(1) Each company must have adequate personnel available during regular business days to address customer complaints.
(2) When a company receives an oral or written complaint from an applicant or customer regarding its service or regarding another company's service for which it provides billing, collection, or responses to inquiries, the company must acknowledge the complaint as follows:
(a) Provide the name of the company's contact to the complainant;
(b) Investigate the complaint promptly;
(c) Report the results of the investigation to the complainant;
(d) Take corrective action, if warranted, as soon as appropriate under the circumstances;
(e) Inform the complainant that the decision may be appealed to a supervisor at the company; and
(f) Inform the complainant, if still dissatisfied after speaking to a supervisor, of the right to file a complaint with the commission and provide the commission address and toll-free telephone number.
(3) When a company receives a complaint from an applicant or customer regarding another company's service for which it provides only billing service, the company must provide the complainant a toll-free number to reach the appropriate office for the other company that is authorized to investigate and take corrective action to resolve the dispute or complaint.
(4) The company must insure that records and information about complaints and disputes are used only for the purposes of resolving the complaint or dispute and improving service and practices.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter
19.122 RCW, RCW
19.122.053,
80.01.040, and
80.04.160. WSR 15-08-043 (Docket UT-140680, General Order R-580), § 480-120-165, filed 3/26/15, effective 4/26/15. Statutory Authority: RCW
80.01.040 and
80.04.160. WSR 03-01-065 (Docket No. UT-990146, General Order No. R-507), § 480-120-165, filed 12/12/02, effective 7/1/03.]