyond its capabilities (which can change over time)
• Our equipment at the exchange
• Configuration issues with authentication or similar
• The links from the exchange back to the city
• Lots of potential issues inside the network
• The links to the rest of the world
• A problem with the site that the customer is trying to connect to

That's not even a complete list! So you and the CSR need to go through and try to rule out each issue. It can be particularly hard when the issue might be intermittent or caused by two or more issues coinciding, or caused by an external factor like weather or interference.

If your Internet has stopped working it's often easy to start by thinking "but I haven't changed anything", so the steps you're being asked to go through may seem pointless. But the CSR really does need to go through and test as many pieces of the puzzle as possible to try and build a picture of what might be causing the problem. For instance, our staff members might ask you to move your computer next to the modem and connect with an Ethernet cable. Now you're thinking "that's a waste of time" because you don't want the computer there at all! But doing this can allow us to rule out any issues with your wireless network or WiFi configuration.

If there is a particularly niggling issue it can mean many hours of work by both the customer and our CSR to find the answer. It can also mean going back and trying earlier tests again as later issues are ruled out or corrected. For example, if other issues have been ruled out staff may conclude the modem is faulty and suggest a replacement.

On rare occasions the issue won't be found and the connection will continue to be dodgy due to factors that may evade diagnosis no matter how much time and stress is invested by you and our staff. There may need to be a point where both parties say "you know what, I reckon we've done all we can here". At that point, we need to be mature enough to accept that the connection is not perfect but it's usable. Or even just shake hands and go our separate ways. If we have tried all the usual tests, send out line technicians, replaced and still been unable to get a reliable connection, then a penalty free separation should be offered.

ACCC and ACMA advise Australians to "hang up" on scammers.  Fraudsters posing as Microsoft technicians are among the five most concerning telephone scams listed by competition and telecommunications regulators.

The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) and ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) released a joint statement urging Australians to "immediately hang up the phone" on telephone scams.  Reports of scam telephone calls to both regulators have skyrocketed from 200 per month to around 2000 in recent months.

The regulators were particularly concerned about scams that involved:
1.) Callers advising that the person's computer is infected with a virus and requesting credit card details to fix the problem. The Western Australian Department of Commerce warned that over 150 people in the state had been duped into paying between $125 and $220 by fake Microsoft technicians.
2.) Callers offering products, services or cash under fake government grants. Legitimate information is available on government web sites and rarely administered through outbound call centres.
3.) Callers seeking bank details in order to process a bank fee refund or tax refund - a classic phishing technique also used by fraudsters via email.
4.) Callers offering to place the person's number on the Do Not Call Register for a fee. The register is free.
5.) Recorded messages asking consumers to 'dial 9' for a 'free' holiday.

The regulators advised those receiving "a cold call from someone claiming you are entitled to a refund, have won a holiday or have a virus on your computer" to "hang up immediately."  Those that feel they may have been duped are urged to contact legitimate sources of information (such as their bank) immediately.  "Consumers can stop themselves being scammed by never disclosing any personal or financial details to these callers," said ACCC Chairman, Graeme Samuel.

Before Smartphones, travellers spent their time with their noses in translation books, frantically searching for an online café to check their flight details or writing about their experiences in a steadily disintegrating journal.  As with most other aspects of life, Smartphones have stepped in to make our lives just that little bit easier. When you’re already lugging around a heavy backpack, it helps to have all the answers in one little device.  Here’s some of the best Smartphone apps to take with you on your travels. Flight Track

If you’re one of those people who likes to watch the minutes tick by as you get closer to your destination, get your hands on Flight Track. It’ll show you live and zoom able maps of your flight in progress, how the weather is going and what your baggage is up to. You’ll be the first to know when your flight is delayed or canceled and the app will even go one step further and help you book an alternative flight. If paperwork is not your friend, save your itinerary into Flight Track and use it to send your travel details to friends and family.

XE Currency

Simple and effective, XE Currency can convert every world currency while on the go. You’ll use it mostly to calculate your dollars to pounds, yen or any other currency you might need. It also keeps a history of currency charts

Translator

Those travelling through countries where English isn’t the dominant language will find Translator very helpful. How many times have you had to thumb through your translation book to find the right sentence? All this app requires you to do is pick which language you’re translating to and type in what you’d like to say. It’s also pretty entertaining when you’re whiling away the hours on a long flight.

