According to the Vermont Consumer Bill of Rights:

All telecommunications providers shall address consumer inquiries, complaints and requests for impartial resolution of disputes in a responsible manner. Companies shall employ the following dispute resolution process.

   1. Each telecommunications provider shall list on the bill the telephone number(s) at which the customer may reach representatives of the provider for information or the resolution of any dispute that may arise.

   2. Each telecommunications provider shall provide customer service representatives (CSRs) through whom consumer complaints and inquiries can be registered.

   3. Each telecommunications provider shall provide a response to a customer inquiry or complaint within seven (7) business days of receipt of the inquiry or complaint, except that the Department may request a provider to respond in less time where circumstances of a particular complaint require less time or in cases of emergency, disconnections, and reconnections as required by Board rules.

   4. Each telecommunications provider shall notify a customer that, if the customer is not satisfied with the resolution offered by the provider, the customer may seek further review of the dispute by higher management within the company (if available) or may contact the Department of Public Service.

    a. The provider shall provide the customer with the telephone number of the Department of Public Service's Consumer Affairs and Public Information Division.

    b. If a customer seeks review of a dispute by higher management with a company, the company shall respond within ten (10) business days of the date the original dispute resolution was appealed.

   5. If a customer elects to contact the Department of Public Service, either directly or upon exhaustion of their provider's internal dispute resolution process, the Department should, within a reasonable time, notify the affected company of the receipt of the consumer complaint. [FN371]

   6. If, following receipt of a customer complaint, the Department needs further information or a response from the company, the service provider shall investigate the complaint and provide a response to the consumer and the Department within ten (10) business days of its receipt of the consumer complaint from the Department.

    a. If the complaint raises complex issues or issues that require more time to resolve than provided above, the telecommunications provider shall provide the consumer and the Department with an interim status report within ten days of its receipt of the complaint from the Department.

    b. The telecommunications provider shall submit a final report within ten (10) business days of the submission of its interim status report. If a final resolution cannot reasonably be achieved within the time frames provided herein, the provider shall notify the Department and the consumer and keep both apprised of the Company's progress towards reaching final resolution.

  7. Nothing in this dispute resolution procedure shall prevent a customer from contacting the Public Service Department's Consumer Affairs and Public Information Division directly at any point in this process (including at the outset), or otherwise limit a customer's statutory or other legal right to dispute all or a portion of his or her telephone bill.

   8. At the time a customer initiates service, and then at reasonable periods, each telecommunications provider shall notify a customer about the availability of the Department of Public Service's complaint resolution process. This notice may occur through telephone bills or telephone directories.

Public Service Board Docket No. 5907 (7/21/99).