Module 11 — Customer experience, payments, and driver support

Section 1 · Pre-work (45 minutes)

Required reading

• Operations Manual §10 (all subsections). 25 minutes.
• HiON Voice Playbook §07 (Tesla reference discipline) and §08 (Writing scenarios, especially driver-facing). 15 minutes.
• The trainee’s current customer-interaction log template (or a working template if not yet established). 5 minutes.

Pre-session knowledge check

Submitted via Partner Portal at least 24 hours before the session.

1. A driver hands the Operations Lead a credit card and asks them to “just run it for the session.” What is the correct response and the cited basis?
2. A driver complains about a $200 charge from yesterday and is visibly upset. What is the maximum the franchisee may commit to the driver in response?
3. May the Site Operations Lead disconnect a charging cable from a driver’s vehicle to enforce a session time limit if the driver is parked beyond the idle threshold?
4. The Site Host’s hotel front desk wants to comp charging for hotel guests. May the franchisee set this up at the site?
5. Within how many Business Days must a SEV 3 driver-payment ticket be opened?

Bring to session

• The trainee’s customer-interaction log template
• The trainee’s site signage inventory (especially “EV Charging Only” signage)
• The trainee’s Site Operations Lead (where named) — required attendee
• The trainee’s Designated Business Manager

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Section 2 · Learning objectives

By the end of this module, the trainee can:

1. Walk a HiON EV Facility through the §10.1 six-moment driver journey (Find, Approach, Arrive, Connect, Charge, Finish/depart) and identify which moments are HiON-owned, which are franchisee-owned, and what each moment requires
2. Apply the §10.2 payment architecture absolutely — no payment hardware, no off-system payment acceptance, no payment-credential handling, no surcharges or fees through any non-Tesla channel
3. Apply the §10.2.2 pricing discipline — no pricing communication other than directing drivers to the Tesla app; no discounts, free-charging credits, or sponsored arrangements outside HiON-authorized mechanisms
4. Execute the §10.3.1 escalate-never-resolve principle for every driver interaction — listen respectfully, log accurately, route to the correct support channel, commit to nothing beyond what the §10.3.2 approved response patterns permit
5. Apply the seven §10.3.2 approved response patterns for common driver scenarios (broken charger, billing dispute, pricing question, discount request, safety/injury, non-NACS vehicle, angry/threatening driver)
6. Enforce parking, congestion, and session management per §10.4 without manual session-limit enforcement, without confrontation, without cable disconnects; protect accessible stalls absolutely
7. Execute the §10.5 feedback cadence — weekly site-performance dashboard review; monthly site-performance commentary to FBC; participation in HiON-convened forums

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Section 3 · Why this matters

The Manual frames the discipline at §10.3.1: “You escalate. You do not resolve.” The franchisee’s role with drivers is narrow and specific — be a professional, helpful face for the HiON brand when a driver is at the site, and route them to the correct channel without making commitments beyond what the Manual permits. The temptation to do more — to refund the disputed $200, to confirm the driver’s complaint, to apologize specifically for an outage, to explain why the post is faulting — is the operationally most-common breach pattern in customer interactions.

The §10.2 payment architecture is non-negotiable in a categorical sense. The franchisee does not touch payment. Not card data, not cash, not Venmo, not Zelle, not CashApp, not check, not credit card, not “I’ll just run it manually” — ever. The §10.2.1 [MANDATORY] standards close every possible payment path other than the Tesla app. The §10.2.2 [MANDATORY] standards close every possible pricing communication other than directing drivers to the Tesla app. The Manual’s clarity here exists for a reason: the franchisee who handles one payment, one discount, one comp creates a private contractual exposure HiON cannot satisfy and an FA breach the franchisee cannot defend.

The §10.3.2 response patterns are the operating script for the franchisee’s customer-facing team. The Manual provides verbatim language for seven common scenarios because untrained extemporaneous responses to drivers — even well-intentioned ones — produce promise-breaking events (§2.2.2 / M03), §6.2.3 FPR violations (M04), §11.5.2 social-media drift (M08), and §10.2 payment violations. The trainee internalizes the script not as a constraint on customer service but as the franchise’s customer-service protocol.

The §10.4 parking and session management framework is structurally Tesla-network-driven, not site-team-driven. Idle fees, session time limits, and congestion-management pricing happen in the Tesla network. The franchisee’s site-team role is passive — observation, wayfinding by voice, escalation if patterns indicate. The franchisee never disconnects a cable to enforce a session limit. Never confronts a driver. Never takes physical action against a vehicle or session. These restrictions exist because (a) the franchisee cannot reach into a session that runs in Tesla’s network; (b) physical confrontation creates §13 (M14) safety and liability exposure; (c) cable disconnects damage equipment and void the Uptime Guarantee.

The accessible-stall protection (§10.4.3) is absolute. ADA compliance is one of the §1.2.6 categorical no-exception territories — HiON will never approve an exception that compromises accessibility. The franchisee’s discipline: the accessible stall, the accessible route, and the access aisle are kept clear of bollards, planters, signage, equipment, snow piles, temporary placements — at all times.

Acknowledged Elephant: many operators have built customer-service cultures around the “we always make it right” instinct. That instinct, in HiON’s customer-experience model, produces unauthorized commitments. The Manual’s framing is that drivers experience faster, more consistent resolution through Tesla’s driver-support infrastructure than through a well-meaning franchisee team member’s attempt to handle the matter directly. The franchisee’s customer-service performance is measured not by how many issues the team “resolved on the spot” but by how cleanly the team logged the issue, escalated it, and got the driver to the right channel.

