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March 19, 2003
Guardian Subsidiaries Win Coveted DALBAR Awards for Exceptional Customer Service
-Company Takes Top Honors in Both Annuity and Mutual Fund Service Awards-
New York, March 19, 2003 - The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc.(GIAC) and Guardian Investor Services LLC (GIS), both wholly owned subsidiaries of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, announced that they have won the DALBAR Annuity Service Award and the DALBAR Mutual Fund Service Award, respectively, achieving the highest levels of customer service excellence in both categories. "These awards reflect Guardian's ongoing commitment to servicing our customers," said Bruce Long, President of GIS, the company and broker-dealer that distributes GIAC's annuity and mutual fund products.
The Equity team committed to establishing an elite customer service operation; they made it their job to reach beyond customer satisfaction and strive for customer loyalty, every day
The DALBAR award selection process is among the most stringent in the industry, requiring each nominated firm's performance to be evaluated by DALBAR over an entire year in categories such as Attitude, Accommodation, Knowledge and Exceeding Expectations. DALBAR evaluates service by establishing accounts with the nominated firms in the name of customers who are indistinguishable from other customers. By actively playing the role of the consumer, DALBAR gets first hand experience of the service offered from the customer's point of view.
"In light of the tumultuous past year and the serious erosion in customer confidence, Guardian's commitment to customers is of paramount importance," said Kathleen Whalen, Executive Director of DALBAR's Service Quality Measurement Programs. "They deserve special congratulations for consistent excellence," she added.
For the second consecutive year GIAC has attained an exceptional overall annuity service ranking. In the mutual fund industry, this was the first year GIS was reviewed and they ended the year with the highest level of recognition.
"We are 100% committed to operating and managing a top-tier service organization that ensures high-quality, responsive customer support," said Donald Sullivan, Jr., GIAC's Vice President, Equity Administration. "We are extremely proud of our organization and look forward to continuing our delivery of industry-leading support to our investors."
DALBAR, Inc., the nation's leading financial-services research firm, is committed to raising the standards of excellence in the financial services industry. With offices in both the U.S. and Canada, DALBAR develops standards for, and provides research, ratings, and rankings of intangible factors, to the mutual fund, broker/dealer, discount brokerage, life insurance, and banking industries. These standards include investor behavior, customer satisfaction, service quality, communications, Internet services, and financial-professional ratings.
About Guardian and GIAC
The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. and Guardian Investor Services LLC are wholly owned subsidiaries of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY (Guardian), the fourth largest mutual life insurance company in the United States. As of December 31, 2002, Guardian and its subsidiaries had $34.1 billion in assets. Founded in 1860, Guardian is listed among Fortune magazine's top 300 businesses—and in 2002 was ranked once again as one of the top 10 most admired life and health companies in Fortune's "America's Most Admired Companies" list. With 5,500 employees, over 2,700 financial representatives and 100 agencies nationwide, Guardian and its subsidiaries protect individuals, businesses and their employees with life, disability, health and dental insurance products as well as offering mutual funds, annuities, and trust services. More information on Guardian can be obtained at: www.guardianlife.com.
Annuities are issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC), a Delaware corporation, and mutual funds and variable annuities are distributed by Guardian Investor Services LLC (GIS). GIAC and GIS are located at 7 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004. Phone 1-800-221-3253.
GIS member NASD, SIPC.
Mutual funds and variable annuities are sold by prospectus only and can be obtained by calling GIS at 1-800-221-3253. Prospectuses contain important information, such as fees, risks and expenses, and should be read carefully before investing or sending money.
Mutual funds and annuity contracts and their underlying investment options are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or depository institution, nor are they insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, The National Credit Union Association, The Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency. They involve investment risk, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.
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