Telstra: (inaudible), how may i help you today?

(phone is on speaker - cleaning house as a filler-activity - dash to pick up)
Hello …?

Hi, is that Dulan?

Yes, sorry i missed your name.

Alicia

Hi Alicia.

Dulan, in order to confirm your identity, for security purposes can you please say your full-name and date of birth?

Dulan Drift **** (redacted!!!)

And your address there?

****
Thank you, so how can we help you today, Dulan?

(repeat story - add:)

The situation is we feel like we’ve been abandoned. There’s no sign of anyone official doing anything, including Telstra. If no-one's doing anything, people need the internet to co-ordinate so they can do it themselves.

Yes, I understand your situation, Dulan, I'm looking at the computer now, there is an outage in your area. Due to a severe weather event.

Yep, we know that. But what was the damage exactly? What’s being done to fix it? When's it really coming back on? This is 7-days of out and counting.

I’m checking that information for you now, just bear with me…

Sure.

(computer keyboard clattering)

Yes, there was a scheduled outage on Feb 28 for 48 hrs …

A scheduled outage - what does that mean?

Then as you said, on Mar 3 when you first called, that was changed to severe weather event, and the estimated time for restoration was entered as 24 hrs, which was, ahr, was updated a further 24 hrs on the 4th, then, ahr, on the 5th it was updated to 36 hrs.

None of that information was correct btw - for training purposes.

These are just estimates, so it was correct information at the time it was given.

No it wasn't. It was ...

And.. today now your district has been updated to ‘indefinite’.

Indefinite? So Telstra’s answer after 7-days is: ‘Dunno’?

No, it’s not that Telstra doesn’t know, the technicians file 24 hr updates, this is just what they’ve written in for today.

Ok, can i speak to one of those technicians? Or anyone who does know? Coz all i’m hearing from Telstra so far is disinformation.

It’s not disinformation. The technicians are aware of an outage in your district - but they are very busy working to resolve the problem - they don’t have time to come to the phone.

Funny thing is, I can see the tower from my house, it’s still standing. I’m looking at it now. There’s no helicopters flying technicians in - no-one working on it busily or otherwise. I keep checking with the binoculars - there’s no-one there.

Due to severe weather, as well as Covid protocols, the technicians are working remotely.

Remotely?

Yes.

Doing what?

They’re working on multiple issues.

Such as?

I don't have access to that information. I can only tell you what’s coming up on the screen.

Sure. Can i speak to someone who does have access to the information? Telstra can’t just take away the internet when people need it most - say indefinite … not give an answer why.

I have given you an answer, but if you like, I could escalate your inquiry to …

Yes please.

Just hold the line for a moment, Dulan, i will discuss your matter with The Group. It will take a few minutes.

That’s fine - thank you Alicia.

(no muzak - 2 minutes later)

Hi Dulan, sorry to keep you waiting.

No problem.

I’ve discussed your case with The Group and was informed that we can’t escalate in cases of a severe weather event.

What? Why not?

Because it’s a severe weather event. It’s an evolving situation. The technicians are…

That’s a non-answer. The severe weather event was 7 days ago … What damage did it do?

The technicians are doing everything they can to restore the …

I don‘t think they are. I don’t think they’re doing anything except spreading disinformation - this is… (talking over each other)

Ok, Alicia, you talk first.

There has been a severe weather event, I have correctly given you the information I have on the screen - we understand your situation - we request you to please be patient and wait for the Outage Completion.

Wait for The Completion?

Yes. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

So, the answer is no answer.

No, the answer is the technicians are working on it remotely - we ask you to patiently wait for Completion.

(stunned silence)

Was there anything else I could help you with today?

What?

Was there anything else I could help you with today?