“Thank you for calling. Waiting time is longer than usual. We suggest that you call back another time…” If you are tired of hearing this, what has effectively become a standard recording when seeking company support, there is good news in store for the future.
A Knesset committee has taken a step forward towards protecting and assisting consumers, now setting into place a new regulation. When one calls a company for support, a live person must be on the line within three minutes. Alternatively, the company must offer a call back option during this same period, and the caller must received a call back within three hours of calling the company for assistance.
The new regulation will compel companies beginning on December 12, 2012. If a firm does not have a person respond within three minutes then the caller must be presented with an option, to continue waiting or receive a call back, and the latter must be actualized within three hours. Knesset officials explained they are aware that calls to cellular telephone and other companies for assistance have exceeded acceptable limits, with some caller compelled to remain on line for 30 minutes.
The new regulation will apply to cellular telephone companies, ISP firms, cable and satellite companies, gas, water and the electric company. In addition, it will apply to private companies providing emergency medical care such as subscriber paramedic ambulances used by the elderly.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Top this one. My son missed two appointments with the Gius ( army induction division) for having been traveling or out of the country. I called their number, and was put on an interminable hold, so, being busy, I hung up. I tried to go there to represent him, but I was shooed away, and they told me to call. I called, waited an hour and half, I took an hour nap, and I was still on hold. After another half hour, I started getting messages that I was up in twenty minutes– for forty five minutes. Then, I started getting the up in one minute prompt, for twenty five minutes after which a cheery live operator picked up.