Pacific Bell Unveils Billing Solutions Technology Center, Demonstrates New State-of-the-Art Billing Process for First Time

Business Wire, April 2, 1997

"Relocating close to the U. S. Postal Service's general mail facility in West Sacramento was a key part of our strategy," said Fred Schaub, vice president of Customer Billing, Quality and Operations at Pacific Bell. "By getting as close to them as possible, we can expedite the movement of mail to their facility. This way, Pacific Bell, the Postal Service and our customers all receive benefits of improved services."

With its Postal Service partners in proximity and the new facility's ability to simultaneously prepare major mailings on separate outgoing loading docks, Pacific Bell expects substantial cost savings and productivity gains. A pilot program is currently underway to allow production of bills to be timed in conjunction with Postal Service pickups toward destinations as diverse as San Francisco and San Diego.

"Pacific Bell has chosen to take on much of the responsibility for processing their bills for us in advance," said Gus Ruiz, a spokesperson for the U. S. Postal Service. "As a result, they qualify for a very favorable mailing rate."

West Sacramento officials are pleased their city is home to an important new source of business. "Pacific Bell brings new technology and jobs to our community and we're very happy to have them," said West Sacramento Mayor William Kristoff. "More and more companies are taking Pacific Bell's lead and deciding to move their mailing operations to our city."

"Pacific Bell is succeeding in consolidating its billing centers into one seamless operation while simultaneously reengineering its entire bill printing and mailing processes," Whitehead said. And in doing so, Pacific Bell and its partners will have created a model for ergonomics and worker safety, flow-through production design and improved customer service that will be the envy of the telecommunications industry for years to come.

Pacific Bell is a California-based subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc., the nation's second-largest telecommunications company and a leading company in the global telecom industry. Through its subsidiaries, SBC provides innovative communications including local and long-distance telephone, wireless, paging, Internet access, cable TV and messaging services, as well as telecommunications equipment and directory advertising and publishing.

CONTACT: Michael Heenan

916/972-2811