Engagement with Our Community
Customers, Employees and the Community: Our Commitment to our Communities Improves the Fabric of Our Social Welfare
Our goal at WOW! is to provide products and services that positively impact our customers, our employees and our communities. We take this responsibility seriously. When we engage with customers, we keep customer and employee data private and secure. Providing reliable, affordable and secure services is just the beginning. We provide these services with a healthy, empowered and inclusive workforce that channels our values. Employees make positive contributions in our communities consistent with our culture and our values, showing respect and dignity to the those we serve.
Customers: We optimize our engagement with them so they can engage with the world
Customer satisfaction is at the core of all we do. We offer reliable, high-quality products and services at a fair price, and we offer our customers choices for how they’d like to engage with us. We track and formally measure the strength of our customer relationships through Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Technician Support Index (TSI) scores.
The WOW! Sales Integrity Policy formally states our philosophy to deliver an employee/customer experience that lives up to the WOW! name in all interactions, big or small. Integrity is a core value and a critical component of our client interactions.
Monitor and protect customer data
WOW! treats the privacy and security of our customer data with the utmost seriousness. We have formal programs in place to monitor and protect customer and employee data. We minimize access to sensitive information to authorized and approved individuals only. We create and maintain assets with appropriate controls to ensure information is correct, unaltered, auditable and reproducible. Our Asset & Data Protection Policy, Data Classification Policy and Record Information Management Policy govern our information resources.
- Our Business Customer Privacy Notice can be found here.
- Our Residential Customer Privacy Notice can be found here.
Network reliability
We are accountable to our customers. Delivering reliable broadband service is key to fulfilling our mission. Weather may be unreliable, but our service cannot be. WOW! has invested heavily in its network to ensure reliability and we have significant network redundancies in place to provide customers an uninterrupted experience. All of our technical facilities have backup battery power. We are investing in equipment to monitor batteries to ensure they can perform when needed, and we are investigating longer-life batteries. Our batteries are recycled at the end of their useful life. Eighty percent of our facilities have external generators, and facilities without generators are configured to allow the use of portable generation trailers in the event of an outage. Our core routed network is meshed and offers optionality when it comes to the routing of our network traffic, thus protecting against service disruption in the event of an unexpected interruption on any given route.
Upgrading speed across our network
Reliability is important to us, but so is speed. Ninety-eight percent of WOW!’s customers have access to 1 Gig HSD service. But our culture compels us to find more ways to increase network speed for our customers. We continue to improve our network and anticipate increasing speeds above 1 Gig across our network in the future.
Employees: providing robust benefits helps make us the Best and Brightest
We were honored in 2021 to have been named a Best and Brightest Company to Work For in the Nation® by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR), the fourth consecutive year and eighth time overall we have been so recognized. This follows our success in the Detroit and Atlanta markets, where we have won regional awards several years in a row. WOW! also won the local Best and Brightest award the last three years in our corporate headquarters location of Denver. WOW! was evaluated on several measures, including employee achievement and recognition, diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, strategic company performance and other areas.
Remote work
The pandemic changed the way our employees live and work, just as it did for our valued customers. We acknowledge the hardships many employees face, and we adapted our work policies to continue to support a positive work/life balance. Our employees’ integrity was evident throughout the pandemic. Productivity remained high while we worked remotely. Given this positive outcome, we implemented a hybrid work model.
Employee discount services
We offer courtesy and discounted services to eligible employees who live in a WOW! service area. We strongly believe employees living in a WOW! service area should be able to enjoy the company’s products and services in their own homes at a discounted rate. Through the WOW! experience, employees gain firsthand product knowledge and are empowered to bring any problems or suggestions to improve the quality of WOW! products and services to our attention.
Learning and development
Our employees are one of our greatest assets. WOW! believes that cultivating a culture of learning is key to happy, engaged employees who are supported in doing their best work and are participating in continuous improvement. The most important function for the WOW! Employee Learning & Development Program is to prepare our employees for the future. By identifying the types of skills and competencies needed to develop our new hires, we are also focused on reskilling and upskilling initiatives that position all of our employees for success.
Developing current and aspiring leaders throughout our organization is integral to our culture. We established a Leadership Development Curriculum to support and improve the skills managers use on a day-to-day basis, encouraging them to redefine their WOW! future. The curriculum is focused on the intersection of organizational objectives, business workforce requirements and leadership development impact.
In the last year, we trained employees across five different functional groups on leadership essentials, leadership competencies and five steps to performance and leadership coaching. Participants have the option to blend instructor-led and self-led learning, creating flexibility in how and when they learn. This employee empowerment is consistent with the spirit of service and accountability we instill in our workforce. We measure this curriculum’s effectiveness and efficiency and are always looking for ways to improve it. Nearly all those who take these courses recommend the training for others.
We have developed a thorough framework for evaluating and mentoring managers, from the frontline and mid-level leaders to directors and executives. We ask frontline leaders to drive results and make high-quality decisions. Mid-level leaders are asked to develop talent and drive engagement with the organization. Our directors should manage corporate ambiguity and show courage in their decision-making. And we ask our executive team to think with a strategic mindset and balance stakeholder input.
