Aussie Broadband has emerged as the top performer for customer experience in contact centres ahead of Telstra, according to the latest Customer Experience Benchmarks report by CSBA.

The report, which assessed 208 Australian contact centres throughout 2023, ranked Telstra second, while Optus did not make the top five. The top five performers in order were Aussie Broadband, Telstra, iiNet, Vodafone, and TPG.

The telecommunications sector's median Benchmark score was 50%, among the higher performing sectors overall - for the 12 months to September 23 most sectors saw a drop in their scores, according to CSBA.

"The Telecommunication sector’s greatest opportunity lies in reducing the amount of effort customers have to expend, [ease]," CSBA said. "Despite sentiment being the top-scoring index in the telecommunication sector, basic behaviours such as seeking customer acceptance, confirming understanding of the information provided, and efforts to personalise the conversation are lacking."

Improvement was needed across all sectors, telcos' average performance "calls for attention," the benchmarks report said.

"While the Telecommunication sector performed well in several crucial aspects of frontline customer service, simplifying processes for customers, such as taking ownership of their inquiries and providing additional valuable information, can contribute to enhanced customer retention, making callers feel valued beyond being just a number," CSBA said. "Telecommunication contact centres have the opportunity to improve how they assist in helping customers achieve their goals. Employing more effective questioning techniques to grasp the customer's unique situationand summarising key points at the conclusion of an interaction is vital to ensure that customers conclude a call satisfied that all their queries have been addressed."

The report was based on 111,575 assessments by CSBA of 208 Australian contact centres through 2023.