Spain's new customer service law takes full effect on December 28, 2026. Ley SAC (Ley 10/2025) raises the bar for response times, complaint resolution, accessibility, and human agent access — and it applies to essential service providers and large consumer-facing companies alike. For CX leaders, the deadline provides a chance to rethink how service operations are structured before the requirements become mandatory.
Key Takeaways
- Deadline: Organizations have until December 28, 2026 to comply.
- Who it applies to: Essential service providers (energy, water, transport, telecom, postal, financial services) and large companies — generally 250+ employees, €50M+ in revenue, or a €43M+ balance sheet.
- Human access is mandatory: AI can't be the only path to support — a specialized human agent must always be available on request.
- Speed matters: 95% of calls requesting a human agent must be answered within 3 minutes on average; most complaints must be resolved in 15 working days, billing complaints in 5.
- Accessibility and language: Companies in co-official language regions must serve customers in those languages, with added support for older adults and people with disabilities.
- Reporting is now required: Annual quality evaluations, validated by an external audit, are mandatory.
- AI still has a role: The law shifts AI toward high-volume, routine tasks while reserving complex or sensitive cases for human agents.
On December 28, 2026, the deadline to comply with Spain's Ley de Servicios de Atención a la Clientela (Ley SAC) arrives.
For organizations covered by the law, customer service will need to meet higher standards. Response times, complaint handling, accessibility, and access to human support are all receiving greater attention. The challenge for CX leaders is clear: improve service quality while keeping costs under control.
What is Ley SAC?
Ley 10/2025 is Spain's new customer service law. Published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on December 27, 2025, it establishes minimum service standards for organizations serving consumers in Spain.
The law covers companies that provide essential services, including energy, water, transportation, telecommunications, postal services, and financial services. It also applies to large consumer-facing organizations, generally those with 250 or more employees, more than €50 million in annual revenue, or a balance sheet exceeding €43 million.
Organizations have one year to prepare, making December 28, 2026, the compliance deadline. While penalties are possible for organizations that fail to comply, the broader impact is that customer expectations across Spain are likely to rise alongside the legal requirements.
Key requirements of Ley SAC
Here are the biggest changes organizations should prepare for:
- 95% of customer calls requesting a human agent must be answered within three minutes, on average.
- Customers cannot be required to rely only on AI or automated systems. A specialized human agent must always be available upon request.
- Most complaints must be resolved within 15 working days, while billing complaints have a five-day deadline.
- Customer support must be available through multiple channels, including the original contracting channel, telephone, postal mail, and at least one electronic channel.
- Large companies operating in regions with co-official languages must provide customer service in those languages.
- Organizations must measure customer service quality and complete annual evaluations supported by an external audit.
AI still has a major role to play
One of the most talked-about parts of Ley SAC is its requirement that customers always have a path to a specialized human agent. Organizations cannot make AI or automated systems the only option for customer support.
That requirement doesn't reduce the value of AI. Instead, it encourages organizations to use automation where it delivers the greatest benefit while ensuring customers can move to a human whenever the situation calls for it.
Think about how most customers prefer to interact. Checking an account balance, finding an invoice, resetting a password, or updating contact information are all tasks people often want to complete quickly without waiting in a queue. AI excels in those situations.
More complex conversations are different. Billing disputes, unusual requests, emotionally charged situations, or issues that require judgment benefit from a skilled agent. A smooth transition between AI and a person keeps the experience moving without forcing customers to repeat themselves.
That's the model Inbenta was built to support. AI Agents resolve routine questions at scale, while Inbenta’s Live Agent Assist gives agents the conversation history and relevant knowledge they need to continue helping the customer immediately.
The three-minute rule starts before the phone rings
The law requires organizations offering phone support to answer 95% of customer calls within three minutes, on average.
For many contact centers, meeting that goal starts well before someone picks up the phone.
Every successful self-service interaction removes a call from the queue. AI chat, intelligent search, and a well-organized knowledge base give customers the answers they need without waiting for an agent. As routine questions move to digital channels, agents have more capacity to focus on conversations that genuinely require human expertise.
