BellSouth Receives Top Honors for Residential Customer Satisfaction in Yankee Group's Technologically Advanced Family - TAF - Survey.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 23, 2002

Company Excels in Key Areas Including Customer Service, Problem

Resolution, Trustworthiness and Customer Loyalty

BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) today announced, for the second consecutive year, it achieved top ranking in overall customer satisfaction among residential customers, according to the Yankee Group's Technologically Advanced Family(R) (TAF)(R) survey results.

Customers of local phone companies rated providers based on 12 metrics, including access to customer service and value of service provided. The 2002 study ranks BellSouth first in 10 out of the 12 customer satisfaction categories, excelling in the categories of customer service and problem resolution. Additionally, BellSouth truly distinguished itself in the areas of trustworthiness and customer loyalty.

"Providing our customers with superior service is an integral part of BellSouth's core values," said Ike Harris, president of BellSouth Consumer Services. "It is a top priority across all levels of the organization, and demonstrates our commitment to the customer through all our actions and communications, whether it's a technician connecting new service in someone's home or a customer service representative responding to a request. The bottom-line is, we value our customers."

The TAF(R) Survey, conducted by the Yankee Group since 1985, measures consumer experience and interaction with more than 100 products and services from telecommunications companies. Customers are asked to evaluate the customer service performance of local providers, including Verizon, SBC, Qwest and others. The final results are based on responses from more than 2,000 households nationwide.

BellSouth has a long heritage of being an industry leader in providing the highest level of customer satisfaction. The company was recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as #1 in Local Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction each year from 1996-1999, and received the number one ranking in the American Customer Satisfaction Index Survey for eight years in a row.

"Customer satisfaction rankings are even more critical now than before, given the competitive nature of voice services," says Aurica Yen, senior analyst at the Yankee Group. "BellSouth's top ranking points to the providers' success in maintaining and improving customer satisfaction metrics."

Some of BellSouth's enhanced customer service initiatives include:

-- The Customer Rules - an enhancement to customer care that sets in place five guiding principles for meeting customer expectations for timely and responsive service: 1) Take Ownership and Show We Care; 2) Be Responsive and Deliver; 3) Do It Right; 4) Make It Seamless; and 5) Meet Our Commitments. This set of guidelines ensures that every customer interaction is handled with consistent quality care and establishes a seamless interface between BellSouth and its customers.

-- Customer Call Back (CCB) - an initiative that offers customers new time saving alternatives to remaining on hold. When call volumes are high, CCB enables customers to select two new options: 1) Select a convenient time for BellSouth to call the customer back; 2) Rather than remain on hold the customers can choose to receive a call back when their call is ready to be answered by a BellSouth representative.

-- E-commerce - Customers are able to more conveniently do business with BellSouth, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Internet. The primary focus is to create initiatives that will effectively utilize the Internet as a predominant sales and customer service channel across consumer markets.

BellSouth has received wide recognition for its industry-leading customer satisfaction and continues to strive for daily accolades from the customers it serves. BellSouth's recent recognitions include:

-- 2002 J.D. Power and Associates Highest Customer Satisfaction

with Local Telephone Service Providers (second consecutive

year).

-- 2002 J.D. Power and Associates Highest Customer Satisfaction

with Business Local Telecommunications Services Providers.

-- 2002 J.D. Power and Associates Highest Customer Satisfaction

with Business Broadband Data Service Providers.

-- 2002 J.D. Power and Associates Highest Customer Satisfaction

Among High-Speed Internet Service Providers in a tie.

-- 2002 American Customer Satisfaction Index Survey - number one

ranking (ninth consecutive year).

-- 2001 J.D. Power and Associates Highest Customer Satisfaction

with Local Telephone Service Providers.

-- 2001 Yankee Group's Technologically Advance Family (TAF)

survey on customer service - top honors.

About The Yankee Group

As a global leader in technology research and strategic consulting, the Yankee Group provides accurate, reliable, and trusted research; custom consulting; and personalized one-to-one client interaction encompassing all areas essential to business success: the Internet, electronic commerce, communications, wireless, computing, and enterprise applications. Now in its fourth decade, the company is headquartered in Boston and maintains offices throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim.

About BellSouth Corporation

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, serving more than 44 million customers in the United States and 14 other countries.

Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data solutions to large, medium and small businesses. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services. BellSouth offers long distance service for both business and consumer customers in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company's BellSouth(R) Answers package combines local and long distance service with an array of calling features; wireless data, voice and e-mail services; and high-speed DSL or dial-up Internet service. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services through BellSouth(R) Real Pages(SM).com and The Real Yellow Pages(R).

BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest wireless company, which provides innovative data and voice services.