Telstra accused of losing control of its Sensis
Telstra accused of losing control of its Sensis
The national telecommunications company has been accused of losing touch with its senses by charging people to use its Sensis directory service number, which has riled at least one frustrated small business owner in Sydney.
However, Telstra has fought back by stating that the service it provides is worth it because it offers phone numbers and addresses instaneously.
Ray Graham, the proprietor of Downtime Eliminators, is seething with anger over Telstra's decision to replace the 12456 directory assistance number with the 1234 number for the cost of 40cents to make the call, and 4cents a second thereafter.
Graham said that with this type of pricing structure, it is no wander that so many Australians hold Telstra in the same regard as the major banks.
"Telstra need to make its mind up whether it is a government organisation or a private company. This current halfway point is producing the worst results at the moment. People all over Australia have bad vibes about the company at the moment.
"We are getting the worst of both worlds. By trying to make a profit, it is squeezing money out of not only small businesses like mine, but al people with disabilities who can't read properly, for instance, so rely on the phone for information.
"Our business relies heavily on telecommunications, so the price hikes affect us badly. I think maybe Telstra should be sold off completely so that we can all realise what a valuable it is as a government owned organisation."
However, Karina White, the corporate affairs manager, for Telstra said that the new service was created based on customer feedback, to provide a better service.
"For instance, it allows you to find out whether a plumber is available on Tuesday night and is happy to use an Ammex card. In June this year, Sensis launched this new premium, voice information service to the market, Sensis 1234. Calling 1234 allows callers to receive information and connection to nearly all residences and businesses in Australia.
"Sensis 1234 operators can provide a phone number or address for a person or business you know or a more extensive request for let's say a florist in Brisbane that is open 24 hours and takes Diners."
Operators can also provide callers with directions, via SMS, or on the caller's request, they will remain on line to provide turn by turn instructions.
"The Sensis 1234 service draws its information from the White Pages and Yellow Pages databases, incorporating extensive listings, information and location details. Operators also have access to the extensive Whereis mapping database to provide directions."
However, this does not seem enough to appease unhappy business men, such as Ray Graham. It is not the value of the service that he is disappointed, it is the fact that he has to pay for the service.
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