February 10, 2011

Why Dealing With Country Road On Line Is Better Than Dealing With Telstra

1.  When you have a problem you can ring Country Road.  And they answer the phone.  On the 3rd ring.  And the person on the other end can fix the problem.  On the spot.  When you ring Telstra, a machine answers the phone.  Eventually you get through to a person.  Who is often not the right person.  So they transfer you.  To someone else who is often not the right person.  Eventually you get someone who tries to help.  At any point in this process you can be spontaneously disconnected.  Which means you go back to the beginning.

2.  Country Road Online post things via Australian Air Express.  To your PO Box.  Which is the only postal address you have when you live on a farm. You have to spend some time persuading the Telstra person that Australia Post will deliver to a PO Box.  After a lengthy discussion about how Australia Post own the PO Boxes and hence they are an acceptable postal address, the Telstra person will capitulate and put your PO Box into the computer as an address.  And it accepts it.  Amazing isn't it?

3.  If you order on Friday 4th February, Country Road dispatch it on the same day.  You receive your order on Weds 9th February. Even though you don't live in a capital city and do live in another state. If you order something from Telstra on the 1st of February, they don't even manage to put the order through correctly.  If you ring again a week later they "guarantee" delivery by the 15th February.  Because you don't live in a capital city and do live in another state.

4.  Country Road sends you gorgeous things.  Like this black silk jumpsuit.  (Which you love because it has just the faintest whiff of "mutton dressed as lamb" about it.)


Telstra don't send you anything.  Especially not your new micro sim card so your flash new iphone 4 will work.  You think this may be because you can't seem to get past the order process.

5.  You pay Country Road and get good service.  You pay Telstra and would be happy for any service. At all...

Addit: For all my international readers:  Telstra is our main telecommunication provider.  Country Road is a chain of retailers.

27 comments:

Fiona said...

This is so true that it really shouldn't be so amusing!
We too have only a PO Box, no other mail service! Why does nobody understand that!!!
Thanks for the laugh.

Amy said...

Hellstra gives me the SHITS!

They were nothing but trouble when we lived in Queensland. Now that we're in Victoria - as soon as contracts etc. run out - we're getting out of their boat.

Terrible Terrible company should be ashamed of themselves. Do you know anyone that says, "Oh, Telstra's service was just excellent!" No. That person does not exist because the devil company is just daft and aggravating!

xx

Sydney Shop Girl said...

I don't call them H-elstra without reason. I hope things work out soon. They do have the best reception though. I think they know this.

BTW, the jumpsuit does not say mutton in any way, shape or form.

SSG xxx

Sydney Shop Girl blog

Emma said...

Hellstra, ha ha! My husband worked for Optus for years... he will be delighted by this entry! x

emma @ frog, goose and bear said...

I'm just excited that you can order Country Rd online!! That jumpsuit is gorgeous!

Online is the only way to shop these days - and I live in the city ;)

I have had terrible, terrible trouble with Telstra in the past - Why do they never manage to just get it together?!?!

Donna said...

Your story is oh so true!! Last week our phone went down so I rang to report the fault - I was put through to "Carlos" in The Phillipines!! He didn't have a clue where I lived!! Thanks for the laugh and great comparison - gottta love Country Road!

Tales of a Tai Tai said...

Too true! All telecommunications companies drive me insane! Whereas online shopping, not so much. I love your new purchase! I did some myself yesterday at Asos.com - can't wait for those deliveries!

G said...

I won't start on Telstra... I can already feel my blood pressure rising and my head pounding. Country Road however, love it... was so pleased when I found they were online. I'm just waiting for the weather to chill so I can explore their virtual shelves for some woolly jumpers... and other bits too! gxo

Semi Expat said...

Telstra are as bad as British Telecom and EXPENSIVE too (with no service!)... Sorry, hate to "diss" Australian companies... Now though Country Road are V. GOOD at customer service and no wonder you are pleased with your lovely silk jumpsuit - can we see you in it?? X

Jane said...