The result is shorter wait times, less pressure on support teams, and a much more achievable path to meeting the law's response targets.
Faster complaint deadlines leave less room for delays
Organizations now have 15 working days to resolve most complaints and only five days to resolve billing complaints.
Those timelines put pressure on every part of the customer service operation. Every unnecessary transfer, every repeated explanation, and every minute spent searching for the right answer adds up.
A centralized knowledge base helps eliminate those delays. When every support channel draws from the same trusted information, customers receive consistent answers whether they contact the organization by phone, email, or chat.
Agents also benefit. Having the customer's history and intent available before the conversation begins makes it easier to solve problems during the first interaction instead of passing cases between teams.
Accessibility and language are part of the customer experience
Ley SAC also raises the bar for accessibility.
Organizations operating in regions with co-official languages must support customers in both Spanish and the appropriate regional language. The law also places special emphasis on serving older adults, people with disabilities, and other consumers who may need additional support.
Technology can make these requirements easier to meet. Modern AI understands different languages, recognizes natural variations in how people ask questions, and can often interpret spelling mistakes without creating confusion. Human assistance, however, must always remain available for customers who need it.
Good reporting supports good service
One of the law's less-visible requirements may end up having one of the biggest operational impacts.
Organizations must measure customer service quality every year and validate those results through an external audit. That means reliable reporting can no longer be an afterthought.
Response times, resolution rates, escalation trends, customer satisfaction, and knowledge gaps all become important operational metrics. Tracking them continuously is far easier than trying to recreate the data once an audit is approaching.
Strong reporting does more than support compliance. It also helps leaders identify recurring problems, improve processes, and make better decisions over time.
Does Ley SAC apply to your company?
Your organization will likely need to comply if you are:
- An energy provider
- A water utility
- A transportation company
- A telecommunications provider
- A postal service provider
- A financial institution
- A large company serving consumers in Spain
If your organization falls into one of these categories, now is the right time to review your customer service operation. Updating processes, improving knowledge management, and evaluating technology takes time. Starting early creates far more flexibility than rushing to meet the deadline.
The deadline is an opportunity to improve
December 28, 2026 is more than a compliance date. For many organizations, it's an opportunity to rethink how customer service works.
The teams that prepare early will have more than a compliant operation. They'll spend less time handling repetitive requests, resolve more issues during the first interaction, deliver more consistent experiences across every channel, and give agents better tools to do their jobs.
Customers notice those improvements. Regulators will too.
If you're evaluating your customer service strategy ahead of the Ley SAC deadline, we'd be happy to show you how Inbenta helps organizations improve service quality while preparing for compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ley SAC?
Ley 10/2025, known as Ley SAC, is Spain's customer service law, published in the BOE on December 27, 2025. It sets minimum service standards for organizations serving consumers in Spain, covering areas like response times, complaint handling, and accessibility.
When is the compliance deadline?
December 28, 2026 — one year after the law's publication.
Which companies does Ley SAC apply to?
It covers essential service providers — energy, water, transportation, telecommunications, postal services, and financial services — as well as large consumer-facing companies, generally those with 250+ employees, over €50 million in annual revenue, or a balance sheet above €43 million.
Does Ley SAC ban the use of AI in customer service?
No. It requires that a specialized human agent always be available on request — AI can't be the only option. Organizations can still use AI for routine tasks like checking balances or resetting passwords, while ensuring a smooth handoff to a person for complex or sensitive issues.
What are the response time requirements?
95% of calls requesting a human agent must be answered within three minutes, on average.
How fast do complaints need to be resolved?
Most complaints within 15 working days; billing complaints within 5 working days.
What accessibility and language requirements does the law include?
Large companies operating in regions with co-official languages must offer customer service in those languages, with added attention to accessibility for older adults and people with disabilities.
What reporting obligations does Ley SAC create?
Organizations must measure customer service quality annually and validate results through an external audit covering metrics like response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction.
What should organizations do to prepare?
Start reviewing customer service operations now — including knowledge management, self-service tools, and channel consistency — since updating processes and technology takes time ahead of the deadline.
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