Communicating VAR benefits

Competition to secure communications contracts is heating up. Only resellers who offer a high quality of service will succeed, warns Stewart Yates

Delivering the ideal communications contract for customers is not easy – they want it all. They will cut through the sales jargon to look at the factors that really matter to their business, such as credits, network performance and service-level agreements.

Here are the questions VARs may be asked, and the tricