Except as otherwise provided in the permit agreement, grantee shall maintain a local office or offices to provide the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to comply with the following consumer protection standards under normal operating conditions:
A. Cable System Office Hours And Telephone Availability:
1. Grantee will maintain a toll-free or collect call telephone access line which will be available to its subscribers twenty four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.
2. Trained grantee representatives will be available to respond to customer telephone inquiries during normal business hours.
3. 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 grantee representative on the next business day.
4. Customer service center and bill payment locations will be open at least during normal business hours and will be conveniently located.
B. Installations, Outages And Service Calls:
1. Standard installations will be performed within seven (7) business days after an order has been placed. "Standard" installations are those that are located up to one hundred twenty five feet (125') from the existing distribution system.
2. Excluding conditions beyond the control of grantee, grantee shall begin working on "service interruptions" promptly and in no event later than twenty four (24) hours after the interruption becomes known. The grantee must begin actions to correct other service problems the next business day after notification of the service problem.
3. At the subscriber's request, the "appointment window" alternatives for installations, service calls, and other installation activities will be within a two (2) to four (4) hour time block during normal business hours. (The grantee may schedule service calls and other installation activities outside of normal business hours for the express convenience of the customer.)
C. Communications Between Grantee And Subscribers:
1. Notifications To Subscribers: The grantee shall provide written information on each of the following areas at the time of installation of service, at least annually to all subscribers, and at any time upon request.
a. Products and services offered;
b. Prices and options for programming services and conditions of subscriptions to programming and other services;
c. Installation and service maintenance policies;
d. Instructions on how to use the cable service;
e. Channel positions programming carried on the system; and
f. Billing and complaint procedures, including the address and telephone number of the city's cable office.
Customers will be notified of any changes in rates, programming services or channel positions as soon as possible through announcements on the cable system and in writing. Notice must be given to subscribers a minimum of thirty (30) days in advance of such changes if the change is within the control of the grantee. In addition, the grantee shall notify subscribers thirty (30) days in advance of any significant changes in the other information required by the preceding paragraph.
D. Billing:
1. Bill Setup: Bills will be clear, concise and understandable. Bills must be fully itemized, and will also clearly delineate all activity during the billing period, including optional charges, rebates, and credits.
2. Billing Dispute: In case of a billing dispute, the grantee must respond to a written complaint from a subscriber within thirty (30) days.
3. Refunds: Refund checks will be issued promptly, but not later than either the customer's next billing cycle following resolution of the request or thirty (30) days, whichever is earlier, or at the time the grantee supplied equipment is returned if service is terminated.
4. Credits: Credits for service will be issued no later than the customer's next billing cycle following the determination that a credit is warranted. (Ord. 6007, 8-23-2004)