Four Manila contact centre agents havebeen suspended for allegedly sending abusive texts to five customers, Telecom has disclosed today.

In a statement releasedthis afternoon Telecom says its fraud and technical teams have worked withother service providers to track the messages, and are in a position to confirmthat the messages originated in Manila. The statement is as follows:

Telecom and it’s outsource partner in Manila Sitel have identified four individuals involved andsuspended them pending further investigation. Because of the seriousness of thecomplaints and content of the messages, the appropriate local authorities willalso be notified of the activity.

Telecom’s General ManagerCustomer Services Trish Keith says all ofTelecom’s customer service teams set themselves the highest standards and willbe feeling let-down by the irresponsible actions of these few individuals. “Wehave over 1500 team members in New Zealand and 800 in Manila and they will allbe massively disappointed by this event.”

The name of the individualsinvolved in the abusive messages will not be released by Sitel or Telecom.Telecomhas contacted the customers who our recordsshow received the texts to apologise, assist them and keep them updated on theinvestigation and its outcomes.