Customer Service Guarantee For Standard Telephone Services

Connected Australia is committed to achieving excellence in customer service. Connected Australia efficiently adheres with the legislated requirements outlined in the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2000 (“The CSG Standard”) and issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

The CSG Standard has specific requirements to which service providers such as Connected Australia and its suppliers must adhere with, regarding the provision and repair of Standard Telephone Services and appointments related to these activities.

Types Of Services The CSG Standard Covers

The CSG Standard applies to all telephone companies offering fixed line services, including the Standard Telephone Service (STS) and five specified Enhanced Call Handling Features.

These features are:

Call Waiting –  a service whereby a customer is notified of an incoming call while engaged in a call but can place the first call on hold to take the second call.

Call Forwarding – allows a call directed to a number to be forwarded to a stored number;

Call Barring/Control – enables a customer to control access to some, or all, network numbers before a call is established (this does not include network barring system);

Calling Number Display – enabling a customer to identify the number of a calling party; and

Calling Number Display Blocking – enabling a client to prevent the display of his or her number to a called party.

The CSG Standard applies to all Residential and Small Business Customers with no more than five Standard Telephone Services. A customer does not include a carrier or a carriage service provider.

The CSG Standard covers:

Connections and fault repairs of Standard Telephone Services and the five specified Enhanced Call Handling Features, and

appointments related to these activities.

For connections, Standard Telephone Services are eligible, regardless of what type of associated service is connected at the end of the service (e.g. Internet or fax).

However, only voice telephone faults are covered for repair, which means that the CSG Standard does not cover non-voice faults such as internet access or fax faults.

Types Of Services The CSG Standard Does Not Cover

The CSG Standard does not affect to customer premises equipment, data products, customer cabling, payphones, sophisticated business-oriented services, virtual corporate private networks, satellite services and mobile services. Additionally, it does not pertain to activities past the network boundary point (NBP), namely, past the first telephone socket, the network termination device (NTD) or the main distribution frame (MDF) where applicable.

Inapplicability Of CSG Standard

The CSG Standard does not apply in particular circumstances, including the following:

When Connected Australia or its supplier is required to undertake maintenance or upgrading of a facility/network that supplies any given service, and Connected Australia has given reasonable notice,

When delays occur due to circumstances beyond Connected Australia or its supplier’s control, such as damages to Connected Australia or its supplier’s facilities by a third party, natural disasters or extreme weather conditions (e.g. bushfire, flood, cyclones, etc.),

When delays are caused by Connected Australia or its supplier needing to move staff or equipment to an area affected by circumstances beyond the control of Connected Australia or its supplier

or,

When Connected Australia or its supplier is unable to obtain legal access to land or a facility and where Connected Australia or its supplier is required to comply with any law of the Commonwealth, State, Territory or Local Government.

If a missed appointment occurs over a period of connection or repair delay for which a CSG liability already applies

If another carriage service provider connects you to a Standard Telephone Service and you request Connected Australia to supply that same service, the CSG Standard does not apply in respect of the connection timeframe

If you waive your rights to CSG eligibility under the CSG Standard

If Enhanced Call Handling Features are not available due to existing network limitations

If you can activate the Enhanced Call Handling Features from your telephone handset or customer equipment

If you request connection of your phone service, and we have reasonable grounds for believing that you would be unable or unwilling to pay the charges for connection or use of the service

or,

If you are disconnected for not paying for expenses, and we have not reached an agreement for that payment

If you unreasonably withhold approval to an appointment offered by Connected Australia or its supplier

If you fail to keep an appointment with Connected Australia or its supplier without giving us at least a 24 hours notice

The Guarantee Connection Timeframes As Set Out In The CSG Standard

Connected Australia aims to connect your Standard Telephone Service and specified Enhanced Call Handling Features within timelines consistent with the Standard of CSG. The service location is used as a basis for the timeframes, and the availability of telecommunications infrastructure and spare capacity Connected Australia or its supplier can use to connect your service (see table below). Infrastructure refers to the systems and facilities utilized in the provision of telecommunications services. It covers radio distribution systems, network cables and lead-in cables to the customer’s place.

Where Connected Australia envisions a delay in supplying you with a Standard Telephone Service, we will write a notification of the reason for the delay and the expected time frame for completion of any infrastructure upgrade. We will also offer you an alternate service agreement such as a call diversion to a mobile phone or fixed telephone service.

You may be entitled to a CSG payment for every working day of delay beyond an agreed connection date. Please refer to “How much does Connected Australia pay?” for more details.

