Exasperated by hanging endlessly on the telephone to speak to a human being at a call centre? Spain aims to end the anguish by requiring companies to respond to customers within three minutes.
The government has approved a draft bill setting the three-minute limit and giving consumers the right to speak to a person, not a chatbot, the consumer rights minister Alberto Garzón said on Tuesday.
“The practically infinite waiting times that produce frustration are over,” Garzón told a news conference.
Utilities and basic service companies will have to respond to client complaints within two hours, the minister said.
Companies must deal with incidents related to service supply on a freephone number 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and cannot refer customers to paid telephone lines.
Those failing to abide by the law would face fines of between €150 (£128) and €10,000 and up to €100,000 if the problem affects vulnerable consumers or if infractions recur.
Association Cex, which represents call centres and other customer-related businesses, did not respond to a request for comment.