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Seven axes switchboard operators

Exclusive: "Hello & thanks for calling Channel 7. If you know the extension of the person you are calling, please dial it now."

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EXCLUSIVE: A call to Channel 7 will now lead to an automated service, after the network quietly made its switchboard operators redundant.

Gone is the long-standing familiar voice of announcer John Deeks.

“Hello, and thanks for calling Channel Seven. If you know the extension of the person you are calling, please dial it now,” a woman’s voice announces.

“If you’d like program guide information, please go to freeview.com.au. For lottery results, please go to thelottcom.au. For Seven News, Sunrise and The Morning Show, please go 7news.com.au.

“For Seven Sport, please go to 7news.com.au/sport. For 7plus, go to 7plus.com.au.

“If you have a technical issue, please send an email to [email protected] and for general comments or enquiries, please email [email protected]”

Sources suggest a small number of roles were cut in the move to automation, while the network is monitoring early emails, most of which relate to programming feedback.

Seven declined to comment.

9 Responses

  1. Australian networks are not good at advertising how viewers can give feedback and receive a reply. Apart from phoning I never knew how else you could.

    1. This is deliberate. They don’t want this kind of feedback, because it is mostly negative and requires staffing. Formal Code complaints can be sent via mail or online via FreeTV site, but it doesn’t cover programming and scheduling for example. Networks used to have a “switchboard book” where calls would be logged and execs might look it over. It may still occur. May look at wider article.

  2. To be honest it’s no big loss ,I rang a few times to ask for technical help and that was difficult and if you wanted to speak to a programmer forget it ,the receptionist took a message and said I’ll pass it on ,least I can chat with the 9 programmer on occasion.

  3. Automated phone services is the way it is nowadays, there’s no avoiding it, the only real people who are likely to be on the line are fraudsters and telemarketers.
    No doubt COVID-19 has pushed the change over process along a bit.

  4. I’m told that viewer comments and or complaints won’t be responded to. Holding the viewers in utter disdain. Appalling state of affairs from one of the country’s richest men.

  5. I’ve sold mobile phone vision to Seven in the past by calling up the newsroom. Guess you’d have to contact them on Twitter now and hope for a reply.

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