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Section 4 · Core content

4.1 — The driver journey (§10.1)

Six moments and their ownership:

Moment	What happens	Who owns
Find	Driver locates the HiON EV Facility in the Tesla mobile application and chooses it for their session	HiON (site metadata, network integration) + franchisee (accurate site name, correct address, correct post count in the app)
Approach	Driver turns off the roadway, enters the property, follows wayfinding to the charging bay	Franchisee (property entry signage where permitted, pavement wayfinding, illumination, a route matching what the app suggests)
Arrive	Driver pulls into a charging stall (accessible stall if vehicle has accessibility credential; otherwise any available stall)	Franchisee (stall availability, striping, bollard integrity, cleanliness, snow clearance)
Connect	Driver removes the NACS connector from the post cradle and connects to the vehicle	HiON (post functionality, cable condition, connector health)
Charge	Session authorizes through the Tesla app; power delivery begins; driver waits, typically inside the vehicle or in the Site Host’s venue	HiON (equipment and network performance). Franchisee (overall site safety, lighting, comfort of the area around the post)
Finish and depart	Session ends, driver disconnects, cable returns to the cradle, driver departs	HiON (session termination and billing). Franchisee (driver’s post-session path and any gate, exit, or interaction with Site Host’s operations)

Three [MANDATORY] driver-experience standards (§10.1):

1. Inspect each HiON EV Facility through a driver-experience lens at the §9 visit cadence (M10): would an arriving driver find the site, navigate to a stall, and connect without friction or surprise? Any deficiency remediated within §9 response windows
2. Confirm in the Tesla application at least once per week that site name, address, stall count, amenities, and any additional metadata are accurate. Report discrepancies per §3.2
3. Ensure Site Host operations (delivery truck routes, special-event lanes, temporary signage, construction on adjacent parts of the property) do not silently break the driver journey. Coordinate with the Site Host under §5.3 (M05); escalate to HiON if Site Host operations repeatedly impair the journey

4.2 — The payment architecture (§10.2.1)

Four [MANDATORY] §10.2.1 standards — every one categorical:

1. No card reader, kiosk, NFC terminal, mobile payment accessory, RFID card reader, coin or token mechanism, or any other payment-taking device at a HiON EV Facility (also §2.1.3)
2. No payment from any driver by cash, check, credit card, mobile wallet, Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, wire transfer, or any other off-system method. If a driver offers direct payment, direct them to the Tesla application and escalate if the payment path is not operational (§3.2)
3. No collection, recording, transmission, storage, discussion, or other handling of a driver’s payment card data, bank account data, mobile wallet credential, or any other payment credential — under any circumstances
4. No invoice, surcharge, or fee to any driver for use of the HiON EV Facility through any channel other than the Tesla application’s approved pricing mechanisms

The discipline is not “we generally don’t take payment.” The discipline is never — no exception, no edge case, no helpful gesture, no manual handling.

4.3 — Pricing and price communication (§10.2.2)

Three [MANDATORY] standards plus one [RECOMMENDED]:

1. No advertising, posting, or communicating any charging price, pricing tier, idle-fee amount, or discount other than: (a) the pricing displayed in real time in the Tesla mobile application for the driver’s session, and (b) general category-level statements HiON has authorized on the Partner Portal
2. No offer, promise, or application of any discount, promotional price, free-charging credit, or sponsored-charging arrangement to any driver, group, Site Host customer, or third party — except through specific promotional mechanisms HiON authorizes on the Partner Portal
3. Where a Site Host or third-party sponsor wishes to underwrite charging for specific drivers (a hotel comping charging to guests; an employer underwriting employee charging), the arrangement is executed only through a HiON-approved sponsorship mechanism and under HiON prior written approval
4. [RECOMMENDED] When asked about pricing, the approved answer: “Charging rates are shown in the Tesla app before each session. Open the Tesla app and select this location for the current price.”

The recommended answer is the only answer. Stating a price is a §10.2.2 [MANDATORY] violation — even if the price the team member states is technically the current price.

4.4 — Driver payment questions (§10.2.3) — the 5-step escalation

When a driver contacts the franchisee with a payment, billing, refund, or account question — at the site, by phone, by email, through social media, through any channel — the franchisee escalates, never resolves.

Five-step procedure (§10.2.3):

1. Collect: driver’s name and contact preference; approximate date and time of session; identifier the driver references (session ID, receipt number, stall number, amount charged, card last-4 if the driver volunteers it — but do not ask for card data); short description in the driver’s words
2. Acknowledge: “That’s handled through the Tesla app and our driver-support team. I’ll log this and make sure you get a response.” Do not confirm, deny, dispute, or commit to a refund.
3. Route the driver to the support flow inside the Tesla application and, if HiON’s current protocol directs, provide the specific support channel HiON has established
4. Open a SEV 3 ticket in the Partner Portal within 1 Business Day with the information collected. Note driver’s preferred follow-up channel
5. Log the interaction in the customer-interaction log. Retain per §15 (M15)

[MANDATORY] §10.2.3 closing rule: No commitment to a refund, credit, adjustment, or compensation to any driver, whether in cash or services. Any goodwill gesture must be authorized through the Partner Portal and issued through HiON’s systems. Unauthorized adjustments are a material breach.

4.5 — The escalate-never-resolve principle (§10.3.1)

The Manual states the principle verbatim in the §10.3.1 callout box:

“You escalate. You do not resolve. When a driver approaches your team with a concern, question, or complaint, your job is to listen respectfully, log accurately, and route to the correct support channel. You do not commit HiON or Tesla to a specific outcome. You do not diagnose equipment or network faults. You do not resolve payment or account matters. You do not offer or promise compensation beyond what we have authorized. This is not passivity — it is the right answer. Drivers experience a faster, more consistent resolution when the matter goes to the Tesla driver-support infrastructure than when a well-meaning Franchisee team member tries to handle it directly, and it is the only approach that is consistent with the payment and network architecture.”

