NCC Allows Subscribers with Valid Reasons to Temporarily Park Their Phone Lines

NCC Introduces New Rules to Enhance Customer Service in Nigerian Telecoms Sector. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is taking significant steps to improve customer service in the country’s telecommunications industry. The regulatory body is set to mandate telecom firms to address their customers’ needs within 30 minutes of their arrival at any customer care center.

The “Draft Quality of Service Business Rules” document, recently made available on the NCC’s website, presents a comprehensive set of regulations that establish the minimum standards for quality and service. It encompasses various measurements and key performance indicators to ensure adherence to these standards.

One key provision in the document focuses on reducing waiting times for subscribers seeking assistance at customer care centers. Presently, customers often endure hours of waiting before receiving attention. However, under the proposed regulations, the waiting time to be attended to by relevant staff must not exceed 30 minutes. The NCC emphasizes that the licensee should establish a means of measuring waiting times, starting from the moment customers arrive at the premises.

The NCC aims to ensure that subscribers can quickly connect with a customer care representative when they call a telco’s helpline. The document stipulates that the maximum duration for a customer to wait in the queue or interactive voice response (IVR) system before speaking to a live agent should be five minutes. In exceptional cases where a live agent is unavailable within this timeframe, the customer should be given the option to hang up and receive a callback within 30 minutes.

To encourage the usage of active phone numbers, the NCC warns that subscribers may risk losing their numbers if they remain inactive for an extended period. According to the guidelines, a subscriber line may be deactivated if it hasn’t been used for six months for a Revenue Generating Event (RGE). If this situation persists for another six months, the subscriber may lose their number, except in cases of network-related faults hindering an RGE. However, subscribers have the opportunity to claim any remaining balance in their account upon deactivation, provided they can prove ownership within one year (excluding any fees paid by the operator for the number during the one-year period of non-RGE).

The NCC acknowledges that subscribers may have valid reasons for extended periods of absence. As a result, the document affirms that subscribers with proof of good reason can request to park their line temporarily.

These proposed regulations by the NCC seek to enhance the customer experience within the Nigerian telecommunications sector. By setting clear standards and expectations, the commission aims to ensure that telecom firms prioritize prompt and efficient customer service. If implemented effectively, these rules could significantly improve customer satisfaction and contribute to a more robust telecommunications industry in Nigeria.