Sector average score
53
Knowledge & Expertise
52
Style of Communication
58
Speed of Resolving Problems
49
Valuing the Customer
53
We have a new leader at the top of the Telecommunications in Australia table. Windstream has surged into pole position by adding +7 to its Overall Effort Score, breezing past Vodafone.
The brand now leads in all component pillars except for Style of Communication, where Vodafone still has the edge.
Elsewhere in the table, we’ve seen Optus close the gap with Telstra at fourth – now just four points in it.
Rank
1
Knowledge & Expertise
61
Style of Communication
60
Speed of Resolving Problems
64
Valuing the Customer
64
2
Knowledge & Expertise
57
Style of Communication
61
Speed of Resolving Problems
55
Valuing the Customer
59
3
Knowledge & Expertise
51
Style of Communication
58
Speed of Resolving Problems
45
Valuing the Customer
51
4
Knowledge & Expertise
49
Style of Communication
58
Speed of Resolving Problems
42
Valuing the Customer
48
5
Knowledge & Expertise
43
Style of Communication
52
Speed of Resolving Problems
39
Valuing the Customer
44
Brand
Effort
i
The Overall Effort Score is calculated using modelling on the results recorded in each of the four pillars
63
58
50
48
44
Knowledge & Expertise
i
Having knowledgable customer service agents that can clearly explain details to customers impacts the score in the ‘Knowledge & Expertise’ pillar
61
57
51
49
43
Style of Commun-
ication
i
How polite customer service staff are and whether they can communicate in a customers’ chosen language contribute to ‘Style of Communication’
60
61
58
58
52
Speed of Resolving Problems
i
A quick resolution and short holding times ensure a strong ‘Speed Solving the Problem’ score
64
55
45
42
39
Valuing the Customer
i
Companies that make their customers feel valued and understand their needs perform well in the ‘Understanding & Valuing the Customer’ pillar
64
59
51
48
44
NPS
i
32
-25
-40
8
-14
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Last updated: Jul 2025
Next update: Oct 2025
While the measures will improve customer service, these pressures will only increase what consumers expect. Brands that fall short will likely see huge hits to their Customer Effort Score in future waves, particularly in the Valuing the Customer pillar. Utilising AI to ensure consistent and compliant customer communications has never been so important, but brands can't afford to lose the human touch either.
An improvement in service across the market should result in fewer reasons for consumers to get in touch with their telco provider in the first place, but if customers are paying more, they’ll expect even higher standards and faster solutions when they do. ‘Knowledge & Expertise’ and ‘Speed of Resolving Problems’ will likely become even more important as the rollout takes effect.
Customer Effort Scores for the quarter are presented in the rankings, ordered by highest Overall Effort Score first, to show which brand scored highest with its customers for that period. Individual brand ratings against the four pillars take us underneath that Overall Effort Score, with brand-specific explanatory analysis from the CEI Editorial team.
You can use the display above to toggle between score, ranking and individual pillars. Clicking 'Performance Tracker' enables you to analyse the performance over time.
The Customer Effort Index is calculated using a self-referential scale that is recomputed every wave based on what the minimum and maximum values are. This enables us to see how each brand is performing compared to the others within the data set. See About for more on the methodology.