Yes, it's a damning indictment of Telstra. When we moved from Sydney back to Hobart, we had to switch to them from Optus as Optus is so thin on the ground here. I don't want to think of the hours of my life I've wasted on the phone, waiting for Telstra to actually fix my problem. J x

A Farmer's Wife said...

Thanks everyone - well thank heavens for online shopping because Telstra are not giving me any joy.

I now have no mobile thanks to their mistake... Anyways, would love to switch to another provider but we live in an area with Telstra coverage only.
Am off to have a cup of tea now and think about something other than stupid telcos.

denise said...

So funny... and so true! Good to see you can make light and humour out of a very, very annoying scenario!

Faux Fuchsia said...

no Australian should have to live this way in 2011.

PlanningQueen said...

Love the jump suit. Just not game enough to try it myself!

A Farmer's Wife said...

Thanks everyone.

I am loving the jumpsuit.

Have got a prepaid mobile card and popped that in my old phone until next week. Apparently there is a way they can forward from my old number but can't face another round of phone calls with the big T so will just wait until next week.....

Glow said...

Many, many expletives have come to mind reading this. Being a city gal I have a choice of provider but I still get the Telstra idiots coming to the door trying to get me to sign back up - a few weeks ago one of them asked me who my mobile was through and when I told them iinet they tried to convince me that iinet didn't do mobiles -they've only recently started, but he really should've known that before he accused me of lying :P I gave him a big cheesy smile and told him to bugger off.

Anonymous said...

Hi A Farmer's Wife, My name is Brendan and I'm part of Telstra's social media team.

Sorry we've given you such a frustrating Telstra experience recently.

I'd like to do what I can to get this issue sorted out for you asap. Could you please send me you account number and a daytime contact number so I can have someone call you? You can use the online form here. Brendan

Amanda Kendle said...

Ooh did Brendan from Telstra ever help you out? Or did you (as I would) ignore him?

I too have had Telstra back at my door giving me bizarro reasons why I should come back to them - once they showed me a map pointing to where the depot was for my service provider and how far that was from my house and that's why my internet connection was so slow. Only my internet connection is more than satisfactory! They were very insistent that I was wrong. I also said I was saving $40 a month since I switched from them. Again, apparently I was wrong! I gave up being polite and just said goodbye after that.
Rewinding from the Fibro! (thought I'd never get to type that again!)

Maxabella said...

They are the WORST customer service experience in the WORLD. I don't even think you needed to tell your international readers who they are because EVERYONE in the WHOLE WORLD knows Telstra... by reputation. x

So Now What? said...

Telstra keep ringing our home phone/mobiles with a "Don't hang up, this is not a telemarketing call" Um yes it fucking well is. You want us to pay your bill and now you will wait. Took us 6 attempts to set up our modem because no one could help us. Now we will pay you at the very last minute.


Ahh :) Great post and I'll miss it here at the Fibro x

Daisy, Roo and Two said...

Oh Telstra! I think nearly everyone has a Telstra story! And up until recently they were our only service provider available because we live an entire hour and a half (I know, ridiculously far away, right? Or not) away from a capital city.
Great post!

Penny said...

My opening statement to Telstra now is, "Hello, can you put me through to the Complaints Department in Queensland in Australia please?" It saves a lot of time. ;-) That jumpsuit is divine! Found you via the Fibro.

Kellie said...

Oh, don't get me started on Telstra. The only thing they do on time is get their bills out! Grrrr.... :)

Seana Smith said...

Ahhh... your story is so funny and told with such restraint. So much more powerful than a ranting rant, and MUCH funnier. Thank you!

Mrs Woog said...

Yes yes yes! Agree totally! Pissed myself at the mutton dressed as lamb bit xxx

The Mummy Hat said...

Oh so true! I have a dislike/hate relationship with the a certain telecommunications company formerly known as Telecom. Each time I'm on the phone to them I'm singing to myself, round and round in circles, thanks to the morons there, one call, two transfers and I'm pulling out my hair!

Rewinding at the Fibro.

Life In A Pink Fibro said...

Love it. Telstra gives you nothing but indigestion. But I had exactly the same problem with them when I lived 8km from the Harbour Bridge.

Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro!