Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

Israeli Telecom Fined by Government for Long Hold Times

October 28, 2013

Think it’s tough operating a contact center in the U.S.? While providing excellent customer service is a highly recommended way to keep your business up and running, it’s not mandated by law. In Israel, a company could get fined by the government for keeping customers on hold too long.


Israel’s Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Authority recently fined Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd. NIS 100,800 (about $28,500) for making its customers wait too long to speak with a customer representative during the past year. It’s part of the Authority’s efforts to enforce consumer protection rules, according to Israeli business site Globes. Hot provides cable television, “last mile” broadband Internet access and telecommunication services to consumers in Israel. It also provides various data transmission and network services to businesses, and analog and digital television service, Pay-Per-View services, as well as interactive services, including games channels, horoscopes, and weather.

The fine, which was accompanied by an order to improve customer service, was reportedly in response to an investigation carried out by the Authority after it received a critical mass of consumer complaints, together with data from the contact centers documenting the long hold times. The Authority rejected Hot's objections and ruled that the company had violated the provisions of its license regarding waiting times at its call centers. The decision was made by Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Authority acting chairman Nati Schubert.

The company now has incentive to improve its customer service: it has been notified by the Authority that oversight and enforcement over its calls centers' service will continue, going forward, and that it may be subject to additional fines in the future.

Formerly HOT-Cable Systems Media, Hot Telecommunications was founded in 1987 and is based in Yakum, Israel. The Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network and was modeled on the BBC. Similar to the BBC in Britain, the Authority’s broadcasts are funded by levying television license fees on the owners of television sets.




Edited by Alisen Downey



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