Question 05 [CLO1-PLOll] After analyzing the area code problem for some time, BellSouth received permission from all regulatory and organizational authorities in December 1994 to proceed with splitting South Carolina into two area codes and install the new code, 864, in the upper northwest region of the state. The project task was massive, yet the conversion of all equipment, databases, and associated systems had to be completed before the existing prefixes ran out in 1218 months. However, in spite of the demanding technical challenges, one of the most difficult tasks facing the project team was confronting the dilemma that this conversion was a product that South Carolina's phone customers absolutely did not want! Nevertheless, the exploding demand for fax machines, cellular telephones, pagers, additional residential phone lines, Internet service, and other such recent technological innovations required additional area codes to make them operative. Here was a basic conflict: selling a populace on the need to change their area code so they can use the new innovations they are purchasing. The problem was exacerbated by the lack of time to involve the populace in the decision-making process and options available: changing the area code boundaries, using multiple area codes in the same region, splitting an area code region and adding a new code, and a few others. BellSouth thus adopted a variety of measures to communicate the need for the new area code to their customers: . Developing a regional advertising campaign Sending out promotional brochures Putting inserts into customer bills Contract with an inbound telemarketing company to handle calls and provide information Informing all employees who had customer contact about how to explain the need Establishing a "South Carolina Area Code Assistance Hotline" As the new system went live on May 1, 1996, the changeover was smooth and uneventful, a tribute not only to the technical ability of the project team but also their marketing prowess. Of course, the customers did not have any choice in the matter, but they could have made the process much more difficult and time consuming. a. Did BellSouth's customers want new area codes or not? What was the true nature of the problem here? b. Why did BellSouth have to change all the area codes instead of simply using the new codes for the new devices? c. BellSouth employed a number of measures to communicate the need for change. In the end, what was probably the main reason their customers accepted the change? (03+03+04 Marks)