§ 20-510. Consumer service standard certification.

Provisions of this article are listed in Chapter 8½, Broward County Code of Ordinances, and will be enforced pursuant to that chapter.

(a)

Office and Service Center.

(1)

The Operator shall maintain an office within the County that is adequately staffed and open to the public during all normal business hours. The office shall be opened when the Operator commences construction.

(2)

Customer service center and bill payment locations will be open for transactions Monday through Friday during normal business hours and will be conveniently located. Additionally, based on community needs, the Operator will schedule supplemental hours on weekdays and/or weekends during which these centers will be open as needed.

(b)

Telephone Access.

(1)

Each Operator shall maintain a local, toll-free or collect call telephone access line which will be available twenty-four (24) hours, seven (7) days a week.

(2)

Knowledgeable, trained Operator representatives will be available to respond to customer telephone inquiries during normal business hours. After normal business hours, the access line may be answered by a service or an automated response system, including an answering machine. Inquiries received after normal business hours must be responded to by a trained Operator representative on the next business day. Additionally, based on community needs, Operator will staff telephones for supplemental hours on weekdays and/or weekends.

(3)

Under normal operating conditions, telephone answer time by a customer service representative, including wait time, shall not exceed thirty (30) seconds from when the connection is made. If the call needs to be transferred, transfer time shall not exceed thirty (30) seconds. Operators that utilize automated answering and distributing equipment will limit the number of routine rings to four (4) or fewer. Operators not utilizing automated equipment shall make every effort to answer incoming calls as promptly as the automated systems. Percentage of abandoned telephone calls out of total calls received shall not exceed ten percent (10%) on average. These standards shall be met no less than ninety percent (90%) of the time, measured on a quarterly basis.

(4)

Under normal operating conditions, the customer will receive a busy signal less than three percent (3%) of the total time.

(c)

Installation, Appointment, Outage. Under normal operating conditions, each of the following standards will be met no less than ninety-five percent (95%) of the time as measured on a quarterly basis:

(1)

Standard installations will be performed within seven (7) business days after an order has been placed, provided the Operator has been able to obtain any necessary easements or other consents necessary to complete the installations. "Standard" installations are up to 125 feet from the existing distribution system.

(2)

Excluding those situations beyond the control of the Operator, the Operator will respond to service interruptions promptly and in no event later than twenty-four (24) hours. The Operator must begin actions to correct other service problems the next business day after notification of the service problem.

(3)

The appointment window alternatives made available for installations, service calls, and other installation activities will be (a) a specific time, or (b) at maximum a four (4) hour time block during normal business hours. Additionally, based on community needs, Operator may schedule service calls and other installation activities outside of normal business hours for the convenience of the customer.

(4)

An Operator may not cancel an appointment with a customer after the close of business on the business day prior to the scheduled appointment.

(5)

If at any time an Operator representative is running late for an appointment with a customer and will not be able to keep the appointment as scheduled, the customer will be contacted and the appointment rescheduled, as necessary, at a time which is convenient for the customer.

(6)

The Operator shall not miss two (2) consecutive service or installation appointments scheduled with a particular subscriber unless rescheduled one day in advance.

(7)

Each Operator shall intentionally interrupt service only for good cause for the shortest time possible. Such interruptions shall occur during periods of minimum use of the system, when practicable. A written log shall be maintained for all service interruptions.

(8)

In the event that service to any subscriber is interrupted for twenty-four (24) or more hours due to the fault of the Operator, the Operator shall provide a credit or rebate to affected subscribers, equal to the pro rata share of the monthly fees for each twenty-four (24) hour period during which the subscriber is without service. In the event that total service to any subscriber is interrupted for two (2) or more hours but less than twenty-four (24) hours, the Operator shall provide a credit or rebate to affected subscribers, equal to 1/30th of the monthly bill. For purposes of computing the time of interrupted total service, the time shall begin when a complaint for interrupted total service is received by the Operator or when the Operator has actual or constructive notice of the interruption, whichever occurs first. Nothing in this subsection limits the Operator from applying a rebate policy more liberal than the requirements.

(9)

In all situations where service is disrupted to two hundred (200) or more subscribers for a time period greater than twenty-four (24) hours, the Operator shall notify the County Cable Coordinator during normal business hours.

(d)

Extending Service to New Development. New developments contiguous to the Operator's distribution system shall be wired for service within a reasonable amount of time, but at least within one hundred twenty (120) days after the development has reached seventy-five percent (75%) occupancy, so long as the construction meets the density requirements of this article and provided the Operator has been able to obtain any necessary easements or other consents necessary to complete the installation. This section shall not apply to developments that are already served by another pay television service provider.

(e)

Employee Identification Required. All field employees must carry identification indicating their employment with the Operator and all field vehicles must have Operator's identification visible.

(Ord. No. 1999-14, § 1.10, 4-13-99)