Two operational implications:

• Listening and logging is the job. The franchisee’s customer-service performance is measured by interaction completeness in the log + ticket-opening discipline + driver-experience continuity — not by resolution-on-the-spot count
• “Helpful” gestures that exceed authorization are violations. The DBM who refunds a driver from petty cash to “make it right” has committed a §10.2.3 [MANDATORY] material breach + a §1.3 (M02) confidentiality violation if they recorded payment data + a §13 (M14) cash-handling exposure

4.6 — The seven approved response patterns (§10.3.2)

Driver says…	The franchisee’s team says (substance)…	Then the team…
”My charger isn’t working."	"I’m sorry about that. Let me take a look and get our network team involved.”	Observe visible indicators; open SEV 2 ticket per §3.2.2.B; do not touch the equipment; direct driver to try another stall or to the Tesla app driver support flow; stay with the driver until they have a path forward
”I got double-charged / overcharged."	"Billing is handled through the Tesla app. Let me log this so our team picks it up, and the app’s support flow is the fastest way to get it resolved.”	Collect information per §10.2.3; open SEV 3 ticket within 1 Business Day; do not commit to a refund
”How much does it cost?"	"Charging rates are shown in the Tesla app before each session. Open the app and select this location for the current price.”	Do not state a price yourself
”Can I get a discount?"	"I’m not able to change pricing at the site. Any promotion would be reflected in the Tesla app if one is active.”	Do not offer or create a discount
”Something on the site is dangerous / I got hurt."	"Let’s make sure you’re okay first.” Provide immediate aid if trained and safe; call 911 if needed	Follow §13 incident reporting (M14); open SEV 1 ticket per §3.2; do not admit or deny fault
”Why can’t I charge my [non-NACS] vehicle here?"	"This site is part of the Tesla Supercharger network and serves NACS / J3400. Plan your next stop using the Tesla app or your vehicle’s trip planner.”	Do not speculate about adapters or other-network options beyond what HiON has authorized
Driver is angry, disruptive, or threatens the team.	”I’m sorry this isn’t going well. Let me make sure this gets to the right team.” Do not engage in conflict; protect personal safety first	De-escalate; disengage if the driver becomes threatening; call 911 if necessary; open SEV 1 ticket if safety was at risk; document per §13 (M14)

Three [MANDATORY] §10.3 standards:

1. Train every customer-facing team member on §10.2.3, §10.3.2, and the approved response patterns before they begin work. Retain acknowledgments per §8 (M09)
2. Log every substantive driver interaction (any issue beyond directions or casual pleasantries) in the customer-interaction log: date, time, site, driver description (no personal data beyond what the driver volunteers), subject, action taken, ticket number if any
3. No posting, repeating, or commenting on individual driver interactions on social media, on the Site Host’s channels, or in public forums. Driver interactions are confidential.

4.7 — Parking, congestion, session management (§10.4)

Non-EV parking in charging stalls (ICE-ing) — §10.4.1, three [MANDATORY] plus one [LOCAL-LAW DEPENDENT]:

1. Every HiON EV Facility has “EV Charging Only — Violators Towed” or equivalent signage per the Brand Asset Library and the enforcement posture authorized by local law
2. Where the lease makes the Site Host responsible for parking enforcement, brief the Site Host on HiON expectations; provide the Partner Portal Site Host Enforcement Briefing; escalate recurring ICE-ing to HiON if the Site Host cannot maintain enforcement
3. Where enforcement is the franchisee’s responsibility (lease or local ordinance), post and act on the lawful enforcement mechanism (signage, towing contract, ticketing partnership); document events and cadence
4. [LOCAL-LAW DEPENDENT] Towing authority, signage requirements, “EV only” enforcement vary by jurisdiction. Comply with local standard; coordinate with qualified local counsel or towing contractor

Idle vehicles and congestion — §10.4.2:

Idle fees, session time limits, congestion-management pricing are set through the Tesla network and the HiON System. The franchisee does not set or modify these mechanisms at the HiON EV Facility.

[MANDATORY] §10.4.2: No enforcement of session time limits directly by cable-interruption, physical ejection, disablement, or confrontation with a driver whose session has completed. If an idle driver is causing congestion, the Tesla network’s idle-fee mechanism and normal driver behavior typically resolve the situation; if not, log the event and escalate per §3.2.

[RECOMMENDED] During peak hours or Site Host events bringing high concurrent demand, stage the site team for passive observation and driver assistance (wayfinding, queue management by voice, not by action). Do not take command of stall allocation or direct drivers between stalls.

Accessible stalls — §10.4.3, three [MANDATORY]:

1. Maintain the accessible charging stall(s) designated in the approved design in strict compliance with ADA and applicable state or local accessibility law. Accessible route, stall striping, access aisle, reach ranges for cable and connector preserved
2. Enforce accessible-stall use consistent with applicable law. Non-accessible vehicles parked in an accessible stall addressed through the same mechanism that applies to any accessible-stall violation at the property
3. No obstruction of an accessible stall or the accessible route with bollards, planters, signage, equipment, snow piles, or any temporary placement

4.8 — Feedback and continuous improvement (§10.5)

The §10.5 framework establishes two-way feedback between HiON and the franchisee. Three [MANDATORY] plus one [RECOMMENDED].

Three [MANDATORY] standards:

1. Review the Partner Portal site-performance dashboard at least weekly and the monthly uptime and reliability report within 10 Business Days of publication (§9.4 / M10)
2. Submit a short site-performance commentary to the FBC each month noting: any recurring driver feedback pattern; any Site Host operational change affecting or potentially affecting the driver journey; any contractor or vendor issue; any suggested improvement or exception request under consideration
3. Participate in any regional or system-wide calls, forums, or working groups HiON convenes at the announced cadence

[RECOMMENDED] Do not wait for the monthly commentary to raise a concern. The Partner Portal ticket system and the FBC are always available; earlier feedback almost always produces better outcomes for everyone.

4.9 — Audit posture (§10 Metrics)

• Customer-interaction log current and producible
• Payment escalations (SEV 3 tickets) opened within 1 Business Day: 100%
• No unauthorized payment acceptance, card reader deployment, pricing communication, or discount offered found on audit
• Weekly Tesla-application metadata check logged; discrepancies escalated
• Monthly site-performance commentary submitted on time: 100%

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Section 5 · Decision drills

Drill 5.1 — The driver who hands the Operations Lead a credit card

A driver arrives at the Parker site, finds the Tesla app showing the site as “unavailable” for unknown reasons. The driver hands the Operations Lead a credit card: “Just run this for the session — I’m in a hurry, I need to charge.”

State the exact response (verbatim) and the cited basis. State the next two actions.

Drill 5.2 — The $200 overcharge complaint

A driver approaches the DBM at 2pm Wednesday: “I was charged $200 yesterday for a 25-minute session. That should have been about $40. My bank statement shows the charge. I want my refund — I have to be at a meeting in 20 minutes. Can you just take care of it now?”

State the exact response (verbatim) and the cited basis. State the next two actions including the §10.2.3 escalation.

Drill 5.3 — The Site Host’s hotel comp

The Site Host’s hotel front desk emails the franchisee: “We’d like to comp charging for our premium-tier guests during their stay. Probably 8-10 sessions per week. We’ll cover the cost. How do we set this up at the site?”

State the response (verbatim to the Site Host) and the cited basis. State the path the franchisee follows.

Drill 5.4 — The driver’s pricing question

A driver pulls up at 11am Tuesday and asks the Site Operations Lead: “What’s it cost to charge here right now? My app’s being slow.”

State the Site Operations Lead’s exact response (verbatim) and the cited basis.

Drill 5.5 — The idle driver during peak demand

At 6pm Friday, the Parker site is at 100% utilization. A driver’s session ended 18 minutes ago and the driver is reading in the car. Three other drivers are waiting. The Site Operations Lead is on-site and a waiting driver requests intervention: “Can you ask them to move? They’re done charging.”

State the response and the cited basis. State the next two actions.

Drill 5.6 — The non-NACS vehicle

A driver in a 2019 Audi e-tron (CCS connector) pulls into the charging bay, attempts to connect, and cannot. The driver approaches the Site Operations Lead: “Why doesn’t this work? It’s an EV charger.”

State the exact response (verbatim) and the cited basis. State whether the Operations Lead suggests an adapter or alternative network.

Drill 5.7 — The vehicle in the accessible stall

A non-accessible-permitted vehicle is parked in the accessible charging stall at the Parker site. The driver of an accessible-permitted vehicle is waiting and frustrated.

State the response and the cited basis. State the franchisee’s next two actions.

Drill 5.8 — The injured driver

A driver slips on ice in the charging bay accessible route and falls, hitting their wrist on the cabinet pad. The driver appears injured and is asking the Operations Lead about HiON’s insurance.

State the exact response (verbatim) and the cited basis. State the next four actions including the §13 incident reporting (M14).

Drill 5.9 — The angry driver threatening the team

A driver, returning to find their car has been towed for ICE-ing (it was a non-EV personal vehicle parked while the driver was at the Site Host’s restaurant), confronts the Site Operations Lead aggressively, raising their voice and stepping into the Lead’s personal space.

State the Site Operations Lead’s response and the cited basis. State the de-escalation and protection-of-safety sequence.

Drill 5.10 — The recurring ICE-ing

Over the past three weeks, the Parker site has experienced repeated ICE-ing (non-EV vehicles in charging stalls) by patrons of the Site Host’s restaurant. The lease makes the Site Host responsible for parking enforcement. The Site Host’s facilities manager has not actioned the franchisee’s prior briefing.

State the franchisee’s next two actions and the cited basis.

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Section 6 · Common operator errors

6.1 — Running a credit card or accepting any direct payment

A team member, wanting to help, accepts cash, runs a card, or accepts Venmo/Zelle/CashApp from a driver for charging.

• Consequence: §10.2.1 [MANDATORY] violation — categorical. Material breach + payment-data handling violation if card data was captured. Compounds with §1.3 confidentiality (M02) + §13 data privacy (M14).
• Discipline: never. The team member redirects the driver to the Tesla app + escalates per §3.2 if the app’s payment path is not operational. No exceptions for “helpful” or “the driver was in a hurry” or “the system was down.”

6.2 — Stating a price

A team member, asked about pricing, looks it up in the Tesla app and tells the driver the current price.

• Consequence: §10.2.2 [MANDATORY] violation. The franchisee is communicating pricing through a non-authorized channel (verbal statement by site personnel). Even if the price stated is accurate to the moment, the §10.2.2 standard requires the driver to see the price in the Tesla app.
• Discipline: the verbatim §10.2.2 [RECOMMENDED] response: “Charging rates are shown in the Tesla app before each session. Open the Tesla app and select this location for the current price.” No exceptions for “helpful.”

6.3 — Committing to a refund, credit, or adjustment

The DBM, faced with an upset driver, says something like “We’ll get you that refund” or “I’ll have our team process a $50 credit for the trouble” or “Try the app’s support flow, and if that doesn’t work, come back and I’ll make it right.”

• Consequence: §10.2.3 [MANDATORY] violation. Unauthorized adjustment is a material breach.
• Discipline: the verbatim §10.2.3 acknowledgment language: “That’s handled through the Tesla app and our driver-support team. I’ll log this and make sure you get a response.” No promise of outcome.

6.4 — Disconnecting a cable or confronting an idle driver

The Site Operations Lead, with waiting drivers frustrated by an idle vehicle, physically disconnects the cable from the idle vehicle or directly confronts the driver.

• Consequence: §10.4.2 [MANDATORY] violation. Equipment damage exposure (cable damage voids the Uptime Guarantee). §13 personal-safety exposure if the confrontation escalates. Brand exposure if the driver publicizes the incident.
• Discipline: the Tesla network’s idle-fee mechanism is the enforcement system. The site team observes, logs, escalates per §3.2 if pattern indicates. No physical action on cables; no driver confrontation.

6.5 — Setting up a Site Host sponsorship without HiON approval

The franchisee, accommodating the Site Host’s request to comp charging for hotel guests, arranges an informal billing or reimbursement mechanism between the franchisee and the Site Host outside HiON’s authorized sponsorship system.

• Consequence: §10.2.2 [MANDATORY] violation (sponsorship arrangement requires HiON prior written approval). §5.5 (M05) potential side-letter implications if the arrangement supplements the lease.
• Discipline: any Site Host or third-party sponsorship of driver charging routes through HiON’s approved sponsorship mechanism. The franchisee submits the proposal through Partner Portal; HiON approves the mechanism + conditions. If HiON does not authorize, the sponsorship does not happen.

