The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has rolled out a set of stringent new standards aimed at enhancing customer service within the telecommunications sector.
In its recently published ‘Quality of Service Business Rules’ for August 2024, the commission introduced key performance indicators (KPIs) and minimum service standards that telecom operators must adhere to.
One of the pivotal directives included in the new guidelines is the mandate that telecom companies must ensure that subscribers are attended to within 30 minutes of their arrival at service centers.
The NCC emphasized, “It must not exceed 30 minutes. The licensee shall provide means of measuring the waiting time, starting from the time of arrival at the premises.”
Additionally, the NCC has mandated that customers must be able to speak with a live representative within five minutes of their call.
The commission specified that the maximum number of call attempts before connecting to customer care should not exceed three, and the maximum number of rings before a call is answered should be no more than five.
Further enhancing the customer experience, the NCC stated that if a live agent is unavailable within five minutes, customers must be given the option to hang up and be called back within 30 minutes.
The commission also addressed internet service reliability, setting a limit on internet outages. According to the guidelines, any internet outage must not exceed two hours unless it is due to lawful disconnection.
In terms of subscriber line deactivation, the NCC issued a warning to telecom operators. The guidelines stipulate that if a subscriber’s line is inactive for a year, it may be blocked. However, subscribers can request line parking to avoid losing their number if they have valid reasons for not using their lines.
The commission noted, “A subscriber line may be deactivated if it has not been used within six months for a revenue-generating event (RGE). If the situation persists for another six months, the subscriber may lose his/her number, except for network-related faults inhibiting an RGE.”
These measures reflect the NCC’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality of telephone and other communications services across Nigeria.
By setting these new benchmarks, the commission aims to hold telecom operators accountable while ensuring that consumers receive the highest possible standard of service.