scope

• The code of conduct will be applicable to all agencies, telecallers, field agents, ARC employees and other representative employees or associates of Bharti airtel who are engaged in the activity of collections for or on behalf of Bharti airtel.The Code of conduct has been defined in 2 parts Part 1 - Model Conduct rules for the STAFF of outsourced agencies for collection - This document of do's and don'ts needs to be circulated to all staff of outsourced collection agencies. The staff shall sign the Annexure "A" and return it to the agency that will file this record safely with them and produce to Bharti airtel or its authorized representatives as and when needed. Part 2 - Model Conduct rules of Collection for the Outsourced agencies - This part needs to be incorporated as an Annexure in the existing agreements with Collection agencies for the time being and will form an integral part of all future contractual agreements with Collection agencies.

compliance

• Agent of outsourced agency shall conduct himself while undertaking collection of the outstanding dues as per the laws of the country and as per the Code of Conduct for outsourced agency and agents. Non-compliance of the Code of Conduct may lead to termination of Agreement and security deposit will be forfeited.

part 1 - "model conduct rules for staff of outsourced agencies for collection"

• 	Attributes		Do's		Don'ts
  	Appearance		Well groomed Hair to be well trimmed and combed Preferably clean shaven		Avoid long hair Avoid stubbles and beard unless your religion requires you to have a beard
  	Dress Code		Wear clean and ironed clothes Wear formal trousers Preferably wear formal leather shoes that are properly polished Tie is not compulsory but wearing one will make you look and feel professional		Do not roll up shirt sleeves Avoid jeans and cargos Do not wear shorts and round neck t-shirts Shirt buttons should not be open so that it reveals the chest Do not wear slippers and other footwear that reveals your feet. Avoid wearing sneakers
  	Identification		Always identify yourself as a representative of airtel with clear indication of your role Carry your identity card alongwith letter of authorization at all times and show it to the customer voluntarily, Identity card should contain the contact no of agency/supervisor/helpline At the time of calling /contacting the customer, agent or the agency must convey the complete details such as name of contacting person, name of agency, contact no. and name of service provider ( Bharti airtel)		Do not give an impression that you are an airtel employee Do not get tough or aggressive or abusive Never misrepresent yourself as a legal representative, police or as anyone belonging to any government agency
  	Speech		Tone should be sincere, polite yet assertive and firm		Do not lose cool, get angry or even irritated, whatever the provocation Do not talk in high pitch, Never shout Do not pass comments that personally insult or degrade the customer Do not pass remarks that degrade the race, gender, religion, community, family, nationality, location, physical appearance, education or occupation of the customer Do not get personal Do not threaten / harass / torment the customer in any way Never use obscene, profane or abusive language Do not use Tobacco, Chewing gum, Cigarettes while meeting the customers. Never make house / office calls after consuming alcohol
  	Dealing with Children / Ladies / Senior citizens		Treat them with courtesy and respect at all times		Do not try to mislead, threaten, abuse or attempt to collect from children. Dealing with children is allowed only for the purpose of seeking information that will lead to contact with the customer and is strictly prohibited for any other reason Be careful while entering their home/premises in the absence of any male person. Preferably transact near the entrance or in an open visitors' area rather than a bedroom/living room especially when only children, ladies are present
  	Belongings		Call up allocated cases and speak only to the customer as per the system allocation and plan Ensure you have entered follow ups trails in the system
  	Ethics		Be fair and ethical in your dealings with customers Any promise made as per delegation of authority should be captured in the system		Collector should not make any verbal or written promises to customer on matters outside his purview or on ad-hoc settlements / product features Do not state any false information Always state the correct amount to be paid by the customer. Do not convey incorrect amounts or inflated amounts Do not conduct personal level dealings with customers Do not attempt to collect from the relatives or associates of the customer through misrepresentation of facts
  	Confidentiality				Do not reveal Customer's personal and financial information to any body other than the account holder Unauthorized information, written or verbal, cannot be divulged to any customer / competitor / any other person e.g. photocopy of customer information sheet etc. Do not share information about a customer with other customers
  	Proximity		Maintain a reasonable distance from the customer.		Do not have any physical contact with the customer Do not obstruct customer movement
  	Process Product Discipline		Perform your role as per the instructions issued to you in training/process manuals and specifics of collection action based on the product. Always carry details of latest outstanding along In case customer has paid the bills, ask for the evidence politely In case customer claims that the bill is under dispute, this information will be passed on to Bharti airtel through your agency who will wait for the instruction from Bharti airtel for future course of action In case the connection has been taken fraudulently in the name of customer, it should immediately be informed to Bharti airtel through your agency.
  	Maximize Effectiveness		Ensure pre-visit preparation and planning to improve their efficiency Document any referrals given to you for follow up
  	Timing (City Specific)		Following Time line to be adhered to for Tele-calling and field visits Visits or calls at other times in exceptional situations should be approved by thec Collection Manager of Bharti airtel Earliest : 08.00Hours Latest : 21.00Hours		Tele-calling and field visit should not be done before and after the time lines given
  	Fraudulent Practices		The following practices are defined as fraudulent practices. Fraudulent practices can lead to immediate termination of employment, addition of the employee's name to a black list, prosecution and police complaints on the concerned agent Tampering, falsification or unauthorized overwriting of cheques, receipt books, drafts and other negotiable instruments Tampering, falsification and false commitments on receipts and settlement letters Using the cash payment of customer for personal purpose even for a temporary period False commitments to customers, verbal or written, promising waivers, settlements etc. Commitment on settlement and waivers without the approval of specific authority from Bharti airtel Filing false complaints on customers for the purpose of intimidation
  	Personal safety		If a customer calls a PCR or the police to lodge a complaint, false or otherwise, vacate the premises immediately and contact your supervisor. Do not attempt to deal with the situation yourself without support If a customer attempts physical abuse or threat of violence, do not attempt to deal with the situation yourself. Contact your supervisor and leave the premises immediately Take extra care while dealing with customers in sensitive areas. Leave at the slightest sign of personal threat e.g. a group of people assembling together with the customer If you travel by 2 wheelers, always use a safety helmet