Connected Australia Will Apply The “Guaranteed Maximum Connection Periods” Set Out Below

Please Note: An in-place connection is a connection of a Standard Telephone Service at a site where a previous working service has been cancelled by the previous account holder. It is readily available for automatic re-connection or reactivation without requiring the service provider to do any other connection work at the customer’s property, the local telephone exchange, or any places in between.

Customer Service Locations (Definitions)

As outlined under the CSG Standard, the various demographic categories are:

The Guaranteed Maximum Fault Repair Periods Specified By The CSG Standard

Connected Australia aims to fix all errors or service difficulties on your Standard Telephone Service and defined Enhanced Call Handling Features within timeframes consistent with the CSG Standard. Please note that the CSG Standard does not cover non-voice faults or service difficulties such as modem and fax dropouts.

We will repair errors and service problems within specified time periods based on the service location (see table). Where Connected Australia envisages a delay in repairing your Standard Telephone Service, we will notify you in writing of the reason for the delay and the expected time frame for completion of any infrastructure upgrade. We will also offer an alternative service arrangement such as a call diversion to a mobile or fixed telephone service.

You may be entitled to a CSG payment for every working day of delay beyond an agreed repair date. Please refer to “How much does Connected Australia pay?” for more details. Connected Australia will apply the “guaranteed maximum fault repair periods” set out below.

Service Location Time for repair:

Please Note: The time for repair about “end of one full working day after report” applies to all service locations where the error occurs due to the company’s administrative error. Similarly, the fault can be rectified without the telephone company attending customer premises or undertaking internal or external plant work.

Appointments

Connected Australia aims to keep all agreed appointments concerning connection and repair of your Standard Telephone Service and specified Enhanced Call Handling Features.

If Connected Australia fails to keep an agreed meeting, you may be entitled to receive a CSG payment for a missed appointment with that a new meeting will be rescheduled.

You shall not be eligible for a CSG payment if an appointment time or location is changed either by you or by Connected Australia or its supplier with reasonable notice of at least 24 hours or by agreement.

For appointments, the CSG Standard allows grace periods as shown by the following:

Please Note: The grace period is extended to 45 minutes, where there is a need to travel a long distance, such as in the case of Minor Rural and Remote locations.

Notifying Connected Australia

When requesting a connection or reporting a fault, customers are required to contact Connected Australia by 5 pm on a working day for the specified connection and fault timeframes to apply from that day. Customer requests received after this time will be taken to have been received the following working day.

Please note: A working day means a day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in the customer service area.

How Much Does Connected Australia Pay?

There is no need for you to contact Connected Australia to lodge a claim for CSG. Failure to meet its obligations under the CSG Standard, Connected Australia will credit your account, no later than 16 weeks after your Standard Telephone Service is connected or after the fault has been repaired. You may request a refund from any credit balance that may appear on an invoice following our payment of the CSG.

Customer Service Guarantee v2.0

For connection, repair and appointment liability incurred on or after 31 October 2006, Connected Australia is liable to make a CSG payment to you by the CSG Standard in the following circumstances:

If we fail to connect or repair your service within the specified period or on an agreed date, you may be entitled to receive a CSG payment of $14.52 (for residential/charity customers) or $24.20 (for business customers), for each working day that we miss, and for the first five working days of delay.

After the initial five working days of delay, you may be entitled to receive a CSG payment of $48.40 (for all customer types) per additional working day of delay.

If only one Enhanced Call Handling Feature is not connected or repaired within the specified period or on an agreed date, you may be entitled to receive a CSG payment of $7.26 (for residential/charity customers) or $12.10 (for business customers) for each working day of delay. After the initial five working days of delay, you may be entitled to receive a CSG payment of $24.20 (for all customer types) for each additional working day of delay.

If two or more Enhanced Call Handing Features are not connected or repaired within the specified period or on an agreed date, you may receive a CSG payment of $14.52 (for residential/charity customers) or $24.20 (for business customers), for each working day of delay. After the initial five working days of delay, you may be entitled to receive a CSG payment of $48.40 (for all customer types) for each additional working day of delay.

If an appointment is missed on a day that is not a day in relation to which you are entitled to receive a CSG payment in accordance with any of the above circumstances, you may have the right to receive a CSG payment of $14.52 (for residential/charity customers) or $24.20 (for business customers), for each missed appointment.

The maximum CSG amount payable under the CSG Standard is $25,000.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) introduced on 1 July 2000 does not apply to CSG payments.

Contacting Connected Australia

To make a service guarantee enquiry about the connection or fault repair of your Standard Telephone Service, including a missed appointment, please call Connected Australia Customer Service.