Modifying the contracted service plan, canceling a telephone line, demanding portability to another company or filing a claim is sometimes more difficult than consumers would like. With the aim of paving this way for citizens, the Council of Ministers has approved limiting the waiting time to be answered by phone at customer service to three minutes.
What new features does the preliminary draft of the Customer Service Law include?
In addition to setting a waiting time limit, the new rule establishes that companies are obliged to maintain personalized communication with the client, both by telephone and electronically, when the latter makes a query, complaint, claim or reports an incident.
For a better solution of the problems, a limit period of 15 days is established for the companies to respond to the claims.
Which companies will the future law affect when it is approved in Congress?
The future law will affect supply service companies such as water or energy, transportation, electronic and telephone communications, as well as financial services. It will also apply to large companies with more than 250 workers regardless of the sector in question.
What sanctions can be applied to non-compliant companies?
To examine compliance with the standard, companies will have to set up an evaluation system to verify that it meets the requirements. This system will be audited by external companies accredited by the National Accreditation Entity. In case of non-compliance, companies will face fines of up to 100,000 euros for the most serious cases
Is this rule going to help make it easier to process a cancellation or a complaint?
In principle, the regulation is designed to put an end to the “headaches of families” when they have to deal with customer service, according to the words of the Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón. But, from the consumer organization OCU they warn that “the rule can remain a dead letter, if the Autonomous Communities, those in charge of monitoring and sanctioning non-compliance, do not comply with their obligation.”
“Sometimes one of the main things you work for is that waiting times for an advisor to attend to you take longer than necessary, so limiting said wait will make the satisfaction of the person requesting help better,” he says, for his part. , Rocío Esteban, customer service expert at Rastreator.
What is the most direct way to unsubscribe or request portability from a mobile phone operator?
In the first place, from the OCU they advise to check well if the permanence has ended and if there is a penalty clause for not finishing the contract in a certain period. If it is a portability, it is advisable to carefully review the conditions and prices offered by other companies so that the change is worthwhile.
If you want to keep the same number, you must request the portability of the line. The company to which you go will be in charge of executing the cancellation in your current operator and that you keep the telephone number. From the OCU they remind us of the importance of being careful not to charge us a single euro more from the moment the withdrawal becomes effective, that is, two days after requesting it. “In order to prove the date on which you requested the withdrawal, it is possible to send a certified letter with acknowledgment of receipt to the company,” they remember from the OCU.
Is it convenient to confirm the cancellation with the company? How to avoid data errors?
If you change the rate or request to cancel a service or the contract in its entirety, it is advisable to confirm with a second call or by requesting a written confirmation that the procedure has been recorded and ordered. The conditions agreed with the operator cannot be breached. The client must save the contract and check that there are no errors. Otherwise, you can exercise the right of withdrawal within a maximum period of 14 days.
How to file a complaint in case of dissatisfaction or failure to execute the transfer to another company?
First, a formal complaint must be made to the customer service of the telephone company in question. When the new rule comes into force, companies will be required to respond to claims within a maximum period of 15 days. If the answer is not convincing or does not solve the problem, there is always the option of going to a Consumer Arbitration Board or going to court.
