Complaint Redressal Process

Procedure and benchmark for complaint redressal:

a) Complaints handling by customer care centre. -  (1) Every distributor of television channels shall ensure that the customer care centre, immediately upon receipt of a complaint from a subscriber, registers such complaint each time and allots a unique number to be called the docket number:

Provided that the Authority may, if deemed necessary, specify a format for such docket number.

(2) Every distributor of television channels shall ensure that the customer care centre-
(a) at the time of registering of the complaint, communicates to the subscriber the docket number, date and time of registration of the complaint and the time within which the complaint is likely to be resolved; and
(b) on resolution of the complaint, communicates to the subscriber, the details of the action taken on the complaint and also the name and contact number of the nodal officer for further redressal of complaint, if the subscriber is not satisfied.
Time limit for redressal of complaints.- Every distributor of television channels shall adhere to the following time limits for redressal of complaints of the subscribers-
(a) all complaints shall be responded to within eight hours of receipt of the complaint:
provided that complaints received after the office working hours shall be responded by the next working day;
(b) at least ninety percent of all `no signal` complaints received shall be redressed and signal restored within twenty four hours of receipt of such complaint;
(c) all complaints relating to billing shall be redressed within seven days of receipt of the complaint from the subscriber and refunds, if any, shall be made to such subscriber within thirty days of receipt of the complaint;
(d) at least ninety percent of all other complaints not covered under clause (b) and clause (c) shall be redressed within forty eight hours of receipt of such complaints;
(e) no complaint, except billing related complaints referred to in clause (c), shall remain unresolved beyond seventy two hours.

b) Redressal of complaints by nodal officers.- (1) Every distributor of television channels shall, within thirty days from the date of commencement of these regulations or within thirty days from the commencement of its operations, as the case may be, appoint or designate one or more nodal officers for every State in which it is providing broadcasting services related to television, for the redressal of complaints of subscribers and the distributor shall, within ten days from the date of appointment or designation of the nodal officers, furnish to the Authority the names, address, contact numbers, e-mail address and facsimile number of the nodal officers.

(2) Every distributor of television channels shall-
(a) give wide publicity about appointment or designation of such nodal officers or any change thereof, and
(b) display, on its website as well as customer care programming service, the names, address, contact numbers, e-mail address, facsimile number of nodal officers.

(3) In the event of any change in the names or communication details of nodal officers as referred to in sub-regulation (1), the distributor of television channels shall-
(a) inform the Authority within ten days from occurrence of such change, and
(b) bring the change to the notice of the subscribers in the same manner as specified under clause (b) of sub-regulation (2).

(4) In case a subscriber is not satisfied with the redressal of complaint by the customer care centre, such subscriber may approach the nodal officer of the distributor of television channels for redressal of his complaint.

(5) The nodal officer shall-
(a) register every complaint lodged by the subscribers;
(b) issue an acknowledgement to the subscriber within two days from date of the receipt of the complaint indicating therein the unique complaint number;
(c) redress such complaints of subscribers within ten days from the date of receipt of the complaint and intimate the decision taken thereon in respect of such complaint to the subscriber.