6.6 — Obstructing the accessible stall or accessible route

The franchisee, managing a snow event or a maintenance project, temporarily places equipment, bollards, snow piles, or signage in or across the accessible stall or accessible route.

• Consequence: §10.4.3 [MANDATORY] violation. ADA exposure under §13 (M14). The §1.2.6 exception process explicitly will not grant accessibility exceptions.
• Discipline: the accessible stall and accessible route are kept clear at all times. Snow removal prioritizes the accessible route before the rest of the bay. Maintenance projects use alternative staging that does not block accessibility.

6.7 — Speaking publicly about a driver interaction

A team member, frustrated by a particularly difficult driver, vents on personal social media or in a Site Host conversation about the incident.

• Consequence: §10.3 [MANDATORY] violation — driver interactions are confidential. Compounds with §8.6.1 (M09) personnel conduct standards.
• Discipline: every substantive driver interaction is logged in the customer-interaction log. Interactions are not shared publicly, on social media, with the Site Host, or in any other channel.

6.8 — Skipping the §10.5 monthly site-performance commentary

The DBM, busy with operating cadence, lets a monthly cycle pass without submitting the site-performance commentary to the FBC.

• Consequence: §10.5 [MANDATORY] violation. Audit finding under §10 Metrics (“monthly site-performance commentary submitted on time: 100%”).
• Discipline: the monthly commentary is on the DBM’s calendar as a recurring deliverable. 15-30 minutes; covers driver-feedback patterns, Site Host operational changes, contractor/vendor issues, suggested improvements. Submitted on the established cadence.

6.9 — Manual stall allocation during peak demand

During a high-demand period, the franchisee’s team takes command of stall allocation — directing drivers to specific stalls, telling drivers when to leave, intervening in the natural queue.

• Consequence: §10.4.2 violation (no command of stall allocation). Driver-experience friction; potential confrontation exposure under §10.3.2.
• Discipline: passive observation; voice-based wayfinding only if drivers ask. The Tesla network manages session timing; drivers manage their own behavior. The team is present for safety and visible accessibility, not for queue management.

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Section 7 · Competency assessment

Knowledge check (12 questions; 80% pass)

1. A driver hands the Operations Lead a credit card and asks them to “run it for the session”: (a) acceptable if the Tesla app is non-operational (b) acceptable for amounts under $50 (c) a §10.2.1 [MANDATORY] violation — no payment from any driver by any off-system method, ever (d) acceptable with FBC verbal approval

2. The maximum the franchisee may commit to a driver complaining of an overcharge: (a) up to $50 refund from petty cash (b) a session credit to be applied at next visit (c) nothing beyond acknowledgment, logging, and Tesla-app driver-support routing — §10.2.3 [MANDATORY] prohibits any refund/credit/adjustment commitment (d) up to one free future session

3. The franchisee’s team’s response to a pricing question is: (a) the current price as shown in the Tesla app (b) the franchisee’s most recent price update memo (c) “Charging rates are shown in the Tesla app before each session. Open the Tesla app and select this location for the current price.” (§10.2.2 [RECOMMENDED]) (d) “It depends — let me check”

4. A Site Host wants to comp charging for hotel guests: (a) acceptable; the Site Host is the franchisee’s commercial counterparty (b) acceptable with a documented Site Host reimbursement (c) requires execution only through a HiON-approved sponsorship mechanism with HiON prior written approval (§10.2.2 [MANDATORY]) (d) acceptable below 5 sessions per week

5. The franchisee may enforce a session time limit by disconnecting a cable from an idle driver’s vehicle: (a) yes, if waiting drivers are present (b) yes, after the idle-fee threshold (c) no — §10.4.2 [MANDATORY] prohibits cable-interruption, physical ejection, disablement, or confrontation; the Tesla network’s idle-fee mechanism is the enforcement (d) yes, with the driver’s consent

6. The accessible stall and accessible route may be obstructed by snow piles, bollards, planters, or equipment: (a) temporarily during maintenance (b) during snow events (c) never — §10.4.3 [MANDATORY] requires the accessible stall and route to be clear at all times (d) with FBC verbal approval

7. Within how many Business Days must a SEV 3 driver-payment ticket be opened: (a) within 4 hours (b) within 24 hours (c) within 1 Business Day (§3.2.2.C + §10.2.3) (d) within 3 Business Days

8. The franchisee may comment publicly on a difficult driver interaction: (a) on the franchisee’s personal social media (b) anonymously (c) no — driver interactions are confidential; §10.3 [MANDATORY] prohibits posting, repeating, or commenting in any public forum (d) only in industry-only forums

9. During peak demand, the franchisee’s site team’s role is: (a) command stall allocation actively (b) tell drivers when to disconnect (c) passive observation and driver assistance (wayfinding by voice, not by action); do not take command of stall allocation or direct drivers between stalls (§10.4.2 [RECOMMENDED]) (d) intervene to maintain throughput

10. A driver in a non-NACS vehicle (CCS, J1772, CHAdeMO) attempts to charge at the HiON EV Facility: (a) the franchisee offers an adapter (b) the franchisee directs the driver to a competing network (c) the franchisee uses the approved response: “This site is part of the Tesla Supercharger network and serves NACS / J3400. Plan your next stop using the Tesla app or your vehicle’s trip planner.” — do not speculate about adapters or other-network options beyond what HiON has authorized (§10.3.2) (d) the franchisee files a §1.2.6 exception to authorize the non-NACS connection

11. ICE-ing (non-EV vehicles in charging stalls) enforcement: (a) is always the franchisee’s responsibility (b) is always the Site Host’s responsibility (c) depends on the lease and local law; the franchisee briefs the Site Host where the lease assigns enforcement to the Site Host; the franchisee acts where enforcement is its responsibility; recurring ICE-ing escalates to HiON if the Site Host cannot maintain enforcement (§10.4.1 [MANDATORY]) (d) is delegated to HiON

