Press release
	Performance Indicator Summary
	Residential Quality of Service Indicators

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 30 May 1997

DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE AND PHONE INSTALLATION STANDARDS SLIP

"The standards of service by Telecom for answering Directory Assistance calls and installing a phone have slipped," said Hon Robyn McDonald, Minister of Consumer Affairs in response to the Telecom performance indicators for the period October 1996-March 1997, released today .

"While Telecom have improved their performance in fixing faults, I am concerned about other performance areas reducing," the Minister said.

"The performance indicators show that the average time to answer a Directory Assistance call has increased by 90 percent. Telecom attribute this to a 28 percent increase in demand this year.

"I know they consider the solution is to reduce that demand through charging for Directory Assistance, but I believe service, not demand is the issue here," Robyn McDonald stated.

"My challenge to Telecom is if you provide a service, it should be of a high standard, irrespective of demand.

"In this day and age consumers are demanding a service level that meets or exceeds their expectations. Unfortunately, Telecom's performance in meeting customer's expectations for installing a telephone has also slipped in the last 12 months," the Minister said.

"Telecom's performance in the fault area has, however, improved as expected in the summer months. All fault indicators have either improved or remained the same. "Telecom has specified that they will be spending an additional $32 million on fixing faults and taking a number of initiatives to ensure faults performance remains at consistently high levels. I welcome this commitment," Robyn McDonald said.

"The challenge for Telecom is to improve their performance in meeting customer expectations. This involves improving performance in Directory Assistance and Service Provision and keeping performance in the faults area at similar improved levels over the winter months.

"I hope to see improvements by October when the next performance indicators are available," concluded the Minister.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Michelle Johns, Press Secretary
Telephone: (04) 471-9863 (W)
Pager: 026 103 335

Telecom Performance Indicator Summary (October 1996-March 1997)

Telecom's fault performance has improved upon the last period. All fault indicators have either improved or remained the same. This improved fault service appears to be behind the reduction in the number of customers writing in to complain. Summer is traditionally a period of reduced fault demand and the challenge is therefore to ensure faults performance remains at these high levels throughout the winter.

Indicators relating to Directory Assistance and Service Provision have slipped. The average time taken to answer a directory assistance call has increased significantly. The indicator which measures how well Telecom does in meeting customer requests to put the phone on has declined. This is an important indicator because it measures how Telecom is performing in meeting the customers' expectations.

On a positive note, the number of call minutes lost due to exchange outages dropped sharply and payphone availability has remained at high levels.

The main points are:

• the number of fault reports per 100 residential circuit ends decreased by 10% from 46 to 41.4.
• the percentage of faults outstanding after 4 days decreased by 52% to 3 percent of all faults.
• the number of written complaints about Telecom's service decreased by 15.8 percent.
• The average time to answer Directory Assistance calls has increased by 90.5 percent from 10.5 seconds to 20 seconds. This is 47.9 percent longer than the average time to answer Directory Assistance calls in the period October 1994 to September 1996.
• The percentage of service requests met the customer's requested installation time has decreased for the second consecutive period. The indicator has declined from 94 percent to 90.8 percent in the period from March 1996 to March 1997.

  Overall Telecom's performance has improved in the faults area but performance in the areas of Directory Assistance and installing a phone have slipped. Other indicators have improved or remained at similar levels compared to the previous period.

  Residential Quality of Service Indicators
  

  Service Provision

  1. The percentage of service requests that meet the customer's requested installation time.

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  94	93.3	90.8

  2. The percentage of intact service orders completed within 24 hours if requested by the customer

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  96	95.8	95.5

  3. The percentage of intact service orders that are not completed within 48 hours if the request by the customer is for installation with 24 hours.

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  0.7	0.7	0.8

  4. The percentage of service requests outstanding 96 hours after the installation date requested by the customer.

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  0.7	1.0	1.5

  Availability of Electronic Exchange Services

  5. Call-minutes lost in electronic exchange outages

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  52	27	12

  6. Number of party-lines

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  960	808	661

  Directory Assistance

  7* Average time to answer directory assistance calls (seconds)

  Apr 91- Sept 91	Oct 91- Mar 92	Apr 92- Sept 92	Oct 92- Mar 93	Apr 93- Sept 93	Oct 93- Mar 94	Apr94- Sept 94	Oct 94- Mar 95	Apr 95- Sept 95	Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  18.2	16.6	11.1	14.9	11.7	20.3	16.5	18.4	14.6	10.6	10.5	20

  8* Average time to handle directory assistance calls (seconds)

  Apr 91- Sept 91	Oct 91- Mar 92	Apr 92- Sept 92	Oct 92- Mar 93	Apr 93- Sept 93	Oct 93- Mar 94	Apr94- Sept 94	Oct 94- Mar 95	Apr 95- Sept 95	Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  35.2	35.5	35.5	34.9	31.3	34.2	35.8	35.7	34.3	33	33	32

  Directory Listings

  9. The percentage of correct residential white page listings (as a percentage of total residential listings)

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  99.96	99.95	99.95

  Complaints

  10. The number of written residential escalated complaints regarding any aspect of service or getting service

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  649	1130	951

  Faults

  11* Faults per 100 residential circuit ends

  Apr 91- Sept 91	Oct 91- Mar 92	Apr 92- Sept 92	Oct 92- Mar 93	Apr 93- Sept 93	Oct 93- Mar 94	Apr94- Sept 94	Oct 94- Mar 95	Apr 95- Sept 95	Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  55	45	45	42	42	47	48	50	47	41	46	41.4

  12. Percentage of repair commitments that meet the customer's request

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  78	80	80

  13. Percentage of faults cleared within 24 hours

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  60	54	60

  14. Percentage of faults outstanding after 96 hours

  Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  3	7.1	3.3

  Payphones

  15* Availability of electronic payphones

  Apr 91- Sept 91	Oct 91- Mar 92	Apr 92- Sept 92	Oct 92- Mar 93	Apr 93- Sept 93	Oct 93- Mar 94	Apr94- Sept 94	Oct 94- Mar 95	Apr 95- Sept 95	Oct 95- Mar 96	Apr 96- Sept 96	Oct 96- Mar 97
  97.7	98.1	98.1	98.5	99.1	98.7	98.6	95.3	96.4	98	97.7	97.9

  * Telecom performance indicators which can be compared with the original indicators.

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