PROFMEX, SABEResPODER & AT&T unite to Reach Out to Spanish-Speaking Consumers about Telecom Services

AT&T Inc. announced an alliance with nonprofit organizations PROFMEX and SABEResPODER to publish, promote and distribute a Spanish-language telecommunications guide. With this guide, Spanish-speaking consumers will be able to choose the right telecommunications services so that they remain in touch with family and friends across the country or worldwide.

The comprehensive guide, titled “Telecommunications in the 21st Century,” walks consumers through the different terminology and offers for popular telecom services, such as local and long distance calling plans, wireless plans, calling cards, high speed Internet and digital satellite TV. It provides tips on how to choose the best service plan to meet individual needs and budgets. Each section provides important information from SABEResPODER (Knowledge is Power) that protects consumers from deceptive “too good to be true” offers. In addition, consumers will learn how to enroll in do-not-call lists and how to report complaints.

A study by PROFMEX, an independent, nonprofit research organization, discovered that 79 percent of the foreign-born Mexican population in the U.S. talks to family abroad at least once a month. These consumers rely upon higher-priced calling cards or pay-per-minute plans instead of evaluating other options. Also, many consumers do not review their phone bills for accuracy and continue to make expensive long distance and internationals phone calls.

“We want Mexican consumers to make informed decisions when selecting their home or business telecom services,” said Amir Hemmat, vice president of development of PROFMEX. “Because there are so many providers, services, and plans in the market today, the decision-making process is much harder than it was 10 years ago, when you would just connect a phone line and be done with it. These simple guidelines will help consumers ask the right questions and evaluate the plans that best fit their communications needs.”

The new guide, with an initial print run of 150,000 copies, will be available starting October 25 at Mexican consulates in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Chicago, Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco. PROFMEX and SABEResPODER have also successfully published and distributed more than 4 million guides on other important topics for U.S.-based Hispanics, such as basic banking, over-the-counter medicines, health insurance, and higher education. All of the guides are simple to follow and are filled with photographs with the purpose of creating an easy-to-understand, show-and-tell experience for the reader.

“We are excited about contributing to this educational effort that underlines our commitment to helping Spanish-speaking consumers better understand AT&T services and to answer their questions, whether they call our bilingual service centers or visit our multilingual Web sites,” said Jason Pastrano, AT&T director of Multicultural Marketing. “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to reach out to consumers so that they have options when it comes to selecting their communications and entertainment services. We strive to be their company of choice when it comes to delivering these services.”