Our Performance Management Program contains multiple touchpoints to ensure frequent feedback, recognition and support. We track employees’ growing skill sets throughout their time at WOW! with an eye to identify our future leaders and ensure their growth within our company. Additionally, our targeted succession planning process for our leadership positions ensures our employees and WOW! have continued success.
We support employees as they seek to improve themselves professionally. We offer pay increases to technicians who complete job-specific skill training. And we offer a Tuition Reimbursement Policy. Employees in good standing with a year or more of service are eligible for tuition reimbursement for relevant coursework. This policy is consistent with the upward mobility philosophy in our workplace, which we believe is a common-sense component of WOW!’s value system. We support internal mobility at WOW! and allow employees first access to job openings as they arise. For senior management positions, we have succession planning protocols and ensure future leaders receive appropriate training and mentoring to allow them to continue developing the appropriate skill sets.
Benefits and wellness
We empower our workforce through comprehensive benefits and wellness programs. WOW! believes providing a strong support system allows our employees to deliver best-in-class service to our valued customers.
Benefits. We offer employees a comprehensive set of benefits, including medical/dental/vision, participation in our 401(k) plan, life insurance, flexible savings accounts, a health savings account, short-/long-term disability, paid vacation time, personal days, sick leave and personal leaves of absence. We also offer additional voluntary benefits, such as supplemental accident/hospital/critical illness insurance, prepaid legal services and identity theft protection.
Wellness. We care deeply about the wellbeing of every one of our employees and their families. We partner with a corporate wellness management company to provide a wellness program for employees. Our offerings support the four pillars of wellbeing: physical, emotional, financial and social. Physical wellbeing encapsulates healthy living, nutrition, anxiety, chronic pain and related issues. We encourage and support physical health and wellness and offer an online support program. Emotional wellbeing includes stress management, resilience and mindfulness. We offer mindfulness sessions weekly and specific webinars on components of emotional wellbeing. Financial wellbeing allows employees to budget, save and manage money. We provide specific financial wellbeing tools, including a payroll benefit that allows employees early access to their earned pay. Social wellbeing focuses on communication, developing a support network and managing relationships with technology.
We recently delivered on several wellness engagement objectives, including weight loss/maintenance programs, step challenges, cooking challenges, and self-care challenges. On average, we deliver three webinars per month on various topics. We also offer weekly mindfulness meditation sessions and an annual wellness-focused Spirit Week.
We recognize our employees face personal challenges outside the workplace, and so we offer an Employee Assistance Program at no cost. It is a confidential service that offers professional counseling for work and life situations such as: workplace safety, child and elder care, tobacco cessation, legal assistance; grief and loss, family health, and addiction and recovery. We also offer inpatient and outpatient services for mental health and substance abuse. Our focus is to support our team members by providing benefits that offer flexibility and choice with a holistic view of the health and wellbeing of both our employees and their family members.
In 2022, C2HR, a human resources association focused specifically on the technology, media and entertainment industry, honored WOW! with the Workplace Wellness Award in recognition of the measurable impact the company’s wellbeing program has had on employees.
Equity ownership
All employees are offered an equity interest in WOW! through a grant of common stock.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Employees with various backgrounds, views and life experiences enrich our company. We have policies in place to support our commitment to equal employment opportunities throughout our organization. Our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy is memorialized in our employee handbook. We prohibit harassment in all forms, have a formal complaint procedure, make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, and have a pay transparency policy. To formalize our desire to acknowledge and implement these principles, we established a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) program. Please visit the DEI section of our corporate website.
The Journey
We believe our broadband-first strategy requires a people-first organizational strategy embracing our DEI initiatives. The Journey is built on our values and culture as an organization and is implemented by a management team that participates in a DEI Foundational Training program. Our DEI approach is underpinned by our desire to attract and recruit from a large, diverse talent pool. We provide employees with an inclusive workplace culture in which they can develop professionally. We seek similar cultural fits when engaging with suppliers, communities and our customers.
In keeping with The Journey, we have engaged in many activities, including:
- Partnering with a DEI consultant
- Aligning with the Colorado Pay Equity Act
- Creating a formal hiring guide for hiring managers
- Conducting annual anti-harassment and discrimination training
- Completing a full circle recruiting audit
- Creating a diversity intranet community page called Inclusivity Circle
- Increasing executive DEI training
- Establishing internal reporting to provide real-time access and insight into DEI analytics
Implementing programs that align our culture and values
WOW! hosts an employee anti-racism forum we call the Inclusivity Circle to provide employees a place to talk about topics and events in our world. Employees post thoughts and engage in conversations on a variety of topics throughout the year, with attention on monthly topics such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Pride Month.
WOW!’s statement of our commitment to racial equality and justice is prominently positioned on our website, wowway.com. We conducted a DEI environmental survey to better understand where we stand as an organization and what we to do to continuously improve.
Following these and other efforts, we continuously measure our progress. We undertake a recurring internal audit called an “Affirmative Action Deep Dive” to complete an environmental scan of our organization. As we implement new DEI program tenets that align with WOW!’s values, we continue to remain compliant with all state and federal requirements specific to reporting, audits and governmental agencies.