12. The monthly site-performance commentary to the FBC must include: (a) only positive metrics (b) any open Partner Portal tickets (c) recurring driver feedback patterns, Site Host operational changes, contractor/vendor issues, suggested improvements or exception requests (§10.5 [MANDATORY]) (d) annual financial statements

Application demonstration — the driver day

A 60-minute live exercise. The trainer plays sequential driver scenarios with the trainee in the Site Operations Lead role:

1. Driver wants to pay cash for a session because their Tesla account is “having issues”
2. Driver complains of an overcharge and is visibly upset
3. Driver asks the price
4. Driver in a CCS vehicle attempts to charge
5. Idle driver during peak demand; another driver requests intervention
6. Non-accessible vehicle in accessible stall during accessible driver’s arrival
7. Driver slips on snow in the charging bay and is injured
8. Angry driver returns to find vehicle was towed for ICE-ing and aggressively confronts the team
9. Site Host’s hotel manager proposes a guest comp program at the close of the day

The trainee uses the §10.3.2 approved response patterns for each scenario, opens the right tickets, logs the right interactions, escalates the right matters, declines the right commitments. The trainer scores against the §10.3.2 patterns and the §10.2.3 escalation procedure.

Pass criteria: trainee correctly applies the approved response language for every scenario; opens correct SEV tickets; logs every interaction; commits to nothing beyond what §10.2.3 + §10.3 permit; protects safety in the angry-driver and injury scenarios; declines the Site Host comp routing through the [MANDATORY] HiON-approved sponsorship path. Citation of section numbers preferred but not required if substantive actions are correct.

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Section 8 · Job aids

Job Aid 8.1 — The 7 approved response patterns pocket card

The §10.3.2 table on a pocket card carried by every customer-facing team member. Front: the 7 scenarios with verbatim response language. Back: the “follow-up actions” column with SEV ticket reference and customer-interaction log entry. Used every shift.

File: modules/M11-jobaids/M11-response-patterns-card.md

Job Aid 8.2 — Customer-interaction log template

The §10.3 [MANDATORY] log as a daily fillable form. Fields: date, time, site, driver description (no personal data beyond what driver volunteers), subject, action taken, ticket number if any. Audit-ready format.

File: modules/M11-jobaids/M11-customer-interaction-log.md

Job Aid 8.3 — The 5-step driver payment escalation

The §10.2.3 procedure as a step-by-step card: Collect → Acknowledge → Route → Open SEV 3 (within 1 Business Day) → Log. Includes the verbatim acknowledgment language and the prohibition on refund commitment.

File: modules/M11-jobaids/M11-payment-escalation-card.md

Job Aid 8.4 — ICE-ing enforcement reference

The §10.4.1 framework: signage standard; lease-driven enforcement responsibility split; Site Host briefing template; recurring ICE-ing escalation path; local-law compliance checklist. Used at site activation and at each Site Host change.

File: modules/M11-jobaids/M11-ice-ing-reference.md

Job Aid 8.5 — Accessible-stall protection checklist

The §10.4.3 [MANDATORY] standards as a daily inspection checklist: stall striping intact; access aisle clear; route from accessible parking to entrance unobstructed; no obstructions (bollards, planters, signage, equipment, snow piles, temporary placement); cable and connector reach ranges preserved.

File: modules/M11-jobaids/M11-accessible-stall-checklist.md

Job Aid 8.6 — Site Host comp / sponsorship inquiry response template

Pre-formatted response to any Site Host request to underwrite charging for guests, employees, or customers. Includes the §10.2.2 [MANDATORY] basis (HiON-approved sponsorship mechanism + HiON prior written approval) + the Partner Portal submission path.

File: modules/M11-jobaids/M11-sponsorship-response-template.md

Job Aid 8.7 — Monthly site-performance commentary template

The §10.5 [MANDATORY] monthly commentary as a fillable form. Sections: driver feedback patterns; Site Host operational changes; contractor/vendor issues; suggested improvements; exception requests under consideration. Submitted to FBC on cadence.

File: modules/M11-jobaids/M11-monthly-commentary-template.md

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Section 9 · Facilitator notes

Pacing — 150 minutes (2h 30min, two 10-minute breaks built in)

Time	Section	Notes
0:00–0:10	Opening — the credit-card-handed-over moment	Read aloud a redacted incident report of a team member who accepted a driver’s credit card “to help.” Walk through the §10.2.1 cascade — payment data, brand, breach. Sets tone for §4.2.
0:10–0:25	§4.1 (Driver journey)	Walk the 6 moments + ownership table. Distribute Job Aid 8.5. Tie back to M03 customer-promise pillars and M10 site-area maintenance.
0:25–0:55	§4.2–4.4 (Payment architecture + pricing + payment escalation)	Heaviest section. Walk all 4 §10.2.1 [MANDATORY] standards verbatim. Distribute Job Aids 8.1, 8.3. Run Drills 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4.
0:55–1:05	BREAK
1:05–1:30	§4.5–4.6 (Escalate-never-resolve + 7 response patterns)	Walk the §10.3.1 verbatim callout. Walk all 7 §10.3.2 patterns with verbatim language. Distribute Job Aid 8.1 (response patterns). Run Drills 5.6, 5.8, 5.9. The verbatim language matters — have trainees recite the language until it’s internalized.
1:30–1:55	§4.7 (Parking, congestion, accessible stalls)	Walk §10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3. Distribute Job Aids 8.4, 8.5. Run Drills 5.5, 5.7, 5.10.
1:55–2:05	BREAK
2:05–2:25	§4.8 (Feedback)	Walk §10.5. Distribute Job Aid 8.7.
2:25–2:30	Close + application demonstration brief	Distribute the Driver Day exercise brief — 60-minute live role-play exercise.

