Welcome to Stay Connected
This newsletter has been created as a quick, practical way to share useful tips for customers, community providers, and members, a snapshot of emerging themes, and key sector changes worth having on your radar.
How to use our services
Tried to sort out an issue with your telco provider and haven’t been able to resolve it?
We’re free to use, and we’re here to help.
The process:
Get in touch - we’ll listen to your complaint, explain how we can help, and make sure you’re connected with the right person at your telco.
We facilitate a conversation to get you and your telco on the same page.
If needed, a mediator can step in to help you and your telco explore solutions.
If an agreement can’t be reached, we will review the information and make a ruling.
Introducing Simon Thomson
This month I started as Chief Executive of TDR, and I’m delighted to be on board.
I've spent much of my career working in and around telecommunications and the consumer interface, and I’m looking forward to bringing that experience to this role.
I would like to acknowledge and thank Herman and the Board for their strong leadership over the past couple of years. Their hard work has laid the foundation for TDR to respond to the changing expectations and needs of consumers and the sector. My focus will be ensuring we maintain a free, fair, trusted and independent service for consumers, growing awareness and membership of the TDR scheme, and continuing to deliver value to our members.
Over the coming months, I look forward to connecting with consumers and stakeholders to get their take on the opportunities in this ever-changing sector and how TDR can adapt and evolve.
Cost of living
We know consumers are finding the fuel crisis, winter energy bills, and increasing living costs pinching alread tight household budgets. We’re encouraging families to review their phone and internet plans now to head off potential financial strain down the track.
What a good complaint looks like… And why it doesn’t involve AI
Something goes wrong. You ask the business to fix it. Nothing happens. Now you want to make a complaint. But what does a good complaint look like?
It’s tempting to turn to AI for the first draft. Complaints written with AI can appear polished and well-researched on the surface. In reality, they are often too long, complicated, and full of legal-sounding jargon.
Our telco members are reporting a spike in these kinds of complaints - and we’re seeing them too. It’s causing longer response times and slower resolution, leaving all parties unhappy.
AI is useful for many things, but when it comes to writing complaints, it can bury the core issue under a heap of generic or wide-sweeping claims.
This leaves providers spending more time unpacking the complaint to understand the root issue.
Writing a complaint doesn’t need to be complicated:
- Get straight to the point - be clear and succinct about what the issue is and how it came about.
- Avoid being too broad or generic - use plain language and stick to the specific issue you need resolved.
- Say what you want to happen - whether you want a fix, refund, or explanation, be upfront about what you’re seeking.
An effective complaint gets you a solution to your problem. The clearer and simpler your complaint, the quicker it can be resolved.
Case study
How patchy coverage led to a complaint
After switching mobile providers, one customer found their calls kept dropping on a familiar stretch of road. Frustrated by the lack of response from their provider, they brought the issue to TDR.
What followed highlights the difference between poor coverage and misleading claims, and how providers are expected to respond when things go wrong.
Telecommunications Monitoring Report 2025
The technology available at your address can make a big difference to your online experience.
The Commerce Commission’s latest report shows that your connection’s speed, reliability, and performance can vary across fibre, fixed wireless, and satellite services.
Check out the Commission’s interactive map to see what options are available in your area, or go to your provider’s website for specific coverage options.
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