Section 730.510  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 10 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 10 seconds, the local exchange carrier shall take corrective action and report the 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.  When a menu driven, automated, or interactive system is utilized to answer any such call, the system shall provide, either through voice option or 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 local exchange carrier shall take corrective action and report the action to the Commission within 15 business days after the end of the month in which the violation occurred.

3)         Local exchange carriers 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)         On or before March 1 of each year, each local exchange carrier shall file, with the Chief Clerk of the Commission, an annual report containing the information required by subsection (b) for its business and repair offices (separately when it maintains separate business and repair offices) for each month of the preceding calendar year. This information shall also be made available to the Commission when requested.

d)         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.

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 8808, effective June 1, 2011)