Spain’s limited call center waiting times to 3 minutes
The Spanish government recently approved a draft bill that will set the waiting times in call centers to three minutes.
In a news conference, Consumer Rights Minister Alberto Garzon said that this solution would eliminate waiting time frustrations on customer service landlines.
“The practically infinite waiting times that produce frustration are over,” he stated.
Aside from the wait time, the draft also gives consumers the right to be attended by an actual service person and not a chatbot. Utilities and essential service companies will also be required to respond to client complaints within two hours.
Additionally, companies must inform of incidents related to service supply on a free telephone line for 24 hours a day and 365 days a year and cannot refer customers to paid telephone lines.
Companies who will fail to abide by the law would be fined between €150 to €10,000 (US$160 to US$19,715) — with a possibility of reaching up to €100,000 (US$107,155) — if the problem affects vulnerable consumers or infractions recur.
