Dealing With The Australian Communications And Media Authority (ACMA)
ACMA
Customer Service Charter
(And
what it says)
Many
CB Radio Operators are frustrated at the thought of having to deal with the
Australian Communications And Media Authority (ACMA). Generally, most think that their
interaction with ACMA staff will result in going “no where.” This line of
thinking has become increasingly so since the abolishment of licence fees to
operate a CB Radio. The thought here being that if operators are not paying
a fee then the ACMA have little responsibility to accommodate them when
dealing with them. Further to this, the ACMA have stated so often, that the
Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS) is largely a self-regulated service.
So,
“at the end of the day,” one might be inclined to think, “Why bother
with the ACMA?” And, apathy sets in. One might also argue that many are
thinking the way the ACMA want them to think. If this were the case, then it
is called “conditioning.” Many have over a period of time, been
conditioned to this mode of thinking. And to some extent, one might say it
has worked. But let us examine the role of the ACMA a little closer and after
we do, perhaps you will change your mind about the way you used to think
about the ACMA.
Firstly,
what needs to be understood, is that the ACMA are a government department
operating out of the budget allocated to it as a result of taxpayer dollars.
Immediately we can conclude that the ACMA are answerable for any and
all of their actions and that the taxpayer has a right to reasonably and
fairly receive a service or course of action as requested. Mr. A J
Shaw, ACMA Chairman (July 2002) states, “Our Customer Service Charter has been
developed to inform you of the standards of service you can expect from us, your
rights and responsibilities and how you can help us improve our
service.”
One
of the main functions of the ACMA is to provide information about
communications regulation for industry and consumers. Their charter applies
to both consumers and industry. (Consumers – that includes those within
the CB fraternity.) The ACMA say that they will listen and take into
account your views; be
fair in their dealings with you;
resolve any concerns, problems, enquiries or complaints quickly
and as well as give you reasons for their decisions.
When
you contact the ACMA by phone they say that they will respond to any phone
enquiry, including complaints, within two working days; or if a more
detailed answer is required, they will return your call and keep you informed
of the progress they are making with your enquiry.
If
you fax, e-mail or write to the ACMA with a genuine enquiry they say that
they will acknowledge your communication, including any complaints
about the ACMA, within five working days; aim to provide an answer
within 20 working days and where this is not possible, we will keep
you informed of progress.
If
you make a counter enquiry at one of their regional offices, they say that
they will provide you with professional and courteous service;
endeavour to keep waiting times below 10 minutes and be flexible
in their office hours to suit local customer requirements, but in most
cases the ACMA can be contacted from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.
The
ACMA has a range of responsibilities in the radiocommunications and
telecommunications areas. For some matters, a formal application must
be lodged with the ACMA before it can make a decision or take any action on
any matter you request. Applications requiring a formal Authority decision
should be made in writing, and may be submitted electronically, to
the Chair, at either the Canberra or Melbourne Central Office addresses. These
matters can vary in complexity and can have particular statutory deadlines.
When making an application, the ACMA will tell you how long it expects to
take to process your application and any intermediate deadlines. If
it is not possible to process the application within that specified time
frame, it will keep you informed of the progress. Correspondence
requiring a response will be acknowledged as soon as practicable.
Responses will be provided within 20 working days, but where this is
not possible the ACMA will keep you informed of the progress. Overall,
the ACMA say that it will provide flexibility of service in a way to
take into account the special needs of the community. You also
have many legal rights in your dealings with the ACMA including access
to information, reasons for decisions and privacy.
However,
having said all of that, the ACMA’s ability to provide you with a
high level of service depends on you helping them. (Ah! Yes, It works
both ways!) The ACMA request that you provide accurate and complete
information; give
sufficient time to respond to your requests;
treat staff with courtesy and respect;
be open and honest and give feedback on the ACMA’s
performance. The ACMA is committed to customer service and value
feedback from you on how it can improve its service. If
you are not satisfied with the ACMA’s customer service you need
simply to tell the ACMA so that it can resolve the issue and prevent
it from happening again. It has a formal, free of charge complaints
process.
If
you feel you need lodge a complaint against the service you have
received by the ACMA then to make a complaint, you may contact the ACMA by phone,
mail, fax, email or go to an ACMA office. In the first instance, you
are encouraged to raise your concerns with the person you have been
dealing with. In most circumstances, the ACMA expect this person to be
able to quickly resolve your complaint. If this person cannot resolve
the complaint easily, you may be referred to a manager, or someone in a
specialist area, who will be responsible for resolving your complaint. If
you are still not satisfied, you can write to the Chair of the ACMA and seek
a review of the decision. If you do write to the Chair, a reply will be
sent to you as soon as possible and within 20 working days.
If
you feel that the problem has still not been resolved you may contact an
appropriate external body, such as the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
Complaints to the Ombudsman can be made by telephoning your
nearest Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office on 1300 362 072 for the cost of a
local call; via the Internet
on the Ombudsman’s website at www.comb.gov.au
or in writing to the
Commonwealth Ombudsman, GPO Box 442, CANBERRA ACT 2601.
In
conclusion, the CB fraternity needs to be aware of two things. Firstly, that
some CB radio operators need to “SNAP” out of this “conditioning”
they appear to be in because there is absolutely no basis for having
an apathetic attitude towards dealing with the ACMA. And, secondly, some CB
radio operators need to realize that as an operator of the CBRS, there exist
a variety of rights and entitlements to the ACMA and the ACMA have a
variety of obligations and responsibilities to the CB radio operator.
Even the ACMA will acknowledge this much but sometimes the problem really is
that some operators, as a result of apathy, won’t challenge the ACMA.