September 3, 2009, Moscow, Tyumen. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (JSC COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the largest operator of integrated telecommunication services in Russia and the CIS announces that OJSC Regional Technical Center (RTC), leading alternative carrier in Siberia, a member of the COMSTAR-UTS Group of companies, has completed the third and last stage of the program aimed at enhanced customer service of COMSTAR-UTS in Tyumen Region.

To implement integrated program for enhanced quality of service and integration of single customer service standards throughout COMSTAR-UTS Group of companies, RTC held a number of procedures from April to August 2009. The company centralized Internet access technical support service based on the Tyumen call center, integrated the quality control system through installation of IT Navigator software and transferred consumers’ calls related to a whole range of services to the Tyumen contact center. Presently, an aggregate and centralized technical support service for COMSTAR-UTS clients efficiently operates in Tyumen to provide custom care service for the inhabitants of Tyumen Region.

Currently, the contact center processes 4 to 5 thousand calls a week, far more compared to the period prior to centralization of the technical support service. Average response waiting time was cut to as little as 17 seconds, which is 2.5 times less compared to April 2009. During the first 30 seconds, operators process more than 80% of clients’ calls. An average period to remove faults after integration of the IT Navigator system and technical support centralization decreased three-fold. Most of issues are solved by our specialists online. If a specialist is called out, a problem is sure to be eliminated as soon as practical.

“The main task of any carrier is customer’s provision with high-quality telecommunication services. This is quite a challenging task, especially for a carrier operating on a federal level, as we need to determine common standards and implement them in all subdivisions and branches of the Company Group presence. Now we implement consistent policy to enhance customer service level in all macroregions, - Viktor Koresh, OAO COMSTAR-UTS Director General for Regional Development said.

Vladimir Alaev, Director General of OAO RTC, Director of CJSC COMSTAR-Regions Siberian branch, emphasised: “The project of the service quality control system integration for COMSTAR-UTS has been successfully implemented in the territory of OAO RTC presence. The Tymen call center has consolidated functions of advertising and information services and customer care support. To this end, we have hired professional consulting operators and integrated high-efficiency IT Navigator software product. This has resulted in an enhanced efficiency level of the resources utilized, shorter response time for service quality management and customer care service. This will allow us to successfully generate and build up a loyal subscriber base enjoying COMSTAR services in Siberia”.

Today, Service Quality Assurance is implemented in the Tyumen Region, Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts. And we plan to introduce the system in Kemerovo, Norilsk and Novokuznetsk offices.