Spanish bill to regulate customer services

 

Under a proposed law, in order to improve customers' rights for Spain's consumers, providers of basic services such as water, gas, electricity, transport, post and electronic communications will be required to provide an efficient system to offer information and answers and to quickly solve claims received from customers.

Customer care services which are offered by phone in these cases must be fast, personalised and free of any charges. Claims must also be resolved within one month.

Neither can any provider use customer services as a means of up selling services to the consumer as a means of obtaining extra income.

Given that electricity, gas and water services are expected to be provided 24 hours per day, every day, they should also provide a customer services department that is available 24/7.

Utility providers will also be expected to implement the necessary systems to monitor and control their customer services and to pass external audits on an annual basis.