Hiring practices and career website
WOW! has best-practice standards for recruitment and selection that allow us to attract, equitably evaluate and select diverse individuals. We also established training for our executive team and our DEI task force. We recently updated our recruitment policy and external Careers page to further reflect our organizational values and support for the communities we serve. We increased the diversity of verbiage and images, so candidates are more likely to “see themselves” on the page. Talent Acquisition personnel are trained in DEI to engage and recruit a diverse candidate pool that matches our diverse employee base.
Hiring outreach to veterans
At WOW!, we see opportunities to allow our nation’s veterans to carry forward skills gained during military service into a rewarding career. Our training programs and career opportunities make us more than military-friendly; we are ready to help veterans put the skills and discipline gained serving our country to work. We seek to engage with transitioning service members before they separate from the military to help them start a new career at WOW!.
We strengthen ties in communities where we operate
Community outreach is part of our corporate DNA. It is one way to show respect to the communities we serve and is an ongoing corporate initiative. We are proud to continue engaging with these communities, despite limitations from COVID-19. We establish comprehensive and thoughtful philanthropy plans every year, and we remain nimble and proactive when specific communities face hardships and need our help. Our commitment to the communities we serve extends to social justice as well.
WOW! in the Neighborhood
WOW! in the Neighborhood (WIN) was created by employees in 2011. It is a popular program they utilize to engage with the communities where they live and work. Employees are granted one eight-hour workday per year to volunteer in any way they like. Over the years, we have donated tens of thousands of volunteer hours worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities in our communities. Despite disruptions due to COVID-19, we continued our efforts to develop and support our employees, including coordinating socially distanced WOW! in the Neighborhood (WIN) activities to allow employees to engage in community service.
Some examples of our community service
Arm-N-Arm
We encourage compassion and generosity among and between our employees in each service area. Our Arm-N-Arm (ANA) Fund is a grassroots program funded by employees to assist fellow employees during extreme, unusual and unique situations, such as after Hurricane Michael swept through Florida in 2018, during the early days of COVID-19, and after tornadoes swept through Georgia in 2021. The ANA Fund provides financial support in the form of a donation for employees experiencing these situations. In the early days of COVID-19, WOW!’s entire executive team committed significant portions of their paychecks to the ANA fund. We are proud to have an organization with an executive team leading by example, showing integrity, respect and compassion for their fellow employees. By pooling donations into the ANA Fund, employees can make a big impact on colleagues facing unique hardships.
Increasing affordable broadband access during the pandemic
We recognize that the lack of digital equity continues to widen across the country, exacerbated by COVID-19. A Pew Research Center study estimates that 35% of households with students ages 6-17 and annual income below $30,000 do not have high-speed Internet at home, suggesting 9.7 million students lack the necessary connectivity for online learning.
In March 2020, WOW! vowed not to disconnect customers facing hardships due to the pandemic. And in May 2021, WOW! announced its participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program, an FCC initiative to help households struggling to afford Internet service during the pandemic. The program allows eligible households to remain connected to services and resources they need for critical access to their jobs, healthcare information and remote education. Eligible families receive service at a discounted rate, subsidized by the federal government. WOW! is also offering its own low-cost solution, Internet for Education, to provide more affordable broadband to eligible K-12 student households.
In May 2022, WOW! was part of a select group of internet providers that were recognized by the White House for their participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program. And in July, WOW! won the Cablefax 2022 Independent Digital Equity Award. WOW! was selected not only for its participation in both the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), but also for implementing additional initiatives to help close the digital divide.
When communities in which our customers and employees live are in need, WOW! is there to help.
Alan Jackson concert
We have a comprehensive list of philanthropies we support across our service footprint. But we also realize the need to be proactive for communities in times of hardship. In response to a devastating tornado that damaged over 1,700 homes in Newnan in March 2021, WOW! announced its support of the “Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Concert” event in June 2021, headlined by local country music icon, Alan Jackson. NuLink, powered by WOW!, provided all Internet services for the event, which attracted over 20,000 attendees and raised an estimated $2 million for the Coweta County Foundation’s Tornado Relief Fund.
Newnan high school scholarships
In November 2021, WOW! announced the creation of a scholarship program for students at Newnan, East Coweta and Northgate (Ga.) high schools to help advance their college education. WOW! pledges to provide assistance to nine students heading to college or a trade school in the fall of 2022. Up to three students will be selected from each Newnan-area high school to be awarded a scholarship. The scholarship follows our recent multi-million dollar upgrade of services in the area.
Panama City: rebuilding after the hurricane and supporting a community in need
When Hurricane Michael caused significant damage to the greater Panama City area in October 2018, WOW! sprang into action to support the community. The company made a sizable contribution for relief efforts and WOW! employees donated to the American Red Cross for recovery efforts. Our Panama City staff has an annual “Adopt-a-Child” holiday project. Employees volunteer to provide gifts for underprivileged children aged 2-16. The program was sidelined in 2019 following Hurricane Michael, and again in 2020 due to COVID, but returned in 2021. This program is a welcome opportunity to partner with the Florida Department of Children and Families to brighten the holidays for dozens of children.
