CHESAPEAKE, Va., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications is proud to announce the latest winners in its nationwide "500,000 Pennies for Your Thoughts" sweepstakes. The winners Lydya Sollom and Fred Esquivel are both active duty members of the military and were recently stunned to receive a $5,000 phone call from Cox Virginia SVP and General Manager Gary McCollum.  

"We were shocked to get the call from Mr. McCollum. I never win anything, so this has been such a blessing and a wonderful surprise," said Lydya.

To enter the contest, Lydya and Fred visited the Cox Solutions Store located in Norfolk, VA and before leaving, completed a customer survey regarding their experience at the store. In the survey, customers rate their satisfaction with various aspects of the Cox retail experience such as the sales processes, staff friendliness and store appearance. Based on this feedback, Cox can gauge what improvements can be made in order to better service their customers. Lydya awarded the Cox store a score of '5' – indicating she and her husband Fred had a Highly Satisfying overall experience.

McCollum said, "I was very excited to call Lydya and Fred. Their feedback, and that of thousands of other customers who have participated in this survey program, is why Cox has been named a leader in customer satisfaction. I also was pleased to learn that they are members of our military. We have a long standing tradition of giving back to the community, but being able to just say 'thank you for your time' is an honor."

Lydya is a Petty Officer 2nd Class (EXW-SW), Master-at-Arms and Military Dog Handler at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth. Fred is a Petty Officer 3rd Class, Master-at-Arms at Little Creek Fort Story.

How will Lydya and Fred use their winnings? "We will put some of the winnings towards bills, but since neither of us has ever been on a cruise before we would like very much to go on one this summer to Jamaica or the Bahamas."

For more information on the Cox customer survey sweepstakes program, contact Felicia Blow at (757) 222-8432.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women, by women, in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

SOURCE Cox Communications