§ 138-29. Customer service hours; capabilities of customer service office; adequate staffing and equipment, and telephones.*

A. 

In order to facilitate the needs of the local customers or subscribers, an MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section shall maintain a customer or subscriber service office which is:

(1) 

Located within the corporate boundaries of the Town, or no further than two miles outside the Town limits;

(2) 

Accessible to the physically and ambulatory-impaired; and

(3) 

Adequately staffed during business hours to handle both the walk-in and telephonic traffic of customers or subscribers.

B. 

The local service office shall be open at least 40 hours per week, exclusive of holidays.

C. 

Within the 40 hours per week that the local service office must be open, an MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section shall be required to provide staffed office hours either two evenings a week until 7:00 p.m., or four hours on Saturday, if not prohibited by rule or regulation of the PSC. No MCS provider shall be required to keep the office open and staffed both on evenings and on Saturday.

D. 

The local service office shall have an adequate staff that is trained and knowledgeable in order to handle the vast majority of customer or subscriber inquiries, specifically including, but not limited to: billing inquiries, refunds, credits, service outages, equipment service and repair, payment of bills and other charges, and inquiries from disabled or physically impaired customer or subscribers.

E. 

An MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section may install, at the local service office, an after-hours depository in order to collect invoice payments, and receive written requests for service appointments, including installations, connections, disconnections and complaints after scheduled office hours.

F. 

An MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section may install an automated (audio or video) customer or subscriber assistance device which can handle various types of customer or subscriber inquiries, so long as the caller has the option and ability to speak with a live representative of the MCS provider at all times during which the office is, or is required to be, open and staffed.

G. 

Where not prohibited by the PSC, an MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section may install an interactive customer or subscriber assistance device or contract service which is capable of handling various types of customer or subscriber inquiries.

H. 

If permitted by the PSC, an MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section may contract with another business or commercial establishment for the sole or primary purpose of collecting subscriber payments and distributing MCS provider permissible, and where applicable authorized, promotional, billing, and/or subscriber information and literature.

I. 

An MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section shall maintain at least one toll-free and/or local telephone number to accommodate both normal business inquiries, including requests for installation of service and changes in levels or categories or types of service, to facilitate calls concerning the repair of equipment, service outages, and the extended interruption of service. During any hours that the customer or subscriber service office is open, the MCS provider must have, or make available, in-house personnel to address a customer or subscriber's inquiries. During other hours, a telephone may be manned by an automatic answering device, provided that the use of an answering device or answering service results in an initial phone response by the MCS provider within 90 minutes of the receipt of the call, in order to at least determine the extent of the outage, interruption or other customer or subscriber-related concern.

J. 

An MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section shall have adequate staff and/or extension lines (except during special marketing promotion periods, peak billing cycles, and service outages) in order to handle all calls and inquiries directed to the general information number, in accordance with this chapter.

K. 

An MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section shall at all times have sufficient technical and repair staff to operate and maintain the system in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, including the provisions regarding the repair and restoration of service, as well as all applicable state and federal rules and regulations.

L. 

An MCS provider subject to the provisions of this section shall at all times have sufficient repair equipment and replacement parts to repair and restore service in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.