To spread the word about our  products and services, we marketed aggressively to high-value segments such as the Hispanic market, small businesses and our 18-24 year-old Gen Y market. We also implemented our data-billing system, which is critical to supporting easy edge SM and responding to cus- tomers’ needs. In addition, we hired and trained more than 2,600 new associates. This past year, we made our service even better. We converted the third- party billing and customer-service  system in Chicago to our own  platform, Customer Acquisition and Retention System (CARES). Quickly, and with nearly flawless execution, associates converted more than 400,000 customers to our system. That’s good for customers, because they’ll experience shorter activation times and better service overall. Pleasing each customer is important to us for two r easons – satisfied  customers tend to remain our  customers, and they become our sales advocates, gener ating a constant stream of referr als . That’ why we place so much emphasis on the broad cover age and reliable wireless service that our high-quality network offers. And it’s why we offer products and services that are  thoroughly tested before we launch them. It’ also why our associates are  dedicated to pr oviding the best in  customer service – whether through our customer service centers or our distribution network, with 2,250  outlets. This includes almost 450 retail stores and 1,800 authorized agents with associates who ar e totally familiar with our products and services. This focus is what sets us apart from our competitors and k eeps our customers with us. 11 Patrick Gordon Mayor of Oak Forest, Ill. U.S. Cellular customer