[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 150 (Friday, November 2, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SIXTH DISTRICT IS PROUD OF AMERICAN EXPRESS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 1, 2001

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 
2001, approximately 150 Telephone Service Center representatives who 
work at the American Express Service Center in Greensboro, North 
Carolina, demonstrated their strong sense of caring and compassion for 
their displaced, unsettled colleagues at the American Express Company 
Headquarters in New York City. The entire Sixth District of North 
Carolina is proud of their efforts.
  The Greensboro Telephone Service Center team began a telephone 
calling initiative to locate approximately 4,700 of their New York 
colleagues who were forced to evacuate their offices in the World 
Financial Center the morning of the attacks. The purpose of the 
initiative was to check on the welfare and safety of as many of the 
headquarters staff (at their home phone numbers) as possible.
  During the initiative, the representatives' commitment was steadfast. 
Sometimes they could not get through because telephone lines were down, 
or because they received a busy signal or no answer. The 
representatives, however, continued to return calls, day and night, as 
often as necessary until contact was made. Eventually, they were able 
to locate all but 11 New York employees who had been working in a 
client's offices on the 94th floor of 1 World Trade Center.
  A group of specially trained American Express employees contacted the 
family members of these employees. Their role was to offer any 
assistance to the families of those 11 employees during this difficult 
time. Several days later, the Greensboro representatives were assigned 
to contact all of their N.Y. colleagues by phone again to invite them 
to an afternoon town hall meeting, hosted by American Express Chairman 
and Chief Executive Kenneth I. Chenault, at Madison Square Garden on 
September 20.
  The response to the phone calls was overwhelmingly positive. Some New 
York employees were so moved by the gesture that they wept tears of 
joy. A few of them had no family members, so they were especially 
grateful to receive the calls. All of them commented on how much they 
appreciated the caring, reassuring calls from other members of the 
American Express extended family hundreds of miles away.
  Employees at the American Express Service Center in Greensboro 
further demonstrated their concern for their New York colleagues in 
another way. They signed large banners with personal messages of hope, 
love and support. A few employees illustrated their messages with tiny 
American flags and hearts. On October 15, Greensboro employees shipped 
the colorful banners to the new quarters that the American Express 
Headquarters staff recently occupied in New York, New Jersey and 
Connecticut. As you can imagine, they were well received.
  The Sixth District of North Carolina has always been proud to be one 
of the homes of American Express. That pride is even stronger now that 
we know about the caring employees who work there. Congratulations to 
everyone in the American Express family for sticking together during 
difficult times.

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