10/27/1997|Verizon News Archives
The new Bell Atlantic launches customer care program
Merged company offers guarantees on service, network reliability
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NEW YORK - Customer care representatives focused on understanding and meeting your individual telecommunications needs. Products and services customized to your lifestyle. Trusted guidance through the thickening forest of companies and choices for your telecommunications services.
These commitments mark the first step of a new "customer care" program launched by Bell Atlantic today.
By heightening its commitment to service quality, Bell Atlantic promises to satisfy customers every step of the way. Customers will learn about these initiatives in print and television ads unveiled throughout the Bell Atlantic region today.
"These new service initiatives reinforce a commitment we've honored for over 100 years - that customer satisfaction always comes first," said James G. Cullen, president and CEO, Bell Atlantic Telecom Group. "Every employee is ready to respond to our customers' unique individual needs. Few companies today understand their needs or are willing to provide that level of service, but we are guaranteeing it."
The advertisements feature characters of Maurice Sendak's children's book Where the Wild Things Are, in which friendly monsters guide a bewildered boy through a jungle's confusing maze of choices. Stating that customer satisfaction comes first, the ads outline eight commitments Bell Atlantic customers can count on:
- Product satisfaction guarantee: Bell Atlantic will offer residential and business customers a 60-day money back guarantee on a host of our most popular features, including Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Voice Mail. Customers will receive a full credit for applicable monthly and one-time charges if they are dissatisfied and notify Bell Atlantic within 60 days of receiving the service.
- We're not finished until you say so: When it comes to installation and repair, we'll keep working until you're satisfied that the work we've promised you is complete. We'll even follow up with a service verification call within 24 hours of a technician's visit.
- Automatic out-of-service credit: When customers report their service is out and the problem is not fixed within 24 hours, they'll receive a hassle-free, automatic prorated credit for the time they were without service.
- Credit for misdialed calls or calls with poor transmission: Bell Atlantic will provide an appropriate credit to customers who report a transmission problem when talking with friends or family or if they misdial a Bell Atlantic voice toll call.
- Emergency service when you need it. The new Bell Atlantic will strive to keep customers connected when there is a service outage. During emergencies or prolonged service outages, customers can have their calls forwarded to another local number, or to another one of their lines, until the problem is fixed.
- Consistent network monitoring. Bell Atlantic has state-of-the-art systems and processes that constantly monitor the network for our customers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This effort supports and reinforces our commitment to superior customer service.
- 99.9 percent network reliability. We're dedicated to achieving this performance level throughout our region with a variety of new and ongoing service improvement programs and continuing investment in our network infrastructure.
- Constantly upgrade the network with leading-edge technology. Bell Atlantic will invest $5 billion this year to deploy state-of-the-art innovations across its network. The company already provides a 95 percent all-digital network, with thousands of state-of-the-art fiber optic lines throughout our region, widespread access to ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and other high-technology services. We are dedicating an additional $4 billion annually to keep customers' local connections operating smoothly, backed by the skills of 90,000 service employees.
"The customer care program combines new ideas with the best existing practices of both companies, with the goal of remaining the customer's first choice for telecommunications services," Cullen said. "These initiatives should leave no doubt in customers' minds that their needs and concerns will be our top priority every time they call us."
The new Bell Atlantic - formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX - is at the forefront of the new communications, information and entertainment industry. With 40 million telephone access lines and 5.5 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 21 countries.