Illinois Administrative Code › Title 83 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part 512 - OBLIGATIONS OF ALTERNATIVE GAS SUPPLIERS › Subpart B - MARKETING PRACTICES › Section 512.170 - Conduct, Training and Compliance of AGS Sales Agents

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) Each AGS shall conduct, or cause to be
				conducted, training for individual representatives engaged in in-person solicitation
				and telemarketing to residential customers on behalf of that AGS prior to conducting
				any such solicitations on the supplier's behalf. After initial training, each AGS
				shall be required to conduct refresher training for its individual representatives
				every 6 months.
b) Each AGS shall
				perform criminal background checks on all employees and agents engaged in in-person
				solicitation. The AGS shall maintain a record confirming that a criminal background
				check has been performed on its employees or agents in accordance with this
				Section.
c) An AGS sales agent shall be
				knowledgeable of the requirements applicable to the marketing and sale of natural
				gas supply service to the customer class being targeted. In addition to this Part,
				requirements pertaining to the marketing and sales of natural gas supply service may
				be found in other Commission rules, the Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive
				Business Practices Act [815 ILCS 505 ].
d) All AGS sales agents shall be familiar with
				natural gas supply services that they sell, including the rates, payment and billing
				options, and the customers' right to cancel. In addition, the AGS sales agents shall
				have the ability to provide the customer with a toll-free number for billing
				questions, disputes and complaints, as well as the Commission's toll-free phone
				number for complaints.
e) AGS sales
				agents shall not utilize false, misleading, materially inaccurate or otherwise
				deceptive language or materials in soliciting or providing services. AGS sales
				agents shall also fully comply with the requirements of Section
				512.100 governing marketing
				materials.
f) No AGS sales agent shall
				make a record of a customer's Gas Utility account number unless all applicable
				disclosures are made to the customer and the customer has agreed to enroll with the
				AGS, the AGS has secured consent from the customer to obtain customer-specific
				information for the purposes of pricing a product through a verifiable customer
				consent or another Commission-approved method, or the "record" is a recording
				required by Section 19-115(c)(4) of the Act and Sections
				512.130 and
				512.140 of this Part.
g) All AGS sales agents shall complete a training
				program that covers the applicable Sections of this Part. The AGS shall document the
				training of its sales agents and provide a certification to the Commission, in a
				format to be specified by Commission staff, showing that an agent completed the
				training program prior to a sales agent being eligible to market or sell gas supply
				in Illinois. The AGS shall maintain records of certificates for three years after
				the date the training was completed. Upon request by the Commission or Commission
				staff, an AGS shall provide training materials and training records, including
				refresher training as described in subsection (a), within seven business
				days.
h) When an AGS contracts with an
				independent contractor or vendor to solicit customers on the AGS' behalf, the AGS
				shall confirm that the contractor or vendor has provided training in accordance with
				this Section.
i) Each AGS shall monitor
				marketing and sales activities to ensure that its AGS agents are providing accurate
				and complete information and complying with all laws and regulations.