(A) The franchisee shall provide subscribers a toll-free or local telephone number for installation, service and complaint calls.
(B) The franchisee must have telephone lines, either adequately staffed or with answering capability, providing at least emergency referral information, and that are operational 24 hours a day, every day, including weekends and holidays.
(C) Under normal operating conditions and when phones are staffed, subscriber calls to the franchisee will be answered on average within 30 seconds 90% of the time measured on a quarterly basis; and subscribers will receive a busy signal 3% of the time or less. Failure to meet these standards, within a reasonable time, after notice of failure to do so, shall subject the franchisee to appropriate enforcement actions.
(D) (1) On weekdays, during normal business hours, the franchisee must have its office(s) located within the 35 miles of at least 90% of the total subscriber base open and adequately staffed to respond to subscribers in at least two ways:
(a) To accept payments; or
(b) To exchange or accept return of franchise-provided equipment.
(2) At all times, the franchisee must have local or toll free telephone lines available and adequately staffed to respond to subscribers in at least two ways:
(a) To schedule and conduct technical calls; and
(b) To respond to subscriber inquiries.
(E) On Saturdays, the franchisee must have telephone lines and adequate staff available: at the option of the franchisee either at its office or in the field to schedule and perform emergency service or emergency technician calls; and to respond to subscriber inquiries which may be answered by advising the caller when and to what number to call back during weekdays.
(F) The franchise shall notify the franchise authority as promptly as possible, by any available means including accessing telephones away from the franchisee’s premises, whenever there is a total interruption of telephone service which affects the franchisee’s cable system. The franchise authority will provide the required telephone number to the franchisee on an annual basis by January 1, or as needed.
(G) The franchisee shall have an office accessible to the franchise area at which it shall be able to respond to subscribers a minimum of 40 hours a week, during normal operating conditions.
(H) The franchisee will provide either an office, an agent or a “drop box” within 15 miles of 90% of the total subscriber base to receive payments.
(Ord. 1196-98, passed 11-2-1998)