NYNEX Becomes First Regional Communications Company To Offer Customers Monthly Bill In Spanish

October 5, 1995

NYNEX CONTACT: Media Relations,
(212) 395-0500

NYNEX Becomes First Regional Communications Company
To Offer Customers Monthly Bill In Spanish

NEW YORK, NY -- NYNEX has become the first regional communications

company in the United States to offer its residential customers

the opportunity to receive their monthly bills in Spanish.

During September, the company completed the rollout of its Spanish

bill to some 140,000 customers in New York State who previously

had indicated their preference to receive customer information

in their native language.

The offer followed several months of research with some 30,000

customers in the New York City area earlier this year.

"NYNEX has a keen understanding of the unique and challenging

communications requirements of all New Yorkers," said Carlos

Santiago, NYNEX managing director for Ethnic and Premium Markets.

"Introduction of a Spanish bill is clear indication that

NYNEX -- New York's communications company -- takes the innovative

and relevant measures necessary to make its' customers lives easier

and more rewarding."

Santiago pointed out that customer satisfaction was the driving

force behind the innovative project. "Our Spanish-speaking

customers told us this is an important issue for them, and we

responded. It's an example of NYNEX helping its fellow New Yorkers,"

he said.

NYNEX also has been working with several long distance carriers

to provide their information in Spanish.

In the development of the bill, NYNEX needed to accurately translate

some 4,000 phrases for charges. An added concern was that Spanish

translations often use approximately 25 percent more characters

than English, important given the limited printing space on a

bill. In addition to the bill now printed in Spanish, both mailing

and return envelopes also are printed in Spanish.

To receive their NYNEX bill in Spanish, customers should call

their local business office.

The new bill is just one of a host of services NYNEX provides

to its Spanish-speaking customers. (See related information

at end of this release.)

For NYNEX, the Spanish bill is another first in bill printing

advances. NYNEX was the first regional communications company

to print bills using both sides of the bill paper. NYNEX also

was the first to offer the bill in Braille and enlarged print

for visually impaired customers.

NYNEX ACTIVITIES FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING CUSTOMERS

Multi-Lingual Center -- This 25-year-old service center,

formerly known as La Telefonica, has 230 representatives from

every Latin-American country and Spain, providing Spanish-speaking

customers with quality sales and customer service (orders and

billing) in their preferred language.

Direct Marketing Center -- NYNEX has staffed a bi-lingual

center with 30 reps within the sales organization dedicated to

order processing from inbound and outbound telemarketing.

1-800-555-HOLA -- Currently serving customers in the Bronx

only, this service provides Spanish-language directory assistance.

Future expansion plans are under development.

La Conexion -- This two-year-old sales office, currently

staffed by 12 representatives, provides Spanish-language sales

and customer service support to New York metro area small business

customers. La Conexion is in a trial phase focusing on customers

based in the Bronx and northern Manhattan.

Public Offices -- Several NYNEX public offices are located

within largely ethnic neighborhoods. The bi-lingual reps at these

offices facilitate NYNEX bill payment for the 40 percent of Hispanic

customers who pay their bills in person, as well as handle order

processing and billing inquiries.

Spanish Yellow Pages -- The 10-year-old Spanish Yellow

Pages, covering the entire New York metro area, are distributed

to approximately a half-million customers.

Other -- NYNEX has introduced prompts in Spanish for Call

Answering service in New England and for VoiceDialing throughout

the Northeast. Several of the company's sales agents conduct

inbound and outbound telemarketing in Spanish. Also, product

brochures, White Pages calling guides, and company information

are available in Spanish.

NYNEX is a global communications and media company that provides
a full range of services in the northeastern United States and
high-growth markets around the world, including the United Kingdom,
Thailand, Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland,
Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The Corporation is a leader in the telecommunications, wireless communications,
cable television, directory publishing
and entertainment and information services.

FAX copies of recent NYNEX news releases are available free of charge, 24
hours
a day. Call 1-800-331-1214 and an automated system will provide
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