Managers even argue about how to
categorize complaints, whether it was a bona fide beef or merely a comment."
Bottom line, if a company isn't concentrating on its customers, the blame
belongs to the boss.

The three companies will also issue
refunds for prior payments of contested international toll charges that
resulted from modem hijacking.

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"
A good example of the inward orientation at work is how many companies
approach customer feedback as an annual event - an Olympic survey of sorts -
instead of treating it as an ongoing process. "Someone who isn't committed to your company wouldn't bother
complaining. "CEOs who want real job security should try to please
customers, not shareholders. Current and
former Pennsylvania consumers who paid unauthorized long distance charges will
be eligible to receive a credit or refund for any amounts that they paid to
their local telephone companies or to USBI, One Call and Telliss directly.

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"Once someone becomes part of an organization,
it's only natural to want to remain part of it - at least, until something
better comes along," he explains. "Unless you let someone know what action has been taken,
the customer is never going to perceive a difference," Cochran says.
-- Contact a reputable software vendor about programs that block pop-up
ads ("pop-up blockers"), and identify and remove the types of programs
that may be associated with modem hijacking scams.

Copies of the Settlement Agreement with USBI, Telliss, and One Call
Communications are available on the OCA Website at http: //www.

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For more
information, visit http://www.

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Perhaps most important, customer-focused organizations make sure they get
back to customers.newswise.com.
USBI, Telliss and One Call Communications are implementing this policy in
Pennsylvania due to agreements with the Office of Consumer Advocate governing
the handling of complaints from Pennsylvania customers who may be victims of
various Internet "modem hijacking" schemes that generate unauthorized
international toll charges. The OCA will assist customers in obtaining any credits or
refunds to which they are entitled under these agreements.state.

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A customer-centric philosophy isn't just for Fortune
500 companies, he stresses: "All organizations have customers, including
government agencies and nonprofit groups. These actions can trigger a download of an
automatic dialer program to the customer's computer - which may automatically
dial international long distance phone numbers without the customer's
knowledge. Unless you fully understand
everything you are agreeing to, do not accept the download.

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These scams can occur when a computer user clicks on a pop-up ad or
responds to a spam e-mail.

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ATLANTA, Companies may think they've tuned into
customers when, in reality, they're self-absorbed.
In his new book, "Becoming a Customer-Focused Organization" (Paton Press,
2006), Cochran explains that this corporate myopia is a natural phenomenon
sparked by self-preservation.
"Companies shouldn 't try to invent new ways for collecting customer
feedback," Cochran says.
In most companies , however, senior management fixates on financial
measures like sales and profits.

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"But these are historical metrics of what
happened in the past," Cochran points out.
All consumers - particularly those who use dial-up modems - can take
preventive action to better protect themselves from these scams and unexpected
charges that may result.

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"Although most companies start out with a strong focus on customers, as
the organization grows beyond a dozen members, people may stop looking outward
and become preoccupied with internal processes," says Craig Cochran, a
regional manager at Georgia Tech's Office of Economic Development and
Technology Ventures, where he assists companies with quality improvement and
lean techniques." Weaving customer feedback into daily
processes makes it easier to digest and easier to take action on, he adds.
Another measure of an organization's true focus is how it handles customer
complaints.
Under the agreements with the OCA, after receiving a modem hijacking
complaint directly from a customer or from the OCA, or another government
agency to which the customer has complained (such as the Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Federal
Trade Commission or the Federal Communications Commission ), USBI, Telliss and
One Call Communications will issue a credit for 100 percent of the modem
hijacking charges that appear on the customer's telephone bill, and will make
no further effort to collect the charges.us.

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Modem hijacking affects some computer users who use dial-up Internet
access .
Customers in Pennsylvania who believe that their current or any prior
telephone bills have included modem hijacking charges can contact the OCA
toll-free at (800) 684-6560 to see if they qualify for a bill adjustment or
refund.

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Strong Customer Focus Key to Organization Success

Most companies treat complaints not as red alerts but as
something they'll get around to eventually.
Smart companies cherish customer complaints. "Customers who complain are
not nitpickers or looking for discounts, they're committed to your
organization," Cochran says, noting that complaining requires time, effort
and emotion. "You've
got to close the loop. HARRISBURG, Pa. As a result, international long distance charges of hundreds or even
thousands of dollars can appear on the customer's monthly phone bill.
Any present or former Pennsylvania customer who has complained about this
type of unauthorized charge to the OCA or another government agency will
receive a credit or refund for the billed charges caused by the scam.pa.

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"
In contrast to other books on the topic, Cochran takes a global approach
to being customer-focused, covering everything from management systems to
complaint resolution. "They already have countless customer interactions
available to them, ranging from salespeople to technical reps. "The leadership of an organization has no job more
important than making sure everyone knows the importance of the customer,"
Cochran says. In
addition, present and former Pennsylvania customers who did not previously
lodge complaints with a government agency can do so now, or contact the OCA
directly, and will be eligible to receive a credit or refund for any modem
hijacking charges, upon verification.

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, Pennsylvania customers who have
fallen prey to computer scams that led to unauthorized international long
distance charges can now receive refunds or credits on their phone bills due
to agreements between the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA ) and
three companies: USBI, Telliss and One Call Communications.

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They apologize for any inconvenience suffered by
customers and thank them for bringing the problem to the company's attention.

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What's
important is to provide some structure to these interactions and share them
with everyone in the organization. If the customer isn't aware of the fix, then the
remedy doesn't exist.
-- Disconnect the telephone line to your modem when the modem is not in
use.oca.

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"The irony is that this inward orientation
doesn't ensure survival."
Customer-centric organizations make it easy to complain. They use toll-
free numbers and complaint desks staffed by knowledgeable people who don 't
give scripted answers.

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"In contrast, customer-satisfaction
and loyalty are leading measures that indicate what will happen in the future,
so they're more valuable to the organization .

PA Office of Consumer Advocate Announces Modem Hijacking Settlements

The charges for the calls can amount to as much as $8 per minute
for lengthy and frequent calls to little-known foreign locations such as
Tuvalu and the Cook Islands or to more common destinations such as the United
Kingdom .
Here are the key points to consider:

-- Carefully read all the terms and conditions of any offer before
downloading anything to your computer.

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Former customers now living outside of Pennsylvania can call the OCA
at (717) 783-5048.

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According to Consumer Advocate Sonny Popowsky ,
the settlement is similar to a prior agreement between the OCA and Verizon
under which more than 2,000 consumers have received a total of approximately
$200,000 in refunds.

This category is for sites that evaluate the performance or products of a company.

The category is organized by company name and may contain information such as consumer opinions, complaints, personal experiences, and reports of legal action written for the layman.

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In fact, it guarantees the opposite--irrelevance,
obsolescence and death."
A customer-centric company tracks customer satisfaction and loyalty
metrics at the highest levels of management instead of relegating them to the
customer-service department."

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM).