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Bell Aliant continues to advance 2009 business plan and strategy with redesign of contact centre operations in Atlantic Canada

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Friday, October 16th 2009 at 11:03 GMT by Market Wire}  

HALIFAX, Oct. 15 /CNW/ - Bell Aliant (TSX:BA.UN) announced today the redesign of its customer contact centre operations in Atlantic Canada. The new organization will consist of five contact centres to be located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Moncton, New Brunswick; Saint John, New Brunswick; and Mount Pearl, Newfoundland & Labrador.

The changes further advance Bell Aliant's 2009 business plan, announced earlier this year, to improve service to customers, deliver strong results for investors and introduce a new, more nimble and efficient organizational structure.

"We are introducing a new model for our contact centre operations in Atlantic Canada, which will consist of five locations. Once implemented by mid-April 2010, this redesigned model will further simplify the customer experience, boost sales and customer service performance, enhance employee training, and improve our operating costs," said Karen Sheriff, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bell Aliant.

Bell Aliant currently operates 16 contact centres in Atlantic Canada, ranging in size from 4 to 400 employees, providing similar services from several geographically dispersed locations. Locations with less than fifty employees are being consolidated into the five larger centres, enabling a more focused and effective operating model.

"It is difficult for any organization, let alone one of our size and scale, to efficiently operate that many centres, particularly the smaller ones," said Sheriff. "It is not only challenging to provide appropriate management, coaching and training in each location but it is no longer a sustainable or effective model. That is why our peers and competitors, relative to their size, operate with far fewer centres than we do."

Approximately 200 permanent, unionized employees who are currently based in the smaller centers will all be offered roles within one of the five remaining locations.

About Bell Aliant

Bell Aliant (TSX: BA.UN) is one of North America's largest regional communications providers and an Official Supporter of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Through its operating entities it serves customers in six Canadian provinces with innovative information, communication and technology services including voice, data, Internet, video and value-added business solutions. Through its xwave offices, Bell Aliant also provides IT professional services and advanced technology solutions. Bell Aliant's employees are committed to deliver the highest quality of customer service, choice and convenience.

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