TIO data for FY25 Q3 shows that the overall telco complaint volume remained steady with 15,385 received from January to March 2025, reflecting a slight increase of 0.6 per cent compared with the previous quarter (October-December 2024). Mobile service and internet complaints remain the highest proportion of all complaints at 43.9 per cent and 40.6 per cent respectively, although complaints about mobile have dropped 8.1 per cent when compared with the previous quarter. 

However, consumers contacting the TIO with issues related to financial hardship or repayment arrangements have leapt 71.9 per cent compared with the same period last year, though it has decreased by 8.1 per cent against the previous quarter. Recurring themes within financial hardship complaints include telcos refusing payment plans or extensions, offering unsuitable or unaffordable payment arrangements and service disconnection or suspension. 

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert commented: “Financial hardship remains a real concern for consumers contacting the TIO and its impacts can be severe. What our data reveals is that telcos still have work to do in terms of providing tailored support and repayment options for people that reflect their individual circumstances – there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Disconnection or suspension of essential telco services should absolutely be a last resort.”

Meanwhile, complaints made by small businesses went up 6.9 per cent quarter on quarter, with 1767 complaints. The report has partly attributed this increase to service issues following the 3G network shutdown, with the most significant increases in complaints related to poor mobile coverage and intermittent service or dropouts.

Poor mobile coverage problems are on the rise for small-business consumers, as well as residential consumers, increasing by 25.3 per cent across the board. 

Gebert commented: “For the second consecutive quarter, we’ve seen complaints from small businesses rise, this time by close to 7 per cent. What we’re hearing from small businesses is how serious the impact of persistent mobile and internet problems is on their ability to provide good customer service and operate efficiently.

“It’s impacting people’s livelihoods and something telcos should be working closely with their small business customers to address,” Gebert concluded.

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In my role as mayor of a South Australian council, I’ve seen how a simple post about bin collection can spiral into accusations of corruption or incompetence.

Online forums that once helped neighbours connect have become echo chambers of anger and misinformation. 

A well-intentioned update can be met with outrage – sometimes anonymous, sometimes from people you’ve known for years.

And it’s not just happening in government or business. Small businesses are feeling it too.

These days, a delayed delivery, a missed call, or a perceived slight can trigger complaints that feel completely out of proportion. Where once someone might have raised a concern quietly, now the default is to go public – and go hard.

Edelman’s latest annual Trust Barometer calls it what it is: a crisis of grievance.

It’s not just that people are complaining more – it’s that trust is fraying. Many people no longer give the benefit of the doubt. They assume the worst before asking a single question.

For small business owners – already under pressure – the impact is real. You might be dealing with a complaint while juggling payroll, stock levels and school pick-up. 

So what can be done?

How to deal with grievances

First, it helps to remember that complaints may be your cheapest form of market research. They often contain useful signals about what’s not working, what needs improving, or what matters most to your customers.

However, when a complaint turns into a grievance, it can feel like it’s been weaponised – used not to solve a problem, but to cause harm. And that can be deeply unsettling, especially when you’re doing your best.

The Edelman Trust Barometer offers some much-needed guidance. Its advice is clear: influence is earned through compassion, not power.

If we approach grievances the old-fashioned way – starting with listening – perhaps we can begin to turn the tide.

Even when the criticism feels unfair or comes in hot, listening first helps. A genuine response – acknowledging what’s been raised, explaining your decision, or offering to make it right – can go a long way.

And when something can’t be done? Say so. Clearly and respectfully. Most people understand that not everything is possible – but they want to feel they’ve been heard.

Being consistent, transparent, and kind matters. Especially now.

It’s also worth remembering that for every person making noise online, there are many others who value your work and the effort you make every single day. Don’t let the loudest voices drown out the quiet support.

We are all working in environments where trust has been chipped away – by politics, by polarisation, by the pace of change. But that’s exactly why small acts of decency, honesty and accountability are so powerful right now.

