Misdiagnosed Fault, Potentially Costing Customer Thousands of Dollars

Overview

This case study outlines a recent job carried out by SECURE A COM in Cronulla, where our technician, Jason, resolved a connection issue that had been improperly diagnosed by a previous service provider. The client, who had just moved from Adelaide, experienced difficulties with their phone and internet connection after an initial visit from a Telstra technician.

The Situation

The customer, a recent arrival from Adelaide, had just moved into a new property in Cronulla and was experiencing connectivity issues with their internet and phone line. On Monday, a Telstra technician was dispatched to inspect the problem. The property had three phone sockets: one in the bedroom, one in another room, and one in the kitchen.

After some investigation, the technician concluded that the sockets and cables were corroded and could not be fixed. He left without reconnecting the sockets properly and suggested that the customer would need a new cable installed from their apartment to the Main Distribution Frame (MDF), a job that would cost thousands of dollars.

Uncertain of the diagnosis, the customer contacted SECURE A COM to get a second opinion.

Investigation

Jason from SECURE A COM arrived on site to inspect the cables and verify the previous technician’s claims. He found the main socket, which had an old Telstra 610 series socket, connected to a single yellow cable leading into a conduit. Using a line test set on the blue and white pair (pair number one), Jason performed a series of tests to check the integrity of the cable.

• Cable Testing: Jason connected the test equipment to the cables and found no signs of corrosion or fluctuation in the connection. The cable tested perfectly, demonstrating that the initial diagnosis of corroded cables was incorrect.
• Signal Tracing: To ensure the cable reached the MDF, Jason used an F-set to send a tone down the line. He then went to the MDF and confirmed that the signal was present, proving that the existing cable was in good working condition.

Findings

The initial Telstra technician’s assessment was found to be inaccurate. The cables were not corroded, and the connection issues were not due to faulty wiring as initially suggested. Instead, the NBN technician had left the job incomplete, not reconnecting the cables properly and leaving the socket covers screwed back without reconnecting the internal wires.

Jason reconnected the cables correctly and reinstalled the socket as it should have been done originally, resolving the connectivity issue in under 20 minutes.

Outcome

By conducting a thorough and professional examination, SECURE A COM was able to save the customer a significant amount of money. The unnecessary recommendation of installing a new cable was avoided, and the client was able to retain their existing setup without incurring the exorbitant costs suggested by the initial technician.

Jason’s work demonstrated the importance of a second opinion and proper diagnostic testing, which Telstra failed to provide in this instance. As a result, SECURE A COM recommended that the customer pursue reimbursement from Telstra for the costs incurred due to the initial misdiagnosis.

Conclusion

This case highlights the critical need for accurate diagnostics in telecommunications. The initial Telstra technician misled the customer, potentially costing them thousands in unnecessary repairs. By employing thorough testing and expertise, SECURE A COM was able to identify and rectify the real issue promptly, ensuring that the customer was not subjected to needless expense or continued service disruption.

Telstra’s contractors need to uphold a higher standard of service to avoid such costly and frustrating situations for their customers. Proper training and accountability measures should be implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

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