§ 49-41. Customer service; complaint procedures.

A. 

The company shall establish, operate and maintain a business office and maintenance and repair facility for the purpose of receiving inquiries, requests and complaints concerning all aspects of the construction, installation, operation and maintenance of the system and for the payment of subscribers' service charges and providing facilities for the production of programming.

B. 

The grantee shall have a listed, locally-staffed telephone number for subscriber service calls, and such telephone service shall be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The grantee shall provide a sufficient number of telephone lines and telephone staff members to enable subscribers to reach the grantee without unreasonable delay. The grantee's number shall be published and made available to subscribers and the general public. The grantee shall, in addition, provide an unlisted, locally-staffed telephone number to the town and utility companies to enable the town or the utility companies to reach the grantee in case of emergency on a twenty-four-hour, seven-days-a-week basis.

C. 

The grantee shall respond to and resolve subscribers' complaints or requests for service in connection with repairs and maintenance and malfunctions of system facilities. The grantee shall respond as quickly as possible to such complaints and requests but shall in any case respond within 24 hours. Complaints or requests which may pose a potential health and safety hazard will be responded to immediately. In connection with billing complaints, the grantee shall respond within seven business days.

D. 

The grantee shall prepare and file with the town copies of all of its rules and regulations in connection with the handling of inquiries, requests and complaints. The grantee shall, by appropriate means, such as a card or brochure, furnish information concerning the procedures for making inquiries or complaints, including the name, address and local telephone number of the employee or employees or agent to whom such inquiries or complaints are to be addressed, and furnish information concerning the town office responsible for the administration of the franchise, including but not limited to the address and telephone number of said office.

E. 

The grantee shall keep full records in connection with all inquiries, complaints and requests in connection with the system which require corrective action or referral to a supervisor and any written complaint. Such records shall identify the person contacting the grantee and the person responding on behalf of the grantee, the subject matter of the contact, the date and time it was received, the resolution of the matter in question or the action taken by the grantee in connection with the contact and the date and time thereof and such other information as may be deemed pertinent by the grantee. These records shall be made available for periodic inspection by the town.

F. 

The grantee shall service or replace without charge all equipment provided by it to the subscriber; provided, however, that the grantee may charge a subscriber for service to or replacement of any equipment damaged due to negligence of such subscriber.

G. 

For recurrent complaints regarding service deficiencies (other than total or partial loss of service, such as ghosting, weak audio signal, distortion and the like), the Town Supervisor may require the grantee to investigate and report to him/her the causes and cures thereof, and the Town Supervisor may also conduct his/her own investigation. Thereafter, the Town Supervisor may order specified remedial action to be taken within reasonably feasible time limits. If such action is not taken or is ineffective or if within 30 days the grantee files with the Cable Television Advisory Committee a notice of objection to the order, the Cable Television Advisory Committee may conduct a hearing and may, if the evidence warrants a finding of fault on the part of the grantee, take appropriate action pursuant to the terms of this chapter.