Verizon Executive Earns Top Customer Care Leadership Award from Call Center Magazine

NEW YORK -- The leading magazine of the call center industry has confirmed what millions of Verizon customers already know: Verizon and its employees know how to care for customers when they call the company.

In recognition of the company's top-quality customer care, Call Center Magazine has named Verizon executive Ellen Corcoran the "Best Call Center Senior Executive." The award to Corcoran, Verizon's vice president for Consumer Sales, is one of six given by the magazine to companies with call centers. Corcoran's award was the only one in the telecom industry.

The awards program recognizes outstanding individuals in 6 categories: agent, manager, IT support analyst, team, executive and business partner. Call Center Magazine's editors judged nominees based on their contributions to the call center, demonstrated leadership and innovation, personal qualities, activities outside the call center, and other criteria.

"This award truly belongs to our call center employees around the country who work tirelessly toward one goal every day: making sure Verizon customers get what they want and are delighted with our company," Corcoran said.

Bruce Gordon, Verizon president of Retail Markets, added, "Under Ellen's leadership, the quality of service we provide consumers has made us a leader in showing how large companies can take care of their customers."

Corcoran is responsible for 100 Verizon centers across the country. Some 17,000 employees in those centers handle 95 million calls and other types of correspondence from consumers annually, processing orders for new local phone service as well as for service bundles such Veriations and for products ranging from long distance to Caller ID to DSL (digital subscriber line) Internet access. They also answer questions about customers' bills and their phone service. The Verizon center employees can communicate with consumers in eight languages.

Verizon employees, who work as "consultants" in the centers, are trained for at least 12 weeks before they answer customer calls. In addition, they receive updates and training about Verizon's products and services throughout the year.

"Since the creation of Verizon just over two years ago, the quality of our service has continually improved according to our customer surveys and independent studies," said Gordon.

Each month, Verizon interviews thousands of customers who have had a recent contact with the company. According to Gordon, about 95 percent of consumers who recently called the company said they were satisfied with the company's service or they rated the service as very good or outstanding.

Call Center Magazine has been the leading publication in the call center industry for 16 years and has sponsored numerous award programs. The new Customer Care Leadership Awards are the first to focus on the people, rather than the technology, in call centers. Nearly 200 nominations were received for six awards.

Corcoran began her career with Verizon in 1985 and has served in a number of positions -- including sales, marketing and operations -- before assuming her role as head of the company's consumer sales centers from Maine to Maui. In addition, Corcoran manages the company's 83 Verizon Plus retail stores around the country.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 135.0 million access line equivalents and 31.5 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and more than 236,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 35 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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