Telstra call centres in crisis,Mahesh Sharma | December 02,...

Telstra call centres in crisis,

Mahesh Sharma | December 02, 2008

THE customer and billing software at the heart of Telstra's billion-dollar transformation is a recycled version of a system at Italy's largest telco, built several years ago by systems integrator Accenture.
Telstra call centres in crisis

Telstra has publicly declared the system a success, but staff said Siebel suffered regular freezes and glitches

Telstra is losing call-centre staff fed up with what they describe as a culture of bullying brought on by the new system.

The budget for the telco's much-touted transformation program, which focuses on a new platform based on Oracle's Siebel customer relationship management (CRM) software, has blown out to more than $2 billion and suffered months of delays.

However, The Australian understands that Accenture has not actually custom-built a Siebel platform for Telstra, and instead ported a heavily modified software package it built for Telecom Italia several years ago, dubbed Accenture Communications Solutions.

Telstra would not comment on whether Accenture was installing ACS.

"Telstra has engaged with world-class partners throughout our transformation and is implementing a range of proven off-the-shelf solutions," a spokesman said.

Meanwhile, pressures generated by Telstra's transformation stumbles have turned its call centres into a high-stress environment, which has caused some employees to break down.

The telco has publicly declared the system a success, but staff said Siebel suffered regular freezes and glitches, causing a blowout in average call handling times and a drop in service quality across the country. Management dismissed concerns and pleas for more training, staff said, and instead blamed them for not using Siebel properly.

Maree Bennett recently left Telstra's Townsville call centre because she was fed up with a culture of bullying that spread as a result of the new system, she said.

"They knew the system didn't work and it was rolled out way too early," Mrs Bennett said.

"It was always put back on the consultant: you're not doing your job properly, or why aren't you making these sales targets?"

Telstra call centre workers are so frustrated they have created an "I hate Siebel" Facebook group, which has more than 1000 members. Staff had four hours to learn the new system, the training had to be completed outside work hours, and the training was inadequate, Mrs Bennett said.

The system had been rushed through, and management was under pressure to demonstrate that Siebel worked, she said.

Telstra consumer group managing director David Moffatt said the new system enabled workers to resolve issues faster.

"The changes we are making will improve the customer experience and make it easier and simpler for our people to serve customers.

"Without doubt this is the period that is toughest because we are embedding a new system and people have been working across the old and the new."

The Community and Public Sector Union has requested Government-body ComCare investigate Telstra’s call centre working conditions.

“Our concern is that the system is placing incredible pressure on staff and it's leading to reduced service to customers,” said CPSU national president Louise Persse.

“The system taking a lot longer to do fairly simple functions which means staff deal with customers that are understandably annoyed it’s taken so long.”

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