# Presentation: 374485

## ACCESS TO 

**TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES **
***Commercial Tenant Survey Findings***
- February 21, 2001
- Knowledge Systems and Research, Inc. (**KS&R**)
- www.ksrinc.com	1.888.8KSRINC
- Strategic Policy Research, Inc. (**SPR**)
- www.spri.com	1.301.718.0111

## Table of Contents

_**TAB 1**_**:****	*****Introduction***
_**TAB 2**_**:****	*****Telecommunications Services Needs***
_**TAB **_**3:****	*****Alternative Providers - Awareness & Requests***
_**TAB**_** 4:****	*****Business Profile***

## TAB 1:

_***TAB 1***_***:***
**Introduction**

**Methodology**
**Key Findings**

## Methodology

**Telephone survey conducted of senior decision-makers for telecommunications services in businesses that are tenants of multi-tenant commercial buildings.**
**Survey designed to understand telecommunications services needs and availability.**
**Nationwide random business sample used for purposes of reaching potential respondents.**
**Respondents screened to ensure appropriate decision-making role for the business location called and to ensure business is located in multi-tenant location (15 percent incidence).**
**Pre-test conducted with 40 respondents to test for survey flow, language and length.**
**454 12-15 minute interviews completed between January 16 and January 26, 2001 (margin of error: ********4.6%).**
**Completion rate of 47 percent on contacts not disqualified.**
**Survey responses tabulated and findings presented herein.**

## Key Findings

**There are high levels of satisfaction with telecom services among tenants of multi-tenant commercial buildings and a **_**low incidence of unmet needs**_**.**
**There is **_**high awareness**_** of alternative telecommunications providers.**
**A substantial percentage of businesses have made requests from alternative providers and the **_**vast majority of requests have been accepted**_** and installed on schedule.**
_**Less than 1 percent**_** of respondents indicate building management has **_**ever**_** denied a request by their company to obtain telecom service from an alternative provider.**
_**Four-out-of-ten businesses will consider moving elsewhere**_** at lease renewal if their important telecommunications needs aren’t met at their current location****.**

## TAB 2:

**Telecom Services/Technologies Currently Used**
**Satisfaction With Telecom Services**
**Telecom Needs Not Being Met**
**Importance of Telecom Needs Not Being Met**

_***TAB 2***_***:***
**Telecommunications Services Needs**

## Telecom Services/Technologies Currently Used

***“******Which of the Following Telecommunications Services or Technologies Do You Currently Use at This Location?”***
***(Aided, Multiple Response)***

***Total (N=454)***

***Telecom Services/Technologies Currently Used***

***Question 5***

**Local Telephone Service**
**Long Distance**
**Internet Access**
**E-Mail**
**Wireless Telecom Services**
**Cable Modem**
**DSL Connection**
**T1 Connection or Higher**
**Videoconferencing**

## Satisfaction With Telecom Services

***Satisfaction With Telecom Services***

***Total (N=454)***

**Nearly all indicate they are satisfied with the telecommunications services currently available at their location.**

***Question 6***

## Telecom Needs Not Being Met

***Telecom Needs Not Being Met***

***Total (N=454)***

**One-out-of-seventeen indicate they have telecommunications needs not currently being met at their location.**
**DSL connection or some form of Internet connection are most often mentioned as a need not being met.**

***Questions 7,8***

***“******What Are These Telecommunications Needs That Are Not Being Met at Your Location?”***

***Total (N=26)***

**DSL Connection**
**Other Internet Connection**
**Better Service**
**Other***

**** Other includes remote access, voice messaging, LAN.***

## Importance of Telecom Needs Not Being Met

***Importance of Telecom Needs Not Being Met***

***Total (N=26)***

**Nearly all who have telecommunications needs that can’t be met at their location say they are important.**

***Question 9***

**** Of those whose needs are not currently being met.***

***% Indicating Unmet Needs******(N=454)***

## TAB 3:

**Alternative Telecom Providers**
**Alternative Provider Requests**
**Timing of Accepted Requests**
**Experiences With Alternative Provider**
**Denied Requests**
**Propensity to Change Locations**

