Contact:
Paul Dishburger 
Manager, Customer Support
SMC³
770.486.5810

SMC³ Introduces All-New Customer Support Center
Easier access and dedicated personnel to benefit customers

January 8, 2003 - Peachtree City, Georgia - SMC³, the leading provider of Technology Tools for Transportation®, announced today the addition of an all-new customer support center at their headquarters in Peachtree City, Georgia.

"The development of the dedicated facility supports SMC³'s commitment to quality," stated Jack E. Middleton, President and CEO, SMC³. "It enables our customers to achieve greater success in the marketplace by promoting favorable company relationships through prompt, accurate and courteous resolution of telephone, website, email and other inquiries."

SMC³'s customer support center receives and responds to all customer inquiries pertaining to every aspect of operations, including membership, billing, shipping, contract terms, sales orders of shelf products and account updates. In addition, the new department is in charge of renewing and placing annual subscription orders for the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC). The center will also operate the annual General Rate Increase Order Desk for SMC³'s Member Carriers.

As part of the their daily process, the customer support staff records all customer contact, including resolution and/or forwarding action taken to refer a question to the proper party. The department responds to all issues within one business day or otherwise notifies customers if there will be a delay in obtaining a final resolution.

The new facility includes the installation of a call distribution system. This means that every customer calling SMC³'s toll-free 800 number or local number is directed to where they need to go the first time, without hassle. The system does not interfere with direct dialed calls to employee lines, and does allow the caller to press zero and reach a live operator at any point during the call.

Clients can also access the customer support staff through a new, live instant messaging feature at www.smc3.com. Anytime during business hours, customers can click the "Talk Live" icon on the SMC³ site and a customer support representative is there to answer questions online, in a real-time format. SMC³ Technical Support can also be reached via this new online feature.

The installation of the customer support facility does not affect the operation of SMC³'s technical support center. The technical support department is still handling all calls in reference to installation of software, integration troubleshooting, software support and updates to software. Although the two centers work in conjunction with each other, Technical Support is still reached by calling the toll-free technical support phone number at 1.800.272.3425.

To contact SMC³ Customer Support:
Call: 1.800.845.8090 • 770.486.5800
Email: customersupport@smc3.com

###

About SMC³

Founded in 1935, SMC³ is a leading nationwide provider of Technology Tools for Transportation. SMC³'s mission is to enable its customers to achieve greater success in the marketplace by supplying advanced technology tools, superior data management services and smart processes to ensure the accurate and timely availability of pricing information throughout the transportation community.

SMC3 presently serves more than 5,000 customers throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The company is headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia, and has a satellite office in Louisville, Kentucky.