On October 23, 2024, the FCC adopted a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to examine the level and quality of customer support currently provided by cable, broadband, satellite TV, and voice service providers (Service Providers). Through the NOI (adopted by a vote of 3-2), the Commission seeks to build a public record on the current state of customer service and requests input on ways to improve customer service for consumers of communications services. The NOI addresses the following major areas of concern:
* Cancellation of Service – The NOI states that it appears that service providers make it simple to sign up for a service but limit the ability of subscribers to cancel that same service. The Commission seeks to confirm whether Service Providers make available simple and direct cancellation methods to their subscribers. If not, comment is sought as to whether Service Providers should offer more than one mechanism to cancel services, including mechanisms that mirror available methods that consumers can use to subscribe to the service in question.
* Access to Live Representatives – Citing high levels of consumer frustration, the Commission seeks comment on whether Service Providers offer live customer service representative support by phone within a reasonable time frame. The NOI also seeks comment as to what timeframe would constitute a reasonable amount of time.
* Automatic Renewal of Service – The NOI addresses the fact that Service Providers often advertise discounted trial or promotional periods to entice consumers to subscribe to their services without clearly disclosing future price increases or the automatic renewal of services without an affirmative action by the subscriber. The Commission seeks comment as to whether consumers should be provided with notice and a reasonable opportunity to cancel services before incurring increases in the cost of the service.
* Installations, Outages, and Service Calls – The Commission seeks comment on the current state of service practices regarding installations, outages, and service calls and whether the FCC should review these practices. The NOI specifically asks if its existing rules for Cable Operators covering these practices should be extended to broadband, satellite TV, and voice services.
* Individuals with Disabilities – The NOI invites comment on the current state of accessible customer service and seeks comment on ways to improve the customer service experience for individuals with disabilities.
* Waivers – The Commission seeks comment on how to accommodate Service Providers that would suffer an undue hardship resulting from the adoption of updated customer service standards. In that regard, comment is sought as to what the waiver policy should be and if the size of the Service Provider is considered then how should a small Service Provider be defined.
Comments in this proceeding are due by 11/22/24 and Reply Comments are due by 12/9/24. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