_***TAB 3***_***:***
**Alternative Providers - Awareness & Requests**

## Alternative Telecom Providers

***Alternative Telecom Providers***

***Total (N=454)***

**Nine-out-of-ten business decision-makers are aware they can choose alternative telecom providers to the local incumbent company.**
**Nearly one-out-of-four have placed one or more requests for services with an alternative telecom provider in the last three years.**

***Questions 10,11***

***“******Have You Placed One or More Requests for Service With a Telecommunications******Provider, Other Than Your Incumbent Local Phone Company, in the Last Three Years?”***

***Total (N=454)***

## Alternative Provider Requests

***Alternative Provider Requests***

***Total (N=106)***

**Nine-out-of-ten who have placed requests indicate they have been accepted.**
**Reasons for denied requests include service didn’t meet needs, service not available and price.**

***Questions 12,13***

***“******Not sure that my concerns about local calls were met.”***
***“******They are still working on it.  It has been three months now.  I don’t know why it is so slow.”***
***“******DSL not available yet.”***
***“******They said I would have to contact my local carrier for these services.”***
***“******Because they have a contract with Ameritech and they will not service this specific area.  They won’t compete with them.”***
***“******MCI is a bad company.  They sent us bills for 800 numbers that we didn’t want.”***
***“******No telecom services.”***
***“******It wasn’t a better deal.”***
***“******Price.”***
***“******Too expensive.”***

***“******To the Best of Your Knowledge, What Were the Reasons for the Denied Requests?”***
***(Unaided, Verbatims)***

**** Of those who placed a request in the last three years.***

_***Total (N=10)***_

***% Placing Requests******(N=454)***

## Timing of Accepted Requests

***Timing of Accepted Requests***

***Total (N=100)***

**For those with requests accepted, most received service by the date agreed upon.**
**Of those who didn’t receive service on time, reasons for the delay include service and communication issues.**
**Problem resolution took an average of 1.75 months, though 18% indicate their problem remains unresolved.**

***Questions 14,15,16***

**** Of those who had a request accepted in the last three years.***

***% With Accepted Requests******(N=454)***

***“******All services we tried were unsatisfactory.”***
***“******Customer service.”***
***“******Do not always show up.”***
***“******Fault of the local company – A billing problem.”***
***“******I have no idea.  They delayed me for a week.”***
***“******They oversold their services.”***
***“******The sales person says they have not contacted him, and he has not gotten back to me.”***
***“******There are too many subcontractors and they can’t seem to get organized with their scheduling.”***
***“******They were morons.”***

***“******To the Best of Your Knowledge, What Was the******Cause of Delay or Failure to Provide Service?”****
***(Unaided, Verbatims)***

**Mean: 1.75 Months**
**Median: 1 Months**
**18% indicate problem remains unresolved and 9% refused to answer**

***“******How Long Did it Take to Get the Problem Resolved?”****
***(In Months)***

_***Total (N=10)***_

_***Total (N=10)***_

## Experiences With Alternative Provider

**Nine-out-of-ten of those with accepted requests are satisfied with the quality of service they received from the other telecom provider.**
**Experiences with other telecom providers is most often characterized as excellent/good and easy/smooth, though one-out-of-ten had negative characterizations.**

***Questions 17,18***

***“******How Satisfied Are You With the Quality of Service You******Received From the Other Telecommunications Provider?”****

***Total (N=100)***

***% With Accepted Requests******(N=454)***

***“******How Would You Characterize Your Experiences With Trying to Obtain Services From a ******Telecommunications Provider Other Than Your Incumbent Local Telephone Company?”****
***(Unaided)***

***Total (N=100)***

**Excellent/Good**
**Easy/Smooth**
**Poor**
**Neutral/OK**
**Difficult**
**Frustrating**
**Confusing**
**Other**

**** Of those who had a request accepted in the last three years.***

## Denied Requests

***Denied Requests***

***Total (N=454)***

**Less than 1 percent indicate building management has ever denied a request by their company to obtain telecom service from an alternative provider.**

***Questions 19,20***

***“******They already programmed something else.”***
***“******Just local lines.”***
***“******When my wife owned the business they refused certain services.”***