SME handoffs

• §4.1 (Driver journey): Tony Cuomo (CX) is the right SME — content owner per the Training Matrix focus on customer experience.
• §4.2–4.4 (Payment + pricing + payment escalation): Will Frank (Dev) per the Training Matrix is content owner. Joe Lewis (COO) on compliance posture.
• §4.5–4.6 (Escalate-never-resolve + response patterns): Will Frank (Dev) leads. Tony Cuomo on customer-experience integration. The Application Demonstration role-play benefits from Tony as the “driver” character.
• §4.7 (Parking + accessibility): Tony Cuomo (CX) + Joe Lewis (COO) on the ADA compliance posture.
• §4.8 (Feedback): Will Frank (Dev) on the operational cadence; Tony Cuomo on driver-feedback patterns.

Decision drill — model answers (abbreviated)

Drill 5.1 — Credit card. Response (verbatim): “I can’t take card payments at the site — all charging payment goes through the Tesla app. Let me see what’s happening with the app so we can get you charging.” Cited basis: §10.2.1 [MANDATORY]. Next two actions: (1) verify the Tesla-app issue (driver’s app, account, network, site metadata); if site-side, open SEV 2 ticket per §3.2; if driver-side, route driver to Tesla app support; (2) log the interaction in the customer-interaction log per §10.3. Do not accept the card. Do not record the card number. Do not “just take it to make it work.”

Drill 5.2 — $200 overcharge. Response (verbatim): “I’m sorry about that. Billing is handled through the Tesla app — that’s the fastest path to a resolution on a charge like this. I’m going to log this for our team so we have it on our end too, and the app’s support flow is the right next step for the refund process. If you give me 2 minutes I can get the basics down.” Cited basis: §10.3.2 second row + §10.2.3. Next two actions: (1) collect per §10.2.3 (driver name, contact, session date/time, claimed amount $200 vs. expected ~$40, bank statement reference if driver volunteers); open SEV 3 ticket within 1 Business Day per §3.2.2.C with all 8 §3.2.4 ticket fields; (2) log the interaction. Do not commit to refund. Do not state the amount will be returned. Do not promise a timeline.

Drill 5.3 — Hotel comp. Response (verbatim to Site Host): “Thanks for thinking through this. Sponsorship arrangements like this go through HiON’s approved sponsorship mechanism — we can’t set them up directly at the site under our agreement. Let me route the request through HiON’s Site Host Co-Marketing and Sponsorship channel; they’ll work with you on the mechanism that fits your guest program. I’ll have an initial response on the path within 10 Business Days.” Cited basis: §10.2.2 [MANDATORY]. Path: open a Partner Portal ticket under Marketing Support / Site Host Co-Marketing with the Site Host’s proposal (volume, guest tier, billing structure); HiON evaluates and either authorizes a mechanism (e.g., a HiON-issued promo code system) or declines. Do not set up any informal mechanism in the meantime.

Drill 5.4 — Pricing question. Response (verbatim): “Charging rates are shown in the Tesla app before each session. Open the Tesla app and select this location for the current price.” Cited basis: §10.2.2 [RECOMMENDED]. Do not state a price. Do not say “around $X” or “usually $Y.” Direct to the app, every time.

Drill 5.5 — Idle driver during peak demand. Response to the requesting driver: “The Tesla network has an idle-fee system that kicks in if a session is finished and the car stays plugged in — it usually sorts itself out. I can’t go ask drivers to move; that’s not our role. There’s a stall opening up in [estimated time] — sit tight.” Cited basis: §10.4.2 [MANDATORY] + [RECOMMENDED]. Next two actions: (1) passively observe; if the idle pattern continues regularly, log in the customer-interaction log and escalate to FBC per §10.5 for system-level visibility; (2) if congestion is causing safety issues (e.g., queueing into the driveway), open a SEV 2 ticket per §3.2 with the observation. Do not approach the idle driver. Do not disconnect the cable.

Drill 5.6 — Non-NACS vehicle. Response (verbatim): “This site is part of the Tesla Supercharger network and serves NACS / J3400. Plan your next stop using the Tesla app or your vehicle’s trip planner.” Cited basis: §10.3.2 sixth row. Do not suggest an adapter. Do not direct the driver to a competing network beyond the general “trip planner” framing. Do not engage in technical discussion about which adapters might or might not work.

Drill 5.7 — Non-accessible vehicle in accessible stall. Response: address through the same mechanism applicable to any accessible-stall violation at the property. Cited basis: §10.4.3 [MANDATORY]. Next two actions: (1) if the lease assigns parking enforcement to the Site Host, contact the Site Host’s enforcement contact immediately; if enforcement is the franchisee’s responsibility, invoke the franchisee’s towing or ticketing partnership; (2) document the violation in the customer-interaction log + Partner Portal if recurring. The accessible-permitted driver is offered a different stall if one is available and accessible per the §10.4.3 standards (note: a non-accessible stall is not a substitute for an ADA-compliant accessible stall — the accessible driver may need to wait for the accessible stall to clear, in which case the franchisee documents the wait and escalates if recurring).

Drill 5.8 — Injured driver. Response (verbatim): “Let’s make sure you’re okay first. Can you tell me what hurts?” Cited basis: §10.3.2 fifth row + §13 (M14). Next four actions: (1) provide immediate aid if trained and safe; call 911 if injury appears beyond minor; do not move the driver if a back/neck injury is possible; (2) do not admit or deny fault to the driver or anyone present; do not discuss HiON’s insurance directly with the driver — direct insurance questions to “our team will follow up”; (3) open a SEV 1 ticket per §3.2.2.A within 30 minutes; notify the NOC Hotline by voice; (4) follow §13 incident reporting (M14) — complete the Incident Report within 24 hours; preserve the scene; photograph the conditions (ice, signage, lighting) from a safe distance; notify the franchisee’s insurance broker per §13.

Drill 5.9 — Angry driver after towing. Response: “I’m sorry this isn’t going well. Let me make sure this gets to the right team.” De-escalate verbally; do not physically engage; protect personal safety. If the driver continues to escalate or threatens, disengage from the conversation. If the driver becomes threatening physically, call 911. Cited basis: §10.3.2 seventh row + §8.6.1 (M09). Next actions: open a SEV 1 ticket if safety was at risk (§3.2.2.A); document per §13 (M14); do not engage further with the driver beyond logistics (e.g., directing them to the towing company contact for the vehicle release).

