Coastal Communications, which provides telephone, high-speed Internet and entertainment services to homes and businesses in Hinesville, Richmond Hill, Midway, Fort Stewart and surrounding areas, has become part of CenturyTel, Inc.
CenturyTel, headquartered in Monroe, La., is one of the nation’s largest telecommunications providers, serving customers in small-to-mid-size cities in 25 states. For more than 70 years CenturyTel has delivered services, primarily to rural areas and smaller cities. Today, the company uses its broadband and fiber networks to bring communications services to customers.
CenturyTel and Coastal share the common goal of providing superior services and the best possible customer care to those they serve, according to Durand Standard, president of Coastal Communications.
He said customers will continue to receive affordable, dependable services and local customer care. He said customers need to take no action and that services and pricing are not changing as a result of the transaction. Customers will also continue to receive service and interact with the company as before.
“The same local people will be at your service,” Standard said. “One thing will change. Our customers will see us using the CenturyTel name along with ours because we’re proud to remind them we’re now part of a leading company recognized across the nation for excellence in providing communications services.”
CenturyTel was recently included on Forbes magazine’s list of the “400 Best Big Companies in America.” CenturyTel has been named to the list, which identifies the best of the largest publicly traded companies in America, eight times. CenturyTel was also recently ranked the highest among telecommunications providers in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom in online customer service. The study was conducted by the Customer Respect Group, which studied Web sites of 54 leading telecommunications companies.
Standard also said that as the local company becomes part of a leading national company, customers would see benefits.
“In the future, we will be able to bring our customers a broader array of choices, still at competitive prices, and with even more convenience,” Standard said.
CenturyTel bought Coastal as part of its acquisition of Madison River Communications. Madison River owned Coastal as well as other telephone companies in Alabama, North Carolina, and Illinois. CenturyTel acquired all of the outstanding stock of Madison River.
“We look forward to serving our new customers at Coastal,” Glen F. Post III, CenturyTel chairman and CEO said. “While many companies claim advanced communications, it’s the personal touch that sets CenturyTel apart. We are committed to continuing our tradition of serving customers with the utmost respect, courtesy and concern. We’re also committed to being a good neighbor, promoting economic development and encouraging our employees to be active in our communities.”
Questions & Answers
Q. Do customers need to do anything?
A. No, customers do not need to take any action.
Q. Is anything changing on customer accounts?
A. No. Customers’ phone numbers and services are not changing as Coastal Communications becomes part of CenturyTel. In the future, the company may offer new services, but for now, discount packages, long distance plans, high-speed Internet and TV offerings are not changing. Customers will start seeing the CenturyTel name in the months ahead.
Q. Is anything changing about customer care?
A. No. Customers will continue to receive service and customer care in the same way as always. Customers will call the same numbers and visit the same offices for service. The same local people will help customers with any needs.
Q. Are customer rates/prices changing?
A. No. Pricing is not changing as Coastal becomes part of CenturyTel.
Q. Is the company’s name changing?
A. Coastal is adding “A CenturyTel Company” to its name to remind customers that it is now a part of a larger company.
Q. Do customers still pay their bills as before?
A. Yes. Nothing is changing right away. For now, customers should continue to pay their bills just as they have in the past.
Q. What kinds of services does CenturyTel offer?
A. CenturyTel offers a wide variety of services and service bundles that include local calling features, long distance, high-speed Internet and digital TV services with movies, sports, news, music, local channels, pay-per-view, high-definition programming and equipment features like parental controls.
Q. Is CenturyTel involved in its communities?
A. Yes. CenturyTel has a history and corporate culture of contributing to its communities to improve the quality of life in its service areas.
About CenturyTel
CenturyTel (NYSE: CTL) is a provider of telephone communications, high-speed Internet and entertainment services in small-to-mid-size cities through a broadband and fiber transport networks. It is in the S&P 500 Index and provides communication services in 25 states. Visit us at www.centurytel.com for more information.
CenturyTel, headquartered in Monroe, La., is one of the nation’s largest telecommunications providers, serving customers in small-to-mid-size cities in 25 states. For more than 70 years CenturyTel has delivered services, primarily to rural areas and smaller cities. Today, the company uses its broadband and fiber networks to bring communications services to customers.
CenturyTel and Coastal share the common goal of providing superior services and the best possible customer care to those they serve, according to Durand Standard, president of Coastal Communications.
He said customers will continue to receive affordable, dependable services and local customer care. He said customers need to take no action and that services and pricing are not changing as a result of the transaction. Customers will also continue to receive service and interact with the company as before.
“The same local people will be at your service,” Standard said. “One thing will change. Our customers will see us using the CenturyTel name along with ours because we’re proud to remind them we’re now part of a leading company recognized across the nation for excellence in providing communications services.”
CenturyTel was recently included on Forbes magazine’s list of the “400 Best Big Companies in America.” CenturyTel has been named to the list, which identifies the best of the largest publicly traded companies in America, eight times. CenturyTel was also recently ranked the highest among telecommunications providers in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom in online customer service. The study was conducted by the Customer Respect Group, which studied Web sites of 54 leading telecommunications companies.
Standard also said that as the local company becomes part of a leading national company, customers would see benefits.
“In the future, we will be able to bring our customers a broader array of choices, still at competitive prices, and with even more convenience,” Standard said.
CenturyTel bought Coastal as part of its acquisition of Madison River Communications. Madison River owned Coastal as well as other telephone companies in Alabama, North Carolina, and Illinois. CenturyTel acquired all of the outstanding stock of Madison River.
“We look forward to serving our new customers at Coastal,” Glen F. Post III, CenturyTel chairman and CEO said. “While many companies claim advanced communications, it’s the personal touch that sets CenturyTel apart. We are committed to continuing our tradition of serving customers with the utmost respect, courtesy and concern. We’re also committed to being a good neighbor, promoting economic development and encouraging our employees to be active in our communities.”
Questions & Answers
Q. Do customers need to do anything?
A. No, customers do not need to take any action.
Q. Is anything changing on customer accounts?
A. No. Customers’ phone numbers and services are not changing as Coastal Communications becomes part of CenturyTel. In the future, the company may offer new services, but for now, discount packages, long distance plans, high-speed Internet and TV offerings are not changing. Customers will start seeing the CenturyTel name in the months ahead.
Q. Is anything changing about customer care?
A. No. Customers will continue to receive service and customer care in the same way as always. Customers will call the same numbers and visit the same offices for service. The same local people will help customers with any needs.
Q. Are customer rates/prices changing?
A. No. Pricing is not changing as Coastal becomes part of CenturyTel.
Q. Is the company’s name changing?
A. Coastal is adding “A CenturyTel Company” to its name to remind customers that it is now a part of a larger company.
Q. Do customers still pay their bills as before?
A. Yes. Nothing is changing right away. For now, customers should continue to pay their bills just as they have in the past.
Q. What kinds of services does CenturyTel offer?
A. CenturyTel offers a wide variety of services and service bundles that include local calling features, long distance, high-speed Internet and digital TV services with movies, sports, news, music, local channels, pay-per-view, high-definition programming and equipment features like parental controls.
Q. Is CenturyTel involved in its communities?
A. Yes. CenturyTel has a history and corporate culture of contributing to its communities to improve the quality of life in its service areas.
About CenturyTel
CenturyTel (NYSE: CTL) is a provider of telephone communications, high-speed Internet and entertainment services in small-to-mid-size cities through a broadband and fiber transport networks. It is in the S&P 500 Index and provides communication services in 25 states. Visit us at www.centurytel.com for more information.