Maryland Department of Budget & Management

Maryland Relay Summary Log for June 1, 2000 -- May 31, 2001

For the period of June 1, 2000 through May 31, 2001, Maryland Relay
processed 2,450,218 calls and received a total of two hundred seventeen
(217) customer complaints. These complaints were filed with supervisors,
account managers, Sprint Relay Customer Service, and/or with the State
of Maryland's Telecommunications Access of Maryland (agency which
oversees the TRS contract with Sprint.)

We are not aware of any of these 217 complaints that were escalated for
action to the Federal Communications Commission. The summary below gives
the total number of each type of complaint that was filed and resolved
for each of the twelve months running from June 1, 2000 through May 31,
2001.

Out of the two hundred seventeen (217) complaints filed, 79% pertained
to agent performance (Service Complaints). Another 18% pertained to
technical problems (Technical Complaints) and the remaining 3% of
complaints pertained to issues such as Calling Rates, Operator actions,
and Carrier of Choice issues (Misc. Complaints). Each of the three
categories is discussed below:

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height="2.6666666666666665in"}

## 

## Technical Complaints

Complaints Concerning:

1.  6 - Answer Wait Time

2.  4 - Dial Out Time

3.  3 - Agent Not Following Customer Database Instructions

4.  20 - Agent Not Following Customer Instructions

5.  13 - Agent Not Keeping Customer Informed

6.  23 - Agent Disconnected Caller

7.  2 - Poor Spelling

8.  12 - Typing Speed and Accuracy

9.  1 - Poor Voice Tone

10. 5 - Everything Not Relayed

11. 1 - HCO Procedures Not Followed

12. 6 - VCO Procedures Not Followed

13. 9 - Two-Line VCO Procedures Not Followed

14. 1 - Background Noise Not Typed

15. 5 - Recording Feature Not Used

16. 1 - Noise in Center

17. 12 - Agent Was Rude

18. 7 - Problem With an Answer Machine

19. 1 - Spanish Service

20. 44 - Other Problem Type Complaints that included:

-   Agent left an inaudible voice message on answering machine, very
    fast and garbled.

-   Customer heard TTY tones first instead of Voice when calling the
    7-1-1 number

-   Agent stated "busy" when it should have been "fast busy"

-   Voice customer was not informed by agent when changing to a new
    agent during the call

-   Customer wanted agent to explain why outbound caller hung up, agent
    had to remain transparent

-   Customer heard agent chewing gum on the call

-   TTY user complained that it was unfair that he/she could not
    interrupt a long talking voice party

-   Customer stated that for the last three weeks he/she would get the
    Massachusetts Relay instead of MD Relay when dialing 7-1-1.

-   Customer wanted to know if MD Relay keeps records of calls, because
    he/she wanted the records for a court case

-   Customer requested ASL Translator, the agent and translator did not
    follow through with the ASL procedures

-   TTY customer wanted to know why agents were not allowed to respond
    to questions about the call

All complaints filed for this 12-month period have been resolved. Sprint
TRS and Maryland Relay made every effort to resolve all complaints
within fifteen days after the last day of the month in which they were
filed. Some technical complaints required longer resolution times, but
were resolved within the 180-day timeframe. Approximately ninety percent
(90%) of the Service Type Complaints are resolved during the time that
the complaint is filed with a supervisor. The remaining ten percent
(10%) require additional follow-ups with either the agent and/or the
customer. Additionally, Maryland Relay has a policy to ask each customer
who files a complaint if they would like to provide their contact
information and if they would like a call back. About ninety-five (95%)
of the customers filing complaints do not wish to receive a call back.
Instead, they want to be assured that the agent will be coached and
receive additional training that is necessary to improve the call
processing.

