Precision Response Corporation Launches Energy Customer Care Unit Focused on the Intricacies of the Energy Industry Veteran Energy Consultant Named Vice President of Energy FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., September 18/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Precision Response Corporation (PRC), a leading provider of outsourced customer care services, today announced the launch of PRC Energy, its operating unit dedicated to the unique customer care needs of the energy industry, and the appointment of Kobus Van Der Westhuizen as PRC's Vice President of Energy. PRC is a division of USA Interactive (Nasdaq: USAI). (Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020515/USAILOGO) PRC Energy will seamlessly provide energy-specific outsourcing services including traditional telephone and web consumer care, CIS, Billing, E-mail and IVR, all integrated into one CRM solution. By tightly incorporating these services into a single business process, energy companies can reduce operating costs and enhance profitability, while improving customer service levels and increasing their competitive advantage. "For more than two decades, PRC has been managing customer relationships for some of the world's leading corporations, including several large energy companies. Over the years, we have found that these energy companies have very specialized needs that require a dedicated and focused approach to customer care," said Wes O'Brien, PRC's CEO. "PRC Energy caters to the energy industry for all its customer service needs in terms of the latest technology, integrated systems, process, management and performance reporting. We believe that this dedicated approach to energy will provide PRC a competitive advantage that is unmatched in our industry." PRC's President and COO, George Puig, spent nearly 18 years running customer service operations for Florida Power & Light (FPL) prior to joining PRC in 1996. Puig commented, "Recent deregulation, 'open access' and the need to be competitive has driven energy companies to focus on the end consumer now more than ever. I believe that PRC Energy is prepared to foster greater efficiencies that will enable energy companies to better perform non-core, but essential, business functions in a cost-effective manner while enhancing both quality and service." As Vice-President of PRC Energy, Mr. Van Der Westhuizen brings over 10 years of energy workforce and call center management experience. Most recently, he was a Managing Consultant focused on CRM and call center services within the Energy Business Transformation practice of PA Consulting Group. "As a customer service consultant for energy companies, I have been impressed with PRC's depth of experience, consumer-oriented focus, and fully integrated systems," says Kobus Van Der Westhuizen, VP of Energy. "I am eager to be a part of a company that understands the complexity of the energy industry and the importance of quality service delivery to the end consumer." About PRC Energy PRC Energy is an operating unit of Precision Response Corporation (PRC) dedicated to the unique customer care needs of the energy industry. For over 20 years, PRC has been managing customer relationships for some of the world's leading corporations. PRC's seamless approach to customer care is backed by time-proven methodology, industry leading expertise, forward-thinking technology, and most importantly, the best trained, most qualified professionals in the customer care industry. PRC Energy provides integrated outsourcing for all your customer service, CIS, CRM, Billing, Credit and Collections, Web- service, E-mail and IVR requirements. The PRC Energy team has extensive energy experience, understanding the full complexity of energy business dynamics. Headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the Company employs over 10,000 Consumer Care Experts worldwide. PRC Energy is an operating unit of PRC, which is a division of USA Interactive (Nasdaq: USAI). For more information, visit www.prcnet.com/energy. Contact: Glen Calder (561) 750-9800, ext. 16 GCalder@transmediagroup.com