In an era where our dependence on the internet is undeniable, Shepparton’s recent data outage disrupted our daily lives unexpectedly.
The incident highlighted the profound impact such technological disruptions can have on various aspects of our routine.
Despite the challenges, Sharee Gibson’s appointment-based business model mitigated the impact on customer numbers.
Mrs Gibson, the owner of Kalsum Hair Studio in Kialla, was among the lucky ones. Her business is appointment-based, so she didn’t lose customers because of the data outage.
Still, she could not operate her EFTPOS machine. She navigated the predicament by offering her clientele alternative payment methods, such as paying cash or money transfer.
“Because everyone relies so heavily on their card to work, the data outage has been a major inconvenience,” she said.
Even so, Mrs Gibson couldn’t get around the communication hurdles she faced.
Messages to customers regarding appointments couldn’t be sent out, ultimately posing an unforeseen obstacle in maintaining regular business operations.
Due to the nature of their operations, restaurants seemed to have been impacted the most.
In Riverside Plaza, Degani employee Shakya Normington observed a distinct shift in customer numbers as the “cash only” signage deterred patrons, emphasising the ripple effect on sales and customer engagement.
“When customers see the ‘cash only’ sign, they just turn around,” she said.
“Nobody seems to be carrying cash these days.”
Degani staff contacted their EFTPOS service provider, but it could not resolve the situation, as the root cause extended beyond the scope of its operations.
The shared broadband infrastructure at Riverside Plaza, connecting local businesses and the ATM, compounded the problem.
Consequently, customers couldn’t even withdraw cash to pay for their meals, creating a snowball effect.
The repercussions were severe for businesses heavily reliant on digital platforms, such as Kebab Boyz. The absence of orders via platforms such as Menulog or DoorDash, which are integral to their operations, led to a sharp decline in sales.
Murat Ulu, from Kebab Boyz, was unequivocal about the impact the data outage had on the business.
“There’s been a significant drop in customers all week. It’s been rough,” he said.
“We usually receive orders through the apps (DoorDash and Menulog) every couple of minutes, but because of the data outage, we aren’t getting any.
“We aren’t getting any orders, and even if we did, we have no way of finding out.”
Mr Ulu said the broader community at Riverside Plaza, predominantly Telstra customers, faced similar challenges a couple of months back, prompting him to describe the situation as “getting ridiculous”.
“In our culture, we cannot send customers away without food. So, we have been offering a lot of food for free,” he said.
“Some people are really embarrassed by the situation and come back and pay, but some don’t.”
Mr Ulu said the incident emphasised the dangers of an over-reliance on digital systems, causing him to question whether the adage “cash is king” still holds true in a crisis.