NEWS DESK
Phone cut chops into business Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au A MORNINGTON hairdresser of more than 30 years fears troubles with her NBN connection could jeopardise her business. Nonie Harvey, of Hair on Barkly, said her landline had been disconnected since 10 January after problems with her NBN connection. Repeated calls to service provider Optus always include what she termed “the usual run-around” as she is passed around departments – with no result. “It has now been five weeks since I was supposed to have the all-fabulous, fast, and very affordable NBN system installed into my business,” Ms Harvey said. But, so far, all she has received is frustration. “Who is at fault here?” asked Ms Harvey, an OPTUS customer for more than 20 years. “When I call them the support menu says, ‘Press 2 for business help with your NBN set-up’,” she said. “I then jump on the mouse wheel, while being on hold sometimes for 20 minutes or more, only to be told I have to speak to yet another person. So I stay on hold again. On and on it goes until I get transferred to another person who asks me the same questions. “After 75 minutes and seven different people, eventually I am told it is an NBN issue and I am put on hold again. The next chap then instructs me on how to install the modem over the phone – a procedure I have followed
more than 15 times. “Then that person makes an appointment for the NBN technician to come to my business and do the install set-up. This is the third time they have made such an appointment. And guess what? No-one came. “We now have three modems, and the guys yesterday said our phone is the problem. It’s not our phone.” Ms Harvey said she noticed a “huge change in our business traffic” as callers are told her number has been disconnected. “Our old and loyal clients have, thankfully, made an effort to find out why and come in to see us,” she said. “But we have spent a lot of money on advertising [listing the landline number] and for potential new customers to hear that message it is devastating.” Ms Harvey put a public notice in The News earlier this month to make customers aware she is open for business. “The phone is the lifeline of a hairdressing salon,” she said. NBN spokesperson Russell Kelly said the company “apologises for the interruption and is working hard to restore service”. “We have been working with the retailer to get the business reconnected as soon as possible,” he said. “Initially a fault was found in the wiring in the street and this was repaired. “A new appointment is now being arranged for an NBN technician to attend the site to conduct further tests and restore the service.”
Offline and on the brink: Nonie Harvey is frustrated at a lack of service from her phone company and NBN provider. Picture: Yanni
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20 February 2018
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