(1) Except for services provided under written contract pursuant to competitive classification, each company must provide an applicant for initial service with a confirming notice or welcome letter, either in writing or with permission of the customer, electronically. The confirming notice or welcome letter must be provided to the applicant or customer no later than fifteen days after installation of service and must provide, at a minimum:

(a) Contact information for the appropriate business office, including a toll-free telephone number, a TTY number, mailing address, repair number, electronic address if applicable, and business office hours, that the customer can contact if they have questions;

(b) Confirmation of the services being provided to the customer by the company, and the rate for each service. If the service is provided under a banded rate schedule, the current rate, including the minimum and maximum at which the customer's rate may be shifted; and

(c) If the application is for local exchange service, the LEC must either provide the following information or inform the customer that it may be found on the company's website:

(i) Process for establishing credit and determining the need and amount for deposits;

(ii) Procedure by which a bill becomes delinquent;

(iii) Steps that must be taken by the company to disconnect service;

(iv) Washington telephone assistance program (WTAP);

(v) Federal enhanced tribal lifeline program, if applicable; and

(vi) Right of the customer to pursue any dispute with the company, including the appropriate procedures within the company and then to the commission by informal or formal complaint.

(2) Except for services provided under written contract pursuant to competitive classification, each company must provide each customer a confirming notice, either in writing or, with permission of the customer, electronically, within fifteen days of initiating a material change in service which results in the addition of a service, a change from one rate schedule to another, or a change in terms or conditions of an existing service. The confirming notice must provide at a minimum, the following information in clear and conspicuous language:

(a) Contact information for the appropriate business office, including a toll-free telephone number, a TTY number, and business office hours, that customers can contact if they have questions; and

(b) The changes in the service(s), including, if applicable, the rate for each service.

(3) When a LEC is acting as an executing carrier under WAC 480-120-147, it must make the following information available upon request:

(a) The name of the intraLATA and interLATA interexchange company to which the customer's account is currently subscribed; and

(b) A minimum of six months' account history, when available, including the date of the changes and the name of the interexchange company.

(4) When an applicant or customer contacts the LEC to select or change an interexchange company, the LEC must notify the carrier of the customer's selection or recommend that the customer contact the chosen interexchange company to confirm that an account has been or is being established by the interexchange carrier for the applicant.

(5) Each company must provide business offices or customer service centers that are accessible by telephone or in person. A business office or customer service center that serves more than one exchange must provide toll-free calling from each exchange to the office. Each business office or customer service center must be staffed by qualified personnel who can provide information relating to all services and rates, accept and process applications for service, explain charges on customers' bills, adjust charges made in error, and generally act as representatives of the company.