Compaq's Top-Rated Customer Service and Support Center Primed for Windows 95; Current Hold Times Reduced to 2.5 Minutes; Industry Publications Award Compaq's Service and Support as Best in Industry.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 14, 1995--Committed to providing the highest levels of satisfaction among its customers, Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) today unveiled its plans to provide the best and most responsive technical support for its Windows 95 customers.

Compaq also recently implemented several new programs in its customer support organization that have significantly lowered the amount of time it takes a customer to reach a qualified telephone support engineer. During a time when exceptionally long hold times -- up to several hours -- have been commonplace in the PC industry, and Compaq's call volume increased by 30 to 40 percent over last year, Compaq reduced the average response time to 2.5 minutes(a).

Compaq's service and support leadership was recently validated by three industry publications -- PC Magazine, PC World and Netware Solutions magazines(b) -- who surveyed their readers on service, support and reliability. Approximately 75,000 (combined) readers gave Compaq the highest marks when asked about satisfaction with customer service and technical support.

"Our goal is to be number one in customer satisfaction and provide the best service and support in the industry," said Gus Kolias, Vice President, Customer Service at Compaq. "We have planned for the upcoming Windows 95 announcement and have several innovative programs in place to ensure customers needs are addressed quickly and completely."

"The publications' high ratings for Compaq are a true testament to the effectiveness of the tools and procedures we have implemented and confirms our belief that top-notch customer service is a key differentiator among PC vendors, " added Kolias. "Not only do we answer the phones quickly, but we make sure that our engineers are well trained and well-equipped to answer customers questions right -- and right away."

"When it comes to customer service and support, Compaq goes way beyond the call of duty," said Fred Zickert, Manager of Microcomputer Support at Eaton Corporation. "The technical support engineers are knowledgeable, courteous, professional and -- without exception -- committed to resolving any problem. Every call to Compaq results in an exceptional level of satisfaction. There is no doubt in my mind that Compaq's superior customer service is a major factor in our decision to continue buying Compaq products."

Compaq Unveils Service and Support Programs for Windows 95

Anticipating an increase in calls to its toll-free hot line after the Windows 95 announcement, Compaq is augmenting its customer support organization with new programs and additional technical support engineers. These enhancements will minimize the amount of time it will take customers to receive technical assistance on questions pertaining to Windows 95, while maintaining its superior customer service.

On August 24, Compaq will have a new 800 support hotline (1-800-WIN95-45 or 1-800-946-9545) specifically for Windows 95-related calls. Similar to Compaq's current software support practices, consumers will be charged $35 per incident for Windows 95 phone support. Like Compaq's other toll-free support lines, this hotline will be staffed round the clock -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Compaq is also beefing up its on-line customer support capabilities and encouraging customers to use the leading services -- America Online, CompuServe and Prodigy, as well as the Compaq Internet Web Site (http://www.compaq.com) and BBS Download Service (1-713-378-1418) -- to get problems resolved and receive technical assistance. By posting questions on the networks, customers can quickly get answers to problems and eliminate the need to call Compaq customer support. Not only will this help Compaq continue to keep its hold times low for those customers requiring phone support, but it will also save consumers the $35 fee.

To further help customers with the Windows 95 transition, Compaq will post extensive information, including installation tips, a list of commonly asked questions and answers, and current Compaq software drivers, on all the Compaq online forums. Also, Compaq will include a booklet with Compaq Windows 95 upgrades that provides step by step installation instructions.

Other programs Compaq has recently initiated in preparation for Windows 95, as well as provide the best support and service possible, include the use of a sophisticated telephone call scheduler that enables the customer support center to be properly staffed, especially during peak hours, by balancing available resources with actual call volumes. The scheduling system is linked in "real time" to the phone system, and takes into account historical call patterns to calculate the optimum number of technical support engineers needed to handle anticipated call volumes, without delays.

Additionally, each technical support engineer's PC is preloaded with extensive product databases, reference tools, and online technical manuals, enabling them to quickly access all the information needed to readily assist customers. Also, because each PC is configured in exactly the same way, the engineers are more efficient at using the tools throughout the phone center, and are able to more quickly answer phone calls and resolve problems.

Each PC in the customer support center is also preinstalled with SMART, an "artificial intelligence" tool that helps engineers quickly pinpoint solutions to problems with only keyword descriptions provided by the customer. Compaq also maintains a customer database which stores historical data about the customer's PC and previous problems, thus eliminating the need for customers to repeat information during subsequent calls.

All Compaq technical support engineers receive comprehensive product training and have considerable first-hand working knowledge of Compaq products. In preparation for Windows 95, all technical support engineers have been using beta versions of the software as their primary operating interface for several months.

Also in preparation for Windows 95, Compaq's Customer Support Center -- for the first time -- has designated a select group of Windows 95 experts -- called mentors -- responsible for providing real-time technical assistance to telephone support engineers. With a deep understanding of Windows 95 -- one of the benefits of being the Lead Systems Partner for Windows 95 -- these mentors are highly proficient and readily available at a moment's notice to help technical representatives resolve most Windows 95- related problems without call backs or delays to the customer.

Compaq's Service and Support Rated as Best in Industry

When asked about computer manufacturers' service, support and reliability, readers of PC Magazine, PC World and Netware Solutions magazines consistently awarded Compaq top honors. Surveyed on both the quality of the PCs they purchased and the customer service they received, Compaq won the highest rating -- five stars -- from PC World readers. Likewise, Compaq got the highest mark -- Readers' Choice Grade A -- from PC Magazine readers when asked about the satisfaction with overall reliability, satisfaction with technical support, repair experience, and the percentage of units needing repairs in the first year. Compaq won the highest honors by Netware Solutions' readers, who selected Compaq as the "Best" company in all three surveyed categories: fileservers and peripherals, technical support and service.

The surveys also indicate that satisfaction with customer support directly correlates to future purchasing plans. When asked to rate PC vendors on how long it took to reach customer support and resolve the problem, whether they would buy another PC based on the service they received, and the level of satisfaction they received, Compaq garnered the highest score from PC World readers. PC Magazine readers also gave Compaq high marks when asked about the likelihood of buying another Compaq product. PC Magazine also noted that Compaq was the only vendor to receive an "A" in both desktop and notebook report cards, and continues to sustain the excellent marks seen in previous surveys.

Broadest Offering of Service and Support Programs

Compaq has one of the most comprehensive service and support programs in the industry. All Compaq desktops and portable products come with a free three year limited warranty. Additionally, PC servers come standard with a free three year on-site warranty. A wide selection of CompaqCare programs provides customers with technical support, advanced network support, on-line support on all the leading online networks, and access to a round-the-clock technical phone support hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Company Background

Compaq Computer Corporation is the world's largest supplier of personal computers, offering desktop PCs, portable PCs and servers. Founded in 1982, the Company reported 1994 worldwide sales of $10.9 billion. Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of more than 38,000 Compaq marketing partners. Compaq also sells directly to customers through Compaq Direct Plus at 1-800-888-5858. Compaq provides 24-hour customer support and can be reached through the Compaq forums on America Online, CompuServe, Internet (http://www.compaq.com), and Prodigy, or by calling 1-800-345-1518.

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a) According to Compaq's internal audit during June 1995 for desktop support calls b) Survey results appeared/will appear in July 1995, June 1995 and September 1995 issues, respectively

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