I keep coming back to the work of Adam Kahane, who reminds us in Collaborating with the Enemy that we don’t have to like each other to work together. But we do need to respect one another enough to listen, to stay at the table, and to find a way forward.

Rebuilding trust won’t happen overnight. But every respectful conversation, every fair response, every calm explanation helps. 

In a time of grievance, those who lead with grace stand out. And for small businesses, that might be your greatest strength.

The post “I’ve never seen consumers so quick to complain” – here’s how to respond in an age of grievance appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The report found that residential consumers and small businesses made 15,297 complaints to the TIO between October and December 2024. While the lack of phone or internet service and intermittent connection remain the primary complaints (a 44.1 per cent and 21.1 per cent increase respectively), a significant number of complaints pertained to the impact of the 3G network shutdown, especially during the 2024 Q4 period.

Small businesses have been found to be impacted greatly by the 3G shutdown during 2024 Q4, which contributed to the 12.8 per cent increase in complaints from small businesses, which broke the record of four consecutive quarters of minimal complaints filed by the small-business sector against telcos. In fact, there were large increases in complaints from SMEs due to no phone or internet service (up 58.9 percent) and poor mobile coverage (up 35.4 per cent). Businesses seeking compensation for financial loss also increased six per cent compared to the previous quarter.
 
Complaints coming back unresolved by providers also surged, up 14.7 per cent from the previous quarter. The main issues reported in unresolved complaints continue to be no or delayed action by provider, service and equipment fees and intermittent service or dropouts.

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Cynthia Gebert commented, “We have seen an increase in consumers reaching out who are frustrated with their telcos. Everyone should have access to the service they’re promised, yet we are seeing an increase in persistent challenges with patchy service and dropouts, and no phone or internet service.”

Geber added, “I appreciate the work telcos do to resolve complaints directly, but with more people and small businesses reaching out to my office for help, there is clearly more that can be done. It is encouraging to see the drop-off in 3G shutdown complaints in December, yet we are continuing to hear from people in rural and regional Victoria who are facing ongoing challenges. I implore the telcos to keep working on solutions that ensure equal access to reliable and phone and internet service for all people in Australia.”

The post Telco complaints surge among SMEs during last quarter, 3G shutdown appeared first on Inside Small Business.

Small businesses took 4,466 complaints to AFCA in 2023-24, a rise of 17 per cent on the previous financial year.

“This record number of complaints to AFCA reflects the pressure small businesses are under as they struggle to manage challenges with cash flow and financing, along with higher costs and interest rates,” said AFCA’s Lead Ombudsman for Small Business Suanne Russell.

Business loans were again the most commonly complained about financial product in complaints from small businesses to AFCA, rising 16 per cent. The top five products were rounded out by complaints related to business transaction accounts, commercial property, credit cards and commercial vehicles.

“This year we saw an 84 per cent increase in complaints around interpretation of product terms and conditions – again, we encourage financial firms to make sure they’re communicating clearly and effectively with small business customers,” Russell noted.

“We expect financial difficulty complaints to continue to rise in the coming year,” she added. “We encourage small businesses to talk to their financial service providers if they are facing challenges, and we urge financial firms to adequately address requests from customers if they need help to get through temporary difficulty.”

In addition, small businesses lodged 263 complaints in relation to scams in 2023-34, a rise of 48 per cent. Russell explained that given the limited resources to dedicate to fraud prevention, and often larger amounts in accounts, small businesses could be vulnerable to scams.

“Scams are a growing threat to small businesses and can have a significant impact on business owners. We believe financial service providers should enhance protections for their small business customers to help prevent these damaging losses.

“We also welcome the introduction of legislation for the government’s Scams Prevention Framework, which aims to enhance scams prevention as well as the response to consumers and small businesses impacted by scams.” 

Last financial year, AFCA closed 4,380 small business complaints, securing $20 million in compensation for small businesses in cases where complaints were upheld.

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