1. (a) Service requirements.

   1. (1) Utility personnel who serve the public shall be familiar with the content of all Arkansas Public Service Commission rules that apply to their respective job responsibilities.
   2. (2) Utility personnel shall serve the public promptly and courteously.

2. (b) Customer access to business office personnel.

   1. (1) Each utility shall have personnel available at all times during business hours with the authority to:

      1. (A) Make delayed payment agreements; and
      2. (B) Handle customer questions and complaints.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) All customers shall have toll-free telephone access to the appropriate business office.
      2. (B) A collect call from a customer accepted by the utility is considered to be a toll-free call.

3. (c) Payment arrangements — Customer information and referral. When a customer informs a utility that he or she will have difficulty paying a bill, the utility shall offer to:

   1. (1) Inform the customer of his or her rights and obligations under 23 CAR § 455-613 covering delayed payment agreements; and
   2. (2) Refer the customer to personnel with the authority to make payment arrangements for the utility as required under 23 CAR § 455-613.

4. (d) Call center operations — Utility response requirements.

   1. (1) This part shall apply to each call center that handles calls from Arkansas customers.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) All utility call center response requirements as set out in this part shall be measured monthly on the basis of a twelve-month rolling average ending with the most recent month.
      2. (B) The twelve-month rolling average shall be calculated using actual performance data rather than as an average of each month’s performance.
      3. (C) During normal call center business hours, eighty percent (80%) of all calls received shall be answered within thirty (30) seconds.
      4. (D) During normal call center business hours, the average speed to answer time for all received calls that are answered shall not exceed thirty (30) seconds.
      5. (E)

5. (i) During normal call center business hours, a customer using an automated system shall at any time have the option to speak to an employee.

   1. (ii) Eighty percent (80%) of all such calls shall be answered by an employee within thirty (30) seconds of the customer’s election.

      1. (F) During normal call center business hours, the busy-out rate shall not exceed five percent (5%).

   2. (3)

      1. (A) Within twenty-five (25) seconds of each call being received, automated systems shall allow customers to indicate that they are reporting a condition that is a clear threat to public safety.
      2. (B) Each utility shall determine monthly whether it is meeting this standard.

   3. (4)

      1. (A) Each call determined by the utility to be a clear threat to public safety shall be:

         1. (i) Given the highest priority; and
         2. (ii) Answered by the next available employee.
      2. (B) Each utility shall determine monthly whether it is meeting this standard.
   4. (5) In determining compliance with this section, reasonable considerations shall be given to any extraordinary circumstances that may have existed during the measurement period.

Codification Notes: This section was promulgated as Rule 2.05 of the General Service Rules prior to codification in the Code of Arkansas Rules.