More customers, less warranty claims

• 60,000 people call into T-Mobile's Customer Centre each day
• Requests of two-thirds of these clients are handled by means of an automatic IVR system
• Most queries are related to new offers, possible service changes, and statements of services

Prague, 7 June 2007 - Since its establishment, T-Mobile has focused on providing outstanding customer service. The cornerstone of this strategy is a high-quality customer hotline. The free hotline has been used by over 154 million customers since the customer centre of T-Mobile (whose name at that time was Paegas) started operating in 1996. T-Mobile assistants at the Customer Centre are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the whole year. Clients make the highest number of queries between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and then in the afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Each hotline worker will answer 80 - 120 calls per shift, one phone call usually lasting from 180 to 220 seconds.

"Even though the total number of our customers has been rising, the number of calls to the 4603 number has been steadily declining. Last year it was 20.6 million while in 2005 the calls numbered 22.4 million. We receive calls from about 60,000 people each day, out of which roughly 20,000 choose to communicate with assistants and 40,000 use the IVR - Interactive Voice Response system," says Tomáš Růžička, Executive Vice President Customer Services.

Some customers prefer sending their requests by letter rather than over the phone. They still outnumber those customers that send their requests by e-mail. The Customer Centre answers about 20,000 letters and 15,000 e-mails each month. The number of letters has remained virtually the same over recent years; people still seem to trust the traditional letter more than in e-mail.

Most calls to the 4603 number involve decisions on the purchase of a new mobile phone, activation of services, change of a tariff plan, etc. For these reasons, they are interested in current offers, possibilities of changing contract relationships, or in new tariffs that would be more suitable for them. Very frequent are queries related to statements of services; for example, when an invoice should be settled, or whether a payment was received in an account. "A high number of customers are interested in exactly this area, undoubtedly in connection with the development of mobile internet and the extension of its coverage. On the other hand, requests for advice on, for example, how to set up a phone, are less frequent now. This is not only due to the simpler operation of the devices, but also due to constantly higher user skills," adds Tomáš Růžička.

There are altogether 1,037 people working at the Customer Service Division at T-Mobile. The operating staff, that is, people working at Customer Centers, comprises 732 employees, including 657 assistants. A full 72% of the assistants are women. The average age of the assistants is 26 years. Customer Centers are located in Prague (since 1996), Louny (since 1999) and Hradec Králové (since 2002).

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.