Urban Spoon

Just like its online counterpart, Urban Spoon gives you the lowdown on restaurants from around the world. You can locate fine dining according to suburb, types of food served, how pricey the restaurant is and whether it does anything special like happy hour or live music. To make sure you’re well informed, Urban Spoon also delivers all the necessary details including opening hours, menus, photos of the interior and customer reviews

Off Exploring

This website is a travel bloggers dream and now it is available on your iPhone. The free online blogging app allows you to log your experiences as they’re happening – even if you don’t have an Internet connection. Take your friends and family on your trip with you by sharing what you’re up to and photos you’ve taken. You can also map out your travels by geo-tagging your location as you complete your blog for the day.

Off Maps 2

Navigating a foreign country can be tricky at the best of times. It’s even harder when you can’t rely on an Internet connection. This is where Off Maps 2 shines. So long as you download all the maps you might need on your travels while you’ve still got an Internet connection, you’ll stay well informed. As you travel, the map will locate points of interest and give you detailed information. Better yet, you’ll get all of this important information without the data roaming charges

The TIO is receiving up to 20 complaints a week from small businesses who say they were misled about, or did not fully understand, the nature and operation of equipment leases bundled with telecommunication deals when they signed up to them.  “Small businesses are telling us they are being approached by a sales person who offers a contract for call costs at the same price or less than what they are currently paying. They also say they were offered a handset, plasma TV, laptop or even an overseas holiday at ‘no extra cost’,”

Deputy Ombudsman Simon Cleary said. “What small businesses sometimes don’t fully appreciate is that they are signing two separate contracts: one for the phone calls with a telecommunications service provider and the second being a lease of the equipment from a finance company." “The two contracts are inter-related, with monthly lease payments often being offset by ‘credits’ on the phone bill from the telecommunications service provider. The size of these credits is similar to the monthly lease payments for the finance contract and the sales person will often ask to see a past telephone account for the purpose of calculating the credits. “However, small businesses say that their call rates subsequently increase and the package proves to be more expensive than their previous arrangement. Importantly, if the business then transfers to another phone company, the small business will still be bound by the finance company lease but without receiving the credits. “And far from being free, the equipment can prove to be quite expensive if the business ends up paying just the finance lease. We have received complaints of standard model laptops leased over a five-year period costing up to $20,000 in lease payments.”

Mr Cleary said that while the dual contract arrangement might meet the needs of many businesses the TIO was concerned by the number of complaints from small businesses who said they had been misled and then found themselves locked into expensive equipment leases. The TIO can make binding rulings to direct service providers to release a small business or consumer from a telecommunications contract, but has no similar power over a finance company and their leases. Given the number of similar complaints received by the TIO, the TIO warns small businesses who might be offered equipment leases bundled with telecommunication deals to take extreme care before signing contracts. In particular, small businesses should ask:

Who are the parties involved in the deal? Are commissions paid as part of the deal, and to whom? How many contracts does the deal involve? Is it just one contract with one company or are they separate contracts? Exactly what services are being offered by the phone company? If “credits” are being offered to offset the lease payments, how much are the credits and are there any limitations on when they are paid? Is there a lease? If so, what are the monthly lease payments, and how long is the lease for? What happens if the telecommunications contract ends? Is the business still bound by the lease? What is the total cost of the deal over the term of the contracts? Does it actually work out to be cheaper than the small business’s existing telecommunications arrangements?

Oracle Telecom does not engage in phone plan or equipment contracts like those mentioned above. Oracle Telecom has a strict policy not to interact with service providers who conduct misleading plans.

DISGRUNTLED customers often make at least five attempts to have complaints resolved by their phone companies and most spend hours trying to sort out problems before giving up, a report has revealed.  The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman surveyed more than 500 consumers who lodged complaints with his office and discovered customers are increasingly making repeated and time-consuming contacts with the companies.  Most customers surveyed said they spent at least three hours unsuccessfully trying to resolve their complaint before going to the ombudsman. Twenty per cent said they spent more than nine hours trying to sort out a complaint.  The most common reasons for complaining to the ombudsman was because there was no solution offered by the service provider (39 per cent) or a promise to resolve the complaint was not kept (39 per cent). Half of those surveyed reported being directed to three different departments within their phone company.  The report, shows there has been a small decrease in the number of complaints lodged with the ombudsman's office.  The ombudsman, Simon Cohen, said customers appeared to be extremely resilient given what they had to deal with.  ''Consumers seemed to get the run around when they try and make a complaint,'' Mr Cohen said.

Alexandra Smith -  Consumer Affairs