Open Letter to Mr Sol Trujillo

Without Prejudice

Mr Trujillo, since you took over the pivotal role with Telstra:

1. Costs are up

2. Services are very much reduced. Across the board. Don't look to broadband successes, or provision of services to the outback (only), or profits, or shareholder happiness or your own salary et al as your benchmark of Telstra success Mr Trujillo. Become a basic customer of your own company and see what it is like at this point. It's not a happy engagement.

3. Errors are multiplying. Errors, errors, errors. In connections and in advice and it is people like me Mr Trujillo that have to make up the slack on these matters and often out of our own pocket. For the last two years I have experienced repeated Telstra errors. Don't worry, not in billing. The bill is generally correct even though I am probably paying almost double what I should be because your staff have failed to put me on the right plan, despite calls from me about the issue.

4. Telstra workers are demoralised. You might not have 'got' Australian culture Mr Trujillo but there was a time where, even if Telstra's company's policy was a bit wanting, you could generally get great service from the technicians. Your policies have effectively removed this and drained away client satisfaction.

5. The public face has become highly problemaitc. Your company appears to have shown problematic decisions and responses to do with social responsibility both in your advertising and in your services. Only these week we have the 'soft porn' issue re the Telstra site. Why is your company failing on these issues? How about only worrying about the bells and whistles on your website once you've got basic service 'right'?

Perhaps it's hard to see that good basic service reaps profit. It does.

6. Impractical processes are encouraged that multiply unnecessary costs.

With all this you still have the confidence, or the ego, to fight the new government. How do you feel you are serving the interests of the public, your clients Mr Trujillo with your sarcastic humour and 'tude?

We've not got a telecommunications carrier Australians can generally be proud of Mr Trujillo. Your governance has not improved service and pricing conditions. And still you argue free market pricing.

Embrace the Kumbaya (if you will) Mr Trujillo as, on your own, you're letting the fire go out.

I call upon the Labour government to do what they can to end Mr Trujillo's contract with Telstra.

Susan Plunkett