Further, Maryland Relay utilizes the complaint information as a tool for
evaluating areas that need improvement. For example, when a customer
identifies typing accuracy as an issue, an Operations Supervisor
provides direct feedback and guidance for improvement. Supervisors
monitor each operator performance at a minimum of twice per month and
the operators are provided with feedback on their performance. Maryland
Relay is also proactive in providing across the board refresher training
to all of its operators for other topics. For example, VCO to VCO calls
are not processed as frequently as TTY to Voice calls; therefore this
particular call type is covered during refresher training to ensure
overall effectiveness as we strive for *Quality Service*. Additionally,
other relay calling topics are randomly selected from the training
manual to provide agents with the opportunity for hands-on application
and consistency in call processing.

Additionally, during the period of June 1, 2000 through May 31, 2001,
Maryland Relay performed a series of off-line refresher training to the
agents at the Baltimore center. The following subject matters were
covered:

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  **TRAINING TOPICS**     **DATE OF REFRESHER     **NUMBER OF AGENTS
                          TRAINING**              TRAINED**

  Voice to TTY Answering  June 2000               113
  Machines                                        

  Alternate Call Types    July 2000               123

  TTY to Voice (TTY       August 2000             122
  Answered)                                       

  TTY to Voice (Answered  September 2000          117
  TTY-Voice Party Not                             
  Available)                                      

  Announcements           September 2000          117

  Reverse ASL             March 2001              22

  ASCII Split Screen      April 2001              126

  Providing Agent ID,     May 2001                126
  Explanation to                                  
  Customers                                       

  Keeping Customers       May 2001                126
  Informed                                        

  Relaying Verbatim       May 2001                126

  Following Customer      May 2001                126
  Instruction for                                 
  Specific Person Request                         
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

## Technical Complaints

Complaints Concerning:

1.  2 - Lost Branding

2.  17 - Trouble in Linking Up to the Agent

3.  3 - TTY users receiving Garbled Messages

4.  1 - Customer Database Not Being Available

5.  1 - Split Screen

6.  15 - Other Technical Type Complaints such as:

-   Customer could not access the Maryland Relay 800 number

-   Customer could not access the Maryland Relay through his cell phone
    and received a recording, "Call cannot not be completed as dialed"

-   Agent kept asking customer for "call from" number (area code and
    number).

-   Customer was not able to get through after 10 rings. Complained as
    to why it was taking so long to get through

-   Customer keeps getting a recording saying "number cannot be
    completed as dialed" (LEC issue) when trying to call the Maryland
    Relay

## Miscellaneous Complaints

Complaints Concerning:

1.  1 - Rates

2.  2 - Customer's Carrier of Choice Not Being Available

3.  4 - Other issues such as:

-   Customer has trouble dialing 7-1-1 from his residence to reach MD
    Relay. Customer reaches Massachusetts Relay

-   Customer explained that there is a deaf employee at her place of
    business and whenever he dials 7-1-1 and ask the agent to dial an
    outside line, the call comes back to the office.

There were no complaints filed concerning:

-   Network Recordings

-   Operator Services for the Deaf

\- Access to 900 Numbers

Some of the technical complaints required longer resolution times, but
were resolved within the 180-day timeframe.

Although this report only officially lists two complaints being filed
concerning the customer's inability to reach their Carrier of Choice
through Maryland Relay, this office regularly receives comments from the
user community on this subject. This issue will be addressed in a
separate correspondence to the FCC.

In summary, Maryland Relay received relatively few complaints from
customers during the time-period for this report. Although we are
pleased that users would appear to have an extremely high satisfaction
rating of the service, we will continue to be pro-active in improving
relay service for our customers. In fact, in March 2001, this office
procured the services of an independent evaluator to ascertain the
quality and performance of Maryland Relay. The results of the survey are
being used as a tool to continually improve the quality of relay
services we offer our customers. During the summer of 2001, the
Department of Budget & Management will release a Request for Proposals
to improve the standards of the Maryland Relay which should result in
even greater customer satisfaction.

Respectfully Submitted,

Gil Becker

Maryland Relay

Maryland Department of Budget & Management

301 West Preston Street Suite 1008A

Baltimore, MD 21201

1-800-552-7724