Southern Phone Broadband Questions & Answers (page 7 of 7)

Not an answer, but yes, that's my feeling Fiona. The "we've been inundated & are trying our best to manage" reasons provided just don't cut it from a large company who would / should have the infrastructure in place, or at very least the ability to mobilise it quickly in times of need. The Linkedin profile of Southern's MD describes him as a 'commercially driven senior executive in charge of strategy & execution'. Commercially driven? Perhaps, they may be making money right now, but it is at the expense of customers who have been left in need. Commerce relies on repeat business & at the heart of repeat business is customers receiving & continuing to receive a service they value. A very short term approach. Strategy? Perhaps it sounded like a good decision in the boardroom but the helpless Southern team at the coalface is now managing the fallout. Execution? There may be some requests from the public gallery judging by the feedback on this forum :)) but in a business sense, execution is sadly lacking here. My question would be when did he come on board? Something is seriously wrong. I hope it changes for Southern before it is too late - the concept & original ideal was a good one.

Thank you for your acknowledgement validation, and added information Lee. I thought S.P. was a not for profit set up to help country and regional people? I've started work on complaints process -merry-go-round so far.

We went with Southern Phone in 2011 because of it's reputation with some of our friends, and because of the following taken straight from their web site.
"We were formed in 2002 after receiving $4.77 million in funding from the Australian Government’s Networking the Nation scheme. Our vision was to deliver more affordable telecommunications services to regional communities and to share our success with those communities. Under our Constitution, only Australian Local Government Councils can hold shares in Southern Phone Company Ltd. Our dividends are paid to our Local Government shareholders and used for the benefit of their local communities.
We now serve a national customer base, from Cape York to Zeehan, from Bega to Broome. We provide more than 130 jobs at our Moruya (NSW) head office and we’ve returned millions of dollars to regional communities since we declared our first dividend in 2009. " Southern Phone Company Ltd is an unlisted public company and only Local Councils can be shareholders. This means all profits are returned to the community through the Local Councils. No individuals may own shares in the Company".
We have had no trouble until the beginning of this year and then 'All Hell has let loose'. Southern Phone is certainly in disarray, particularly with their customer service. While the new Managing Director has a lot to answer for, some basic human respect as opposed to rude, arrogant, condescending technicians and customer service personnel would go a long way to soothing ruffled feathers.

This company will bend you over for as long as they can while they reach in your pocket and take as much as they can. LEAVE NOW. So I had literally the same issue as you were my speeds were less than 10% that were advertised and my old ADSL was way faster.

Step 1: Record you the speeds and save them, they will ask for this so they can prolong you and screw you over longer so you might aswell have it ready. I sent mine in and no one even looked or attached it to my account...
Step 2: Tell them what you want and how you want it and do not change, be aggressive and stubborn. Their job is to swindle you to pay the extreme exit contract fee. DO NOT PAY!
Step 3: File an official complaint after they juggle you around for hours promising the world and how they will have a technician out to fix your satellite in no time only to have him come and have the orders to move the f**king dish to a new location!
Step 4: Wait for them to hastily call you back nearly immediately after they receive the formal complaint as its really the only way to get in contact with them.
Step 5: After they weasel their way around it all and screw you over for even longer, re-file your complaint with exactly what you want, which is way the F**K OUT!
Step 6: REPEAT steps 1-5 until you are free.
Step 7: Sweet release! Join a proper ISP.

P.S My preference is Barefoot Telecom as they fit with my situation and have no contract or fees at all, just the 1 internet bill that you pay each month, 1 month at a time. Also the speeds are great and the customer service with them is perfect, but I'd say most of the high ranking ISP's on this page are good. I literally rang up on a Monday afternoon and was connected by mid day Tuesday. Also buy your own modem the ones most ISP's offer are trash for any person using more than emails.

It depends on what you are paying for and what time you did your speed test and if you used their recommended sight. In my experience with southern phone they make you use their own speed test sight which gives very poor information as sometimes you connect to servers in Victoria which is useless. Also at peak times the speeds for me dropped to next to nothing.

Check airplane mode is off, laptop is wireless compatible,NBN router is working as should be for wireless.

Have to agree with Kenny, dont have a problem with my laptop or tablet when i move from room to room,note, we are fibre to the node so not sure if that means anything.

thank you so much it took me awhile it was on airplane mode thank you thank

Sorry no NBN in my area yet so I can't help. In all areas other than good deals (plans) I've found SP fantastic. Am amazed at some of the negative feedback here.

Nope I got mine in double quick time and it works great. I too have found Southern phone great, I'm also shocked at the negative feedback. After having been with Optus and Telstra previously, I've been with Southern phone for many years now.

I've been with Southern Phone for over 6 years without problems until NBN made their local connection on the 26th September 2016 at which point, I lost my internet and landline connection. Unfortunately, Southern Phone were pathetic with their promises and services - the result being I was without any reliable NBN service until mid-November. Even though I had ordered an NBN bundle from Southern Phone two months before the NBN connection, it seemed to me that Southern Phone were completely unprepared for the NBN. I have complained twice by letter to the Managing Director, David Joss and haven't even received an acknowledgement. Mr Joss was appointed 1st July 2016. My experience under his stewardship has been very unsatisfactory. Even now, I am still having problems with their billing.

did you figure it out how long it does actually?

did you figure it out how long it does actually?

Unknown

Product reviews dont look good .hope i havn.t signed up with a pup !guess i shall contact the ombudsman

Southern actually offered to break the contract themselves, based on them not being able to deliver a reliable service and us making a nuisance of ourselves to them. Maybe try being their biggest PIA and you might win

I had a similar experience, signed up contract for NBN, under their 'you are being recorded' statement rubbish. It was fraught with danger... may be good customer service in that you speak to a real person... However with Southern Phone I would rather speak to an automated message or call centre, as I feel they would actually listen. Anyway... I contacted them the same day to cancel the contract, I just was not confident with the whole process. Very rude guy who obviously wanted us off the phone ASAP so he could get his commission.
I wrote an email trying to get then to put in writing to cancel, no response. I rang, then rang again and again asking them if the order had been cancelled, after speaking with about 6 different people, and getting different answers each time, and recording the date and time, who I spoke with and what they said to me each time... I finally got one of SP's people to let me know that the order had been cancelled. Promptly recorded date, time, name of person I spoke with.
Yes being a PIA worked on that occasion. !

Hi Jess, one of the samsung phones that i recieved was a bit dodgy but SP replaced it after 1 phone call,have found SP to be a great telco do do business with for the past 7 years.

Hi Gary,yes they do and a monthly statement w all calls and charges,tx Greg

I have not as yet received a contract 3 or 4months later.i was supposed to get the Internet through southern but that didn't happen.still getting bills from Telstra ,so going to stay with Telstra,southern phones need to get their act together .

Hi Gary, no you do not get a contract, you get a welcome letter telling you what plan you are on etc, however their contracts are recordings, not hard copied.