Drill 5.10 — Recurring ICE-ing. §10.4.1 [MANDATORY] applies. Next two actions: (1) re-brief the Site Host’s facilities manager in writing, providing the Partner Portal Site Host Enforcement Briefing; document the briefing and acknowledgment per §8.5 (M09); (2) escalate to HiON via Partner Portal — Site Acquisition Support and Compliance and Risk — documenting the recurring ICE-ing pattern, the prior briefing, the Site Host’s non-response. HiON may engage the Site Host directly or evaluate lease-level remedies. Do not unilaterally execute enforcement that the lease does not assign to the franchisee.

Recommended visual aids

• The §10.1 driver-journey table projected during §4.1
• The §10.3.2 7-pattern table projected during §4.6 — trainees recite the verbatim language
• A real (redacted) customer-interaction log during §4.6
• A real (redacted) site-performance commentary during §4.8

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Section 10 · Cross-references

Modules

• M01 (System and Role Split) — §2.1.3 [MANDATORY] (no payment hardware; no driver payment data) is reinforced throughout this Module
• M02 (Governance, Manual, Support, Escalation) — §3.2 SEV system is the escalation routing for every driver matter; the SEV 3 1-Business-Day standard from M02 is operationalized here
• M03 (Brand Promise and Brand Execution) — §2.2.2 promise-breaking events overlap with §10.1 driver journey friction; the §2.3.4 voice/tone applies to every driver interaction
• M04 (Site Acquisition and Feasibility) — §6.2.3 FPR discipline reinforces §10.2.2 pricing discipline — no representations of revenue or pricing outside HiON-authorized mechanisms
• M05 (Lease, Site Host Relationship — §5) — §5.3 division of obligations frames the ICE-ing enforcement responsibility split; Site Host sponsorship requests integrate with §5.4 commercial structure
• M08 (Launch and Local Marketing) — §11.5.2 social-media no-driver-identification reinforces §10.3 confidentiality of driver interactions
• M09 (Staffing, DBM, Personnel, Contractor Conduct) — §8.6.1 personnel conduct + §10.3 customer-facing training requirements; new hires must complete §10.2.3 + §10.3.2 + approved response patterns before unsupervised work
• M10 (Site-Area Maintenance, Monitoring, Fault Escalation) — every §10.3.2 “broken charger” response opens a §9.3.2 fault escalation; the §9.2 site-area conditions affect the §10.1 driver journey
• M14 (Compliance, Safety, Insurance, Risk — §13) — §13 incident reporting framework + §13 ADA compliance + §13 data privacy all integrate with this Module
• M15 (Lifecycle) — customer-interaction logs are §15.6 records-retention items

External documents

• Operations Manual §10 (Customer Experience, Payments, Driver Support — all subsections)
• Operations Manual §2.1.3 (Tesla payment infrastructure)
• HiON Voice Playbook v1.0 (driver-interaction voice; Tesla reference discipline)
• Partner Portal Site Host Enforcement Briefing
• Partner Portal customer-interaction log template
• Partner Portal Marketing Support / Site Host Co-Marketing channel
• Partner Portal site-performance dashboard

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Section 11 · Source verification log

Claim	Manual reference	Status
6 driver-journey moments with ownership split (Find, Approach, Arrive, Connect, Charge, Finish/depart)	§10.1	verified
3 [MANDATORY] §10.1 driver-experience standards	§10.1	verified
4 [MANDATORY] §10.2.1 payment-architecture standards (no hardware; no off-system payment; no payment data; no off-channel fees)	§10.2.1	verified
3 [MANDATORY] + 1 [RECOMMENDED] §10.2.2 pricing standards	§10.2.2	verified
§10.2.2 [RECOMMENDED] verbatim pricing response	§10.2.2	verified
Site Host sponsorship arrangements require HiON-approved mechanism + prior written approval	§10.2.2 [MANDATORY]	verified
5-step §10.2.3 driver payment escalation	§10.2.3	verified
§10.2.3 [MANDATORY] — no refund/credit/adjustment commitment without HiON authorization	§10.2.3	verified
§10.3.1 escalate-never-resolve verbatim callout	§10.3.1	verified
7 §10.3.2 approved response patterns with verbatim language	§10.3.2	verified
3 [MANDATORY] §10.3 standards (training before work; log every substantive interaction; no public commentary on driver interactions)	§10.3	verified
§10.4.1 ICE-ing — signage required; lease-driven enforcement split; escalate recurring ICE-ing to HiON	§10.4.1	verified
§10.4.2 [MANDATORY] no manual session-limit enforcement (no cable interruption, no confrontation, no disablement)	§10.4.2	verified
§10.4.2 [RECOMMENDED] passive observation + voice wayfinding during peak demand	§10.4.2	verified
3 [MANDATORY] §10.4.3 accessible-stall standards	§10.4.3	verified
§10.5 feedback cadence — weekly dashboard; monthly commentary; HiON-convened forums	§10.5 [MANDATORY]	verified
§10 Metrics audit posture	§10 Metrics	verified

Outstanding unverified items

#	Claim	Primary source	Resolver
M11.OUT.01	HiON-approved sponsorship mechanism (current Partner Portal mechanism for hotel comps, employee programs, etc.)	Partner Portal	Will Frank / Tony Cuomo
M11.OUT.02	Partner Portal Site Host Enforcement Briefing current contents	Partner Portal	Will Frank / Tony Cuomo
M11.OUT.03	Partner Portal customer-interaction log template current format	Partner Portal	Will Frank

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Section 12 · Change log

Version	Date	Author	Changes
v0.1	2026-05-19	Claude (draft)	Initial draft against Operations Manual v1.0 Working Draft + Voice Playbook v1.0. All Manual citations verified. Three outstanding items defer to Partner Portal current contents. The §10.3.1 escalate-never-resolve callout + §10.3.2 7-pattern verbatim response language is the heaviest pedagogical emphasis — the trainee internalizes the language until it’s reflexive.