PACKARD BELL LAUNCHES PREMIER SUPPORT LINE

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Packard Bell has launched Premier Support, a
fee-based telephone service that assists customers who want personalized
training and instruction on hardware or software bundled with or purchased
for their computers. Premier Support is offered in addition to Packard
Bell's existing hardware help system, software assistance and electronic
support lines.

Packard Bell's Premier Support is designed to assist computer users with
specific, goal-oriented training inquiries. Customers can call for
assistance on any of the numerous software programs bundled with Packard
Bell systems and on many popular titles they purchase separately. Callers
may obtain assistance for both basic and advanced software operations such
as importing and exporting files, creating multimedia presentations and
using shortcuts to simplify every-day tasks. The Premier Support
technicians can also provide instruction on installing hardware components
like extra memory or various add-on cards or peripherals.

"A consumer would have to pay an independent computer consultant a high
hourly rate to obtain a comparable level of support," John Hlavac, vice
president of international service and support said. "Premier Support
represents another step in the continuing quest to provide a complete
computing service to Packard Bell customers."The company had introduced
Premier Support on a trial basis in 1993. The program was suspended
following the Northridge earthquake which destroyed the Packard Bell
technical support facility in Chatsworth, Calif.

"Customer demand for the return of the program was so high that we brought
it back when we established our new service and support center in Magna,
Utah," said Hlavac. "Our customers made it clear they were willing to pay
for more personalized service. In return, they receive expert instruction
and answers to questions either not documented or not clearly explained in
user manuals."

Premier Support technicians will stay on the telephone for as long as the
user needs assistance, and callers can choose between two distinct payment
options. A 1-900 number, billed directly to the customer's telephone
account, costs $2 per minute with a maximum of $35 per incident. This
method of payment is particularly well suited for individuals whose
questions are simple and would take a relatively short amount of time,
since the caller is charged only for actual time spent speaking with a
technician. The second option is a 1-800 number billed to the customer's
credit card for a flat rate of $29 per incident. This flat fee method
offers convenience for customers who want to bill the service to a
business or who have a 1-900 number block on their phone. The credit card
option is also more economical if the customer's question may take some
time to explain.

Packard Bell's service and support division is staffed with 1,500 highly
trained representatives. Technicians currently answer more than 500,000
inquiries per month via phone, fax and Bulletin Board Systems.

Packard Bell has long been an innovator in the area of customer support.
The company was the first PC manufacturer to offer a toll-free customer
support line in 1988 and pioneered on-site service to homes in the United
States in 1989 and Europe in 1992. Packard Bell also co-founded the
Computing Technology Industry Association's A+ certification program to
establish an industry-wide standard of technical competency and
professionalism among microcomputer manufacturers' service technicians.

Packard Bell technical support services are available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. Packard Bell's service and support can also be accessed via
Bulletin Board Service (BBS), Prodigy, CompuServe, fax and mail.

Headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., Packard Bell designs, manufactures and
markets a broad range of PC-compatible desktop computers. Packard Bell is
the leading supplier of PCs in the U.S. retail channel, according to
Audits and Surveys, a research firm that tracks sales in the retail
market. Packard Bell is the fourth largest computer company worldwide in
terms of shipments, according to International Data Corp., Framingham,
Mass. The company maintains a home page on the World Wide Web at
http://www.packardbell.com, featuring product information, news releases
and technical support contacts.

For product service and support, contact: support@packardbell.com
 
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