Section 736.505  Answering Time

a)         Operator Offices

1)         Operator offices shall be staffed so that the average answer time, calculated on a monthly basis, shall not exceed ten seconds for the following types of calls:

A)        toll and assistance; and

B)        information.

2)         Whenever the average answer time for either toll and assistance calls and/or information calls, calculated on a monthly basis, exceeds ten seconds, the WETC shall take corrective action and report such action to the Commission within 15 business days after the end of the month in which the violation occurred.

b)        Business and Repair Offices

1)         Business offices (during normal business hours) and repair offices shall be staffed so that the average answer time, calculated on a monthly basis, shall not exceed 60 seconds.  In the case where a menu driven, automated, or interactive system is utilized to answer any such call, such system shall provide within the first menu of options, the option of transferring to a live attendant.  This requirement shall apply separately to business offices and repair offices, if they are maintained separately.

2)         Whenever the average answer time for either business offices or repair offices (if maintained separately), calculated on a monthly basis, exceeds 60 seconds, the WETC shall take corrective action and report such action to the Commission within 15 business days after the end of the month in which the violation occurred.

3)         WETCs shall maintain records of answer time performance at their business offices and repair offices.  At a minimum, these records shall contain the following information collected on a monthly basis:

A)        Total number of calls received;

B)        Total number of calls answered; and

C)        Average answer time.

c)         For purposes of this Section, "average answer time" shall be calculated by dividing the total number of call waiting seconds by the total number of reported monthly calls answered.