The conciliation procedure between Telecom Italia and the consumer associations who signed the framework agreement for the out-of-court settlement of telephone disputes, was the first example of joint conciliation in Italy. Introduced on a trial basis in 1991 by SIP, it was implemented throughout the country in 1993. In 1995 it was substantially recognised by the European Union as a "pilot project for consumer access to justice". The model is still used today but has been adapted over the years to fulfil new requirements, computerised and made easier to use, while maintaining the basic values that made it such an excellent tool, contributing to improving the transparency of the system, customer relations and a number of the Company's operational processes as well. Twenty consumer associations have signed up to the conciliation agreement to date.
In 2009, Telecom Italia, in compliance with the voluntary undertakings given and approved by the Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM) in December 2008, also started managing conciliation requests submitted by customers at the offices of Co.Re.Com and the Chambers of Commerce, thus providing a "one stop shop" for contacts and replicating the organisational model successfully applied for joint conciliations. This system allows customers who do not wish to approach a consumer association to use an alternative method for resolving their dispute through a streamlined and out-of-court procedure.
As for joint conciliations, the management of conciliations at the offices of Co.Re.Com and the Chambers of Commerce is based on an approach that considers the needs of the customer and, regardless of the procedure selected, allows the customer's relationship with the company to be improved.
The "one stop shop" model has thus far allowed the undertakings given to AGCOM to be fulfilled and the qualitative and numeric targets to be achieved. In 2011, the number of conciliation requests submitted to Co.Re.Com and Chamber of Commerce offices fell by 14.3%. (from 21,681 to 18,585)([1]). Of these applications, 87.8% were discussed in that same year and 12.2% were cancelled (there are no received applications awaiting discussion). The percentage of conciliation requests discussed at Co.Re.Com and Chamber of Commerce offices and settled during the period (compared to the total number of applications discussed during the same period) was 87.5% (12.5% were not settled).
Telecom Italia supported the conciliation activity by means of:
• seminars and joint training initiatives involving dedicated personnel from Telecom Italia, AGCOM, Co.Re.Com and consumer associations;
• debates, conferences, interviews and other promotional activities involving senior management in order to disseminate the correct cultural approach to the subject.
The internal structure of the Customer Operations area was also consequently modified in order to improve its operational and support capabilities.
(1) Consistent with the fall in the number of joint conciliation requests received in the same period (-13.6%, from 7,095 to 6,246).