Ofcom announce new codes of practice from JAN 2011

[MARTIN3030]

Not before time.

 

 

 

Ofcom | New help for consumers to resolve complaints – 3 million consumers face unresolved phone and broadband complaints each year

[buzby]

Perhaps so, but the real story is rather than start immediately, there is a further 6 months before consumer can benefit. Secondly, this only affects fixed network providers (not mobile/wireless). This is unusual, as there are supposedly more mobile conenctions than fixed, so why concentrate on the least important? It would have made sense (in view of the timeframe) to offer complaints resolution across all providers, irrespective of technology.

 

Better than nothing, perhaps - but the reality is mobile users will still have at least another year (at best) before wireless joins the party.

[Human Writes]

Ofcom are requiring that the mobile industry introduce several changes in the way that they do things, changes which by and large the operators oppose. The fixed line industry has already implemented these measures previously as they have been ordered to do so by Ofcom as part of a seperate programme, so the fixed line operators have computer systems in place to meet the requirements the code places on them, also all of their staff have been trained in how to use these systems. The mobile operators have not had a chance to do any of this.

 

The operators have to have some lead time to implement these changes, if Ofcom announced that the changes were to take effect immediatley, the operators would scream bloody murder and quite rightly so.

 

As it is the mobile network operators are going to have to crash develop IT systems or make substantial amendments to their existing systems to cope with Ofcom's new rules, along with retraining all of their customer service staff in how to use these systems and what the new code means to their business.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Human Writes
typo

[MARTIN3030]

Yes agree.

The mobile markets tend to toe the line at the last minute.

If they have been given xxx date to comply,then there is no reason for them to comply earlier than they have to.

We saw the same with their lowering of European call and sms.

At least this is a push in the right direction.

[buzby]

You overlook the point being made - they've concentrated on the easiest part of the process, AND given it a massive lead time. There is nothing preventingf OFCOm putting the network operators on notice NOW for changes to be made in 2011, but there has been none. Not a dicky.

 

As for 'implementing changes' the bulk of these are simply enforced policy changes - what software is required to do that? Anything else can be implemented afer-the-event. There could also be a moratorium on full implementation if certain firmsa are unable to comply and could seek a delay if they could justify it. What you describe is what will happen, a last-minute enforcement, not because they cannot do it earlier but because there is no requirement for them to do so.

[MARTIN3030]

"What you describe is what will happen, a last-minute enforcement, not because they cannot do it earlier but because there is no requirement for them to do so."

 

Yes I know-thats why I said it.

I am not privvy to knowing or understanding the inns and outs of the decisions behind OFCOMs announcement in allowing the mobile markets more time to comply.

 

If you know those answers then lets hear them ..........

[locutus]

Besides the fact that they are a toothless quango?

 

 

Am I right in saying all this does is tell the telecoms companies to inform customers what rights they have for complaining, and give the complaints bit from the Code of practice on a bill rather than the customer requesting their complaints procedure? I don't see what major overhaul of systems this will add as by rights they should be trained to send out a copy of the "code of practice" if requested anyway. I wonder if the telecoms companies are going to charge more for a paper bill now with it needing the extra paper for the "relevant dispute resolution service" to be printed on

[Human Writes]

The Mobile network operators need to be able to assess whether each of the millions of telephone calls and tens of thousands of letters/emails they receive each month are an either express or implied complaint.

They then need to track whether or not that complaint is resolved, if it is the subject of a repeat complaint which is also not resolved, so if any customer contacts an operator twice or more, after eight weeks if the complaint is not resolved they then need to write to customers to explain their rights regarding ADR.

The networks need to get MUCH better at tracking complaints along with their route causes, keeping a record of outcomes and assessing whether or not each unresolved repeat complaint is eligible for arbitration.

Ofcom reckons that 3 million complaints go unresolved, I think that's probably low, from memory Ofcom's requirements from this report run to 20 or 30 pages of A4 text requiring operators make changes to basically every aspect of their complaint handling process. I agree that the lead time is long, I didn't think the ADR stuff had a 12 month lead time I thought that it all had to be done within six months.