Equifax Offers First Real-Time Solution For Telecom, Energy And Cable Companies To Cross Sell

MarketPrompt® Applies MicroVision at the Point of Sale

ATLANTA, September 26, 1996 -- With more and more products being offered by telecommunications, energy and cable companies, Equifax has devised a first-of-a-kind system that allows cross-selling of up to 10 products at the all-important point of sale.

In addition to combining Positive ID and risk assessment on the applicant for service, MarketPrompt® returns a listing of industry products and services that the consumer is most likely to buy, based on national or specific customer group product usage profiles. The cross-sell information is determined through MicroVision®, the leading geo-demographic market segmentation system developed by Equifax National Decision Systems.

"Consumers often deal directly with telecommunications, energy and cable companies only when they're initiating service," said Val Perry, senior vice president, Equifax Telecommunications and Utilities Services.

"This is the time they are most responsive to offers of additional products and services. MarketPrompt allows customer service representatives to offer those products the customer probably wants," Perry added.

Telcos may offer services such as Call Waiting or Message Service; cable companies could offer a choice of premium channels; energy providers might suggest a heat pump or a home energy audit. The timely offers at the point of sale reduce the time per call/visit and increase customer satisfaction by offering only those products a consumer is likely to buy. The seller can generate immediate additional revenue by selling the selected supplemental services during the new connect transaction rather than later in the account life cycle.

MicroVision places every zip+4 (10-15 households) into one of 50 segments that are descriptive of the purchasing preferences of the residents. The segment descriptions are based on surveys conducted by Equifax National Decision Systems covering a wide variety of products and services including those provided by telecommunications, energy and cable companies. Custom profiles are available with MarketPrompt for individual companies using their internal data for their service area. MarketPrompt is available now, on-line via system-to-system. For more information, please call 800-879-1025. Equifax Telecommunications and Utilities Services, a division of Equifax Financial Services Group, has been providing information solutions to the industry for more than 10 years.

Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX), committed to Global Information Leadership for the Information Age, is the leading provider of information services that help businesses grant credit, authorize and process credit card and check transactions, insure lives and property and control health care costs. Established in 1899 in Atlanta, Equifax today employs 14,000 people throughout North and South America, the United Kingdom and continental Europe.