Comply with Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) for standard phone services
Telstra + other carriers must meet CSG performance benchmarks for installations + faults.
Who must comply
Telcos (carriage service providers) that supply a standard telephone service to residential, charity and business customers with five or fewer landline phone lines. Mobile and internet-only services are outside the Standard.
What triggers it
A customer request to connect a new or existing landline service or feature, a reported fault (no calls, repeated drop-outs, severe interference) or an appointment made to connect or repair a service.
When due
Connection and repair within the CSG timelines for the customer's community size (unless the telco has committed to a faster time, which then applies); compensation paid automatically for each working day of delay; mass service disruption notices within 10 days of the disruption starting.
Evidence required
Service request and fault logs with timestamps and community classification; appointment windows offered and kept; compensation calculations and payment records; written or oral CSG waivers with the required disclosures (oral waivers confirmed in writing, with a 5-working-day withdrawal right); mass service disruption notices to customers, the ACMA and the TIO.
Max penalty
Automatic compensation for each working day of delay: for residential and charity customers $14.52 per day for days 1-5 and $48.40 per day from day 6 for a standard telephone service, and $14.52 per missed appointment; for business customers $24.20 then $48.40 per day and $24.20 per missed appointment (ACMA, last updated 20 March 2024). Business customers keep any claim for loss of business. The ACMA enforces the Standard
Who must comply with this? The applicability test by industry, business structure and size.
Summary
The Customer Service Guarantee Standard (CSG Standard), enforced by the ACMA, sets how quickly a telco must connect and repair a landline telephone service and the compensation it must pay when it misses those timelines. Timelines depend on community size: a brand new service must be connected within 5 working days in urban areas (10,000+ people), 10 in major rural areas and 15 in minor rural and remote areas, and an existing service within 2 working days everywhere. Faults must be fixed by the end of the next working day in urban areas, the second in rural areas and the third in remote areas. Appointment windows cannot exceed 5 hours. Compensation is automatic and paid per working day of delay. The Standard does not cover mobile or internet services, customers with more than five landlines, or fax lines, and a mass service disruption from a natural disaster, notified planned works or third-party damage is exempt if the telco notifies customers, the ACMA and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman within 10 days.
Enforced by
Source legislation
Industries
Topics
Related
- CWLTHTelco data retention — 2 years (Part 5-1A Telecommunications Act)Carriers + CSPs must retain telco metadata for 2 years.
- CWLTHComply with the Reducing Scam Calls and Scam SMs Industry CodeCSPs must implement controls to detect, trace and block scam calls and SMs, including SMS Sender ID Register.
- CWLTHComply with Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) CodeTelcos must comply with the binding TCP Code covering credit assessment, billing, complaint handling and unwelcome contact.
- CWLTHCustomer Service Guarantee (CSG)Standard telephone service providers face CSG financial penalties for missed connection + repair timeframes.
Frequently asked questions
- Who must comply with Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) for standard phone services?
- Telcos (carriage service providers) that supply a standard telephone service to residential, charity and business customers with five or fewer landline phone lines. Mobile and internet-only services are outside the Standard.
- What triggers Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) for standard phone services?
- A customer request to connect a new or existing landline service or feature, a reported fault (no calls, repeated drop-outs, severe interference) or an appointment made to connect or repair a service.
- When is Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) for standard phone services due?
- Connection and repair within the CSG timelines for the customer's community size (unless the telco has committed to a faster time, which then applies); compensation paid automatically for each working day of delay; mass service disruption notices within 10 days of the disruption starting.
- What is the maximum penalty for Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) for standard phone services?
- Automatic compensation for each working day of delay: for residential and charity customers $14.52 per day for days 1-5 and $48.40 per day from day 6 for a standard telephone service, and $14.52 per missed appointment; for business customers $24.20 then $48.40 per day and $24.20 per missed appointment (ACMA, last updated 20 March 2024). Business customers keep any claim for loss of business. The ACMA enforces the Standard
- What evidence is required for Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) for standard phone services?
- Service request and fault logs with timestamps and community classification; appointment windows offered and kept; compensation calculations and payment records; written or oral CSG waivers with the required disclosures (oral waivers confirmed in writing, with a 5-working-day withdrawal right); mass service disruption notices to customers, the ACMA and the TIO.
Source: https://www.acma.gov.au/customer-service-guarantee. Rules Mate is not a law firm. Always verify against the live regulator source before acting.