part 2 - " model conduct rules for outsourced agencies for collection "

• 	Attributes		Do's		Don'ts
  	Code of Conduct		It is solely the agency's responsibility to ensure that all agents, employed for purposes of collecting the monies owed to Bharti airtel, follow the code of conduct. The agency will be held directly liable by Bharti airtel for any violation whatsoever.
  	Records		Agencies shall ensure that their employees handling Bharti airtel account sign the code of conduct immediately after joining and will safely file a copy of the Code of Conduct with them Agencies shall keep a record of all employees and verify their address before appointment Agencies shall verify antecedents of the employees and specifically ensure that their employees do not have any criminal record   Agency shall keep all compliance of Code of conduct related papers for audit for a period of at least 1 yr. from the date of signing by the employee or till the employee leaves their organization, whichever is later The records will be made available to audit by Bharti airtel or any of its nominated audit agencies/partners
  	Process		Cash and Cheque collected from customers shall be deposited timely with Bharti airtel / Bank within time agreed as per agreement, and to insure that no misutilisation of the fund should happen. Any loss of data, material in possession of agency viz. receipt books, Identity Cards, Stat Cards etc. would be informed to Bharti airtel immediately on the agency's letter head Bharti airtel shall be entitled to instruct the Agency not to proceed for making collection and / or stop making collection with respect to one / all customers at any point of time without any liability of Bharti airtel towards Agency in this regard, other than liabilities mentioned elsewhere in the Agreement		Agencies should not hold any money, collected on behalf of Bharti airtel, with them beyond the agreed hours
  	Confidentiality		Agency shall keep all the data strictly confidential and use it only for the specific purpose for which it has been given		No collection agency shall divulge information about any existing customer to any other customer - existing or future.
  	Behavior				Do not engage on indulge in any practices that are illegal, immoral, against the public order, good conduct and decency Agencies should not hide any fact which contradict the COC guidelines
  	Communication				No direct communication in writing shall be sent directly to the customers. Agency shall not make any promise, whatsoever, to customers while making the said collection Agency shall ensure that they will not make multiple point of contact with a defaulting consumer at a time through its different employees/ agents.
  	Speech				Under no circumstances will any staff members of the Agency engage in dialogue or action with customers of Bharti airtel or their staff/family members that may deem to be unfit professional behavior or adversely affect the image of Bharti airtel.
  	Safety & Security		It is obligatory for the Agency to insure cash held on account of Bharti airtel at any stage (in transit, cash in hand, overnight cash box, collectors, cash on person) adequately for safety. Even in the event of any loss or misappropriation of funds at the agency level, it is mandatory for the agency to deposit the value in question within 24 hrs at the Bharti airtel cash counter/ designated locations without taking umbrage under any reference to settlement of insurance claim or whatsoever