ACCAN National Consumer Perceptions Survey 2012

Jonathan Gadir, Senior Adviser – Policy & Research

Key Areas

• Main communication service• Non-participation in the market• Complaints and TIO awareness• Satisfaction with Internet on mobiles

• 2012 Snapshot: User and non-user attitudes to smartphones

Survey Objectives

• Enable accurate claims on consumer perceptions, attitudes, experiences that will help guide our work and advocacy

• Survey to track changes over time

Smartphone rapidly rising to dominate

0%

0%

1%

12%

16%

29%

42%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Don’t Know / Refused

Other

‘Smart’ mobile device (e.g. iPad, other tablet)

Home internet connection (ADSL, cable, dial-up etc.)

‘Traditional’ or ‘non-smart’ mobile phone

‘Fixed line’ phone at home

‘Smart’ mobile phone (e.g. iPhone, Galaxy)

Q5: What do you regard your main communications service now? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 800; effective sample size = 776 (97%)

Length of time with service provider

2%

8%

9%

10%

24%

46%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Joined in last month

Joined 7-12 months ago

Joined 2-6 months ago

Joined 4-5 years ago

Joined 1-3 years ago

Joined 5+ years ago

Q6: And how long ago did you sign up for that service? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 766; total n = 800; 34 missing; effective sample size = 743 (97%)

Attitudes towards main communications service

9%

15%

18%

19%

56%

62%

8%

11%

9%

49%

13%

9%

15%

4%

4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I am paying more than I expected to when I first signed up for this service

Main communications service off ers good value for money

Main communications service is good quality

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree

Q7: For each statement could you please tell me if you strongly agree, Agree, Neither Agree nor disagree, Disagree or Strongly Disagree? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 781; total n = 800; 19 missing; eff ective sample size = 757 (97%)

Total Disagree

13%

17%

64%

Total Agree

80%

71%

28%

Reasons for “bill shock”

9%

9%

8%

9%

17%

25%

34%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Don’t know

Other

Fees for additional services (e.g. roaming, premium calls)

Charged for services not used / error on bill

Did not monitor usage

Excess usage charges

Fees were higher than I realised / hidden fees

Q13: You mentioned you had received unexpectedly high bills. To the best of your knowledge what were the reasons for your high bills? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 129; total n = 800; 671 missing; effective sample size = 125 (97%)

76% made a complaint to provider when they last had a problem

76% 74%78%

66%

78%85%

24% 26%22%

34%

22%15%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total Male Female 18-34 years 35-54 years 55+ years

Yes No

Q16: On the last occasion, did you make a complaint to your provider? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 562; total n = 800; 238 missing; effective sample size = 546 (97%)

Satisfaction with response of service provider to last complaint

19%

17%

9%

32%

24%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Very dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Satisfied

Very satisfied

Q17: Thinking about the last compaint, how satisfied were you with the response of your service provider? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 431; total n = 800; 369 missing; effective sample size = 420 (97%)

Where would you take a complaint?

5%

16%

32%

1%

1%

1%

2%

2%

3%

16%

30%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

None

Other

Don’t know

Your local Member of Parliament

The media (Today Tonight, A Current Affair)

A lawyer

State Ombudsman

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

State Office of Consumer Affairs (e.g. NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Vic.)

The Ombudsman

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (the TIO)

Q11: You have tried to resolve your problem with your service provider directly, but with no success. Who would you then go to? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 800; effective sample size = 776 (97%)

96% did not take latest complaint to the TIO

4%

96%

Yes No

Q18: Again, thinking of that last complaint, did you take your complaint to the TIO? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 431; total n = 800; 369 missing; effective sample size = 420 (97%)

Reasons for not taking complaint to TIO

2%

13%

4%

8%

10%

12%

58%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Don’t know

Some other reason specify

Didn’t think they could help me

Didn’t think it was important enough

Didn’t know about the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

It was too much effort / too much hassle

The complaint was resolved

Q20: Why didn't you take your complaint to the TIO? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 541; total n = 800; 259 missing; effective sample size = 526 (97%)

Satisfaction with internet on smartphone

15%

9%

17%

15%

17%

29%

52%

50%

51%

55%

5%

18%

7%

9%

9%

42%

17%

20%

18%

14%

10%

4%

6%

6%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I keep track of my data usage

Mobile internet download speeds are getting better

My service provider gives me enough information to allow me to easily monitor my data usage

The service is fast enough for me to do everything I need to

The service is reliable enough for me to do everything I need to

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree

Q9: For each of the following statements could you please tell me if you Strongly agree, Agree, Neither agree nor disagree, Disagree or Strongly agree? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 368; total n = 800; 432 missing; eff ective sample size = 357 (97%)

21%

19%

26%

52%

Total Disagree

72%

67%

44%

Total Agree

24%66%

61%

Attitudes toward own smartphone use

1%

5%

6%

6%

14%

9%

20%

14%

7%

18%

21%

22%

40%

44%

38%

55%

66%

52%

52%

48%

31%

34%

33%

14%

22%

21%

15%

14%

13%

7%

7%

4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I experience problems with my eyes because of it

When I’m without it, I feel anxious

I find the touch screen difficult to use when writing SMS and emails

I like using it in public places because I can shut out what is going on around me

I sleep next to it

I pay less attention to what is going on around me when I use it

I never switch it off

I think my smart mobile device has a positive impact on my life in general

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

Q32d-o: For each statement could you please tell me if you strongly agree, Agree, Neither Agree nor disagree, Disagree or Strongly Disagree? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 454; total n = 800; 346 missing; effective sample size = 440 (97%)

18%

41%

73%

Total Disagree

69%

53%

23%

Total Agree

40%58%

54%

88%8%

62%28%

67%27%

44%

77% of non-smartphone users think others spend too much time on them

2%

27%

33%

15%

38%

44%

7%

13%

8%

51%

19%

13%

26%

3%

2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I feel like I'm missing out by not having one

I don’t like others using them in public because it makes them unaware of what is going on around

them

I think others spend too much time on them

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree

Q33b-p: For each statement could you please tell me if you strongly agree, Agree, Neither Agree nor disagree, Disagree or Strongly Disagree? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 323; total n = 800; 477 missing; effective sample size = 316 (98%)

15%

22%

77%

Total Disagree

77%

65%

17%

Total Agree

Fixed line phone that does not require mains power

34%

66%

Yes No

Q2: And thinking of the fixed line phones that you've got at home, have you got one that does not need to be plussed into a power point? Total sample; Weight: Age, gender, location (ABS 2011); base n = 800; = 776 (97%)

To conclude

Questions•USO applies to a service (fixed line phone) that 29% say is their main service. Where to from here?•Communications services as a utility – are people resisting participation in the market?