***“******To the Best of Your Knowledge, What Was the Reason for Your Building Management Not Allowing******Your Company to Obtain Service From an Alternative Telecommunications Service Provider?”***
***(Unaided, Verbatims)***

_***Total (N=3)***_

## Propensity to Change Locations

***Propensity to Change Locations***

***Total (N=454)***

**Four-out-of-ten indicate their company would consider changing locations at lease renewal if their important telecom needs were not being met at their current locations.**

***Question 21***

## TAB 4:

**Respondent Title**
**Line of Business**
**Location Profile**
**U.S. Locations**
**Employees at Location**
**Employees at All Locations**
**Total 2000 Sales**

_***TAB 4***_***:***
**Business Profile**

## Respondent Title

***“******What Is Your Title?”***

***Total (N=454)***

***Respondent Title***

***Question S3***

**President/CEO/Owner/Partner/Executive Director**
**Office Manager**
**Business Director/Manager**
**Managerial/Administrative**
**COO/VP of Operations/General Manager**
**Telecom Director/Manager**
**VP of Administration/Director of Administration**
**CFO/Finance Director/VP of Finance**
**Other***

**** Other includes CIO/Director of IS/IT, Clerical, Sales.***

## Line of Business

***“******What Is Your Company’s Primary Line of Business?”***

***Total (N=454)***

***Line of Business***

***Question S4***

**Retail Trade**
**Professional Services**
**Finance/Insurance/Real Estate**
**Healthcare**
**Manufacturing**
**Education/Government/Not for Profit**
**Consulting**
**Wholesale Trade**
**Construction**
**Transportation/Utilities**
**Leisure/Tourism/Lodging**
**Other Service**
**Other***

**** Other includes engineering.***

## Location Profile

***Location Profile***

***Total (N=454)***

**Over one-half of respondent buildings located in urban areas.**
**The average number of floors in respondent buildings is 3.6 floors.**
**The average term of respondent company leases is 3.6 years, with an average of 2.1 years remaining in the lease.**

***Questions 1,2,3,4***

**Mean = 3.6 Floors**
**Median = 2 Floors**
**% Don’t Know/Refused: 00%**

***“******How Many Floors Are There in Your Building?”***

**Mean = 2.1 Years**
**Median = 1 Years**
**% Don’t Know/Refused: 32%**

***“******How Many Years Remain in That Lease?”***

**Mean = 3.6 Years**
**Median = 3 Years**
**% Don’t Know/Refused: 25%**

***“******How Long, in Years, Is the Term of Your Current Lease?”***

***Total (N=454)***

***Total (N=454)***

***Total (N=454)***

## U.S. Locations

**More than one-in-ten have more than 50 locations in the U.S.**

***“******How Many Locations Does Your Company Have in the U.S.?”***

***Total (N=454)***

***U.S. Locations***

***Question 23***

**1**
**2**
**3-10**
**11-50**
**>50**
**Don’t Know**

## Employees at Location

***“******How Many Employees Work for Your Company at This Location?”***

***Total (N=454)***

***Employees at Location***

***Question 22***

**1-5**
**6-10**
**11-25**
**26-50**
**51-100**
**More Than 100**
**Refused**

## Employees at All Locations

**One-fifth did not know how many employees work for their company at all locations.**

***“******How Many Employees Work for Your Company at All Locations?”****

***Total (N=177)***

***Employees at All Locations***

***Question 24***

**1-10**
**11-25**
**26-100**
**101-1,000**
**More Than 1,000**
**Don’t Know**
**Refused**

****Of those whose company has multiple locations in the U.S.***

***% Multi-Location***
***(N=454)***

## Total 2000 Sales

**One-third did not know their company’s annual sales and one-quarter refused to answer.**

***“******What Were Your Company’s Total Annual Sales for 2000?”***

***Total (N=454)***

***Total 2000 Sales***

***Question 25***

**Less Than $100,000**
**$100,000-$499,999**
**$500,000-$999,999**
**$1M-$9.9M**
**$10M or More**
**Don’t Know**
**Refused**