Federal Communications Commission				June 29, 2001
Consumer Information Bureau
Disability Rights Office
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

Magalie Roman Salas
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St. S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554

RE: FCC Docket 98-67

As required by FCC Docket 98-67, please find herein a summary of the State of Minnesota's Telecommunications Relay Service complaint logs for the twelve-month period commencing on June 1, 2000 and ending on May 31, 2001.  Please note that this summary is a combination of the complaints logged by both the Minnesota Relays' Consumer Relations Office and the Sprint Communications Company Consumer Relations Office.  

During the aforementioned twelve-month period complaints were logged as follows:

Call Answer Time: 3 complaints

Unfortunately, system outages occasionally occur due to technical failures or inclement weather.  In the event of such outages, calls to the Minnesota Relay are automatically re-routed to other relay centers on the Sprint system.  However, if an entire center fails, answer times may be delayed throughout the Sprint system.

Didn't Follow Customer Instructions: 17 complaints

These complaints involve communication assistant (CA) misdials, failure to disconnect upon request, human error, etc. and were forwarded to the relay center trainer or supervisor for follow-up with the CA identified in the complaint.

Didn't Keep Customer Informed: 1 complaint

A consumer complained that a CA failed to respond to a caller while the called party asked to be put on hold.  The complaint was forwarded to the relay center trainer or supervisor for follow-up with the CA.

Agent Disconnected Caller: 7 complaints

In each of the seven incidents, the cause of the calls being dropped was the result of technical failures and not a CA error.  

Poor Spelling: 2 complaints

One of the complaints involved garbled text rather than poor spelling, while the other involved human error.  Relay agents are routinely tested for typing speed and accuracy.  When deficiencies are identified, relay agents are subjected to additional testing and coaching.

Everything Relayed: 6 complaints

These complaints typically involve hearing consumers that are frustrated that relay agents must transliterate conversations verbatim.

Agent Was Rude: 11 complaints

Unfortunately, rudeness on the part of relay agents occasionally occurs, but is never tolerated.  Upon receipt, these complaints are forwarded to the relay center trainer or a supervisor for follow-up with the CA(s).  If necessary, relay agents received additional coaching regarding proper procedures for the handling of calls.  If problems with rudeness continue to persist, the CA may be disciplined or terminated. 

Speech-to-Speech (STS): 4 complaints

The four complaints were in relation to the changing of agents multiple times during a call, dialing the numbers of called parties prior to receiving complete instructions, STS calls mis-routed to a TRS center and CA's failure to allow a caller to leave a message on an answering machine.  Although access to Speech-to-Speech services began in Minnesota on September 1, 1999, STS is a relatively new service and many glitches need to be worked out.  However, as with all customer concerns, complaints are escalated on the same day they are received to the appropriate person assigned to resolve them. 

Other Problem Type Complaint: 19 complaints

In total, these complaints can be categorized as being above and beyond the control of the TRS provider.  For example, the customer is upset that the number they were calling is disconnected.  Occasionally, hearing consumers complain about the sound of TTY tones, etc.

Lost Branding: 2 complaints

When customers occasionally do "lose their branding", branding is typically restored the same or following day that a complaint is received.

Charged For Local Call: 3 complaints

Following a major area code split within the Twin Cities metropolitan area a few customers were told by relay agents that they were calling long distance when they were, in fact, making a local call.  To resolve the problem, our consumer relations' office worked closely with Qwest and relay provider, Sprint, to identify and resolve these access problems, which now no longer persist.  

Trouble Linking Up: 24 complaints

These types of complaints involve problems that hearing callers have when accessing the relay from Private Branch Exchange (PBX) telephone systems.  Due to limitations of the branding function, PBX systems are typically branded for TTY callers.  Therefore, when a hearing caller accesses the Minnesota Relay, they  first hear TTY tones and perhaps believe they cannot place a call.  When such complaints are received, consumer relations' staff  advises the caller that they must wait up to 30 seconds before they get a voice response.   

Line Disconnected: 4 complaints

During the previous 12-month reporting period, the Minnesota Relay experienced significant technical failures that are known as T-1 line "bounces."  To resolve the problem, technical staff from relay provider, Sprint, and local exchange carrier, Qwest, worked diligently to resolve the T-1 line problems, which no longer persist.

Garbled Message: 7 complaints

Although incidents of garbled text are generally beyond the control of the TRS provider, our consumer relations' staff is most willing to visit the homes or offices of those with garbled text problems.  Often, they find situations where TTY's (which are not directly connected) are placed in areas where the TTY is subjected to interference, e.g., audio equipment or large appliances that may emit radio frequency noise (RF) or electromagnetic fields (EMF).  If that is the case, the consumer relations' staff make recommendations to relocate the TTY to another area of the home or office that is appropriate for TTY use.  We also find that garbled text may result from a TTY being beyond the point of overhaul and in need of replacement. 
 
Database Not Available: 5 complaints

As with Lost Branding complaints, consumers occasionally will experience situations in which their Customer DataBase (CDB) information does not appear on the relay agent's monitor.  These complaints are quickly addressed by reestablishing CDB's by following the same steps required for the initial CDB setup.  

Other Technical Complaints: 16 complaints

Again, consumer complaints in this category involve circumstances that are above and beyond the control of relay providers or administrators.  For example, these types of complaints include lines of called parties being busy for long periods of times, complaints about automated telecommunications systems, etc.

Carrier Of Choice: 2 complaints

Most major common carriers certified to provide long distance services in Minnesota have established billing and collection agreements with relay provider, Sprint.  However, there are many, many smaller carriers that have yet to comply with the FCC mandate that common carriers provide functionally equivalent long distance access for relay consumers.    When the consumer relations' office receives such complaints, long distance carriers that are not in compliance are contacted directly and given an explanation of the FCC Order.  Additionally, the carrier is provided with the contact name and number of Sprint personnel responsible for establishing collection and billing agreements to the extent that functional equivalency regarding consumer choice issues are achieved.  Both complaints involved the same carrier and both issues were resolved.

Other: 5 complaints

These five complaints each involved situations that were above and beyond the control of relay providers or administrators.  For example, complaints involved called party's phones not being answered, billing issues not related to TRS, unwanted calls, relay agents refusing to access directory assistance, etc.

For further information regarding the Minnesota Relay please contact our consumer relations' office by calling:

(651) 602-9005 Voice/TTY
(800) 657-3775 Voice/TTY
FAX: (651) 602-9010
Or you may write to us at:

Minnesota Relay Consumer Relations' Office
322 Minnesota Street, Suite 820
St. Paul, MN 55101

Our email address is:

trichshipley@uswest.net

All other correspondence should be directed to:

Jim Alan, TACIP Administrator
Minnesota Department of Commerce
85 7th Place East, Suite 600
St. Paul, MN 55101-3165

Or I can be reached at:

(651) 297-4565 Voice
(800) 657-3599 Voice
(651) 297-3067 TTY
(800) 657-3603 TTY

Best regards,

Jim Alan
DoC-TACIP Administrator

C: 	Jim Bernstein, DoC Commissioner
	Anthony Mendoza, DoC Deputy Commissioner, Telecommunications
Dr. Burl Haar, Executive Director, MPUC
Lillian Brion, MPUC