NSTAR Enhances Customer Service Experience With AT&T VoiceTone

BOSTON, June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced the successful implementation of an innovative voice solution for NSTAR to reinvent the way the Massachusetts-based electric and gas utility manages incoming customer service calls. Under a $3 million four-year contract, AT&T will provide NSTAR with AT&T VoiceTone(R), a natural-language solution that quickly and accurately responds to customers' precise needs.

AT&T VoiceTone is designed to enhance the customer-calling experience by replacing time-consuming menus and touch-tone prompts with conversational interactions. Customers ask questions, make requests and receive accurate, natural-voice responses. The system closely resembles a live agent with its ability to quickly understand callers' specific needs and to direct them to the correct customer service representative.

"Providing our customers with support that is easily accessible, accurate and efficient is extremely important to us," said Gene Zimon, NSTAR's Chief Information Officer. "AT&T's VoiceTone is an innovative solution that not only enables us to better serve and build stronger relationships with our customers but also creates cost-reducing efficiencies throughout our customer service department."

AT&T VoiceTone also creates efficiencies within NSTAR's customer service centers. The system increases the likelihood that callers are directed to the correct service department or self-service option on the first connect, reducing the amount of time spent with each customer without compromising service. In addition, AT&T VoiceTone increases NSTAR's call capacity and allows more customer needs to be answered during peak calling times without increasing the number of representatives.

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About NSTAR

NSTAR is the largest Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility. The company transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including more than one million electric customers in 81 communities and 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities. For more information, visit http://www.nstar.com/.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access, and voice services. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding video entertainment offerings to include next-generation television services such as AT&T U-verse(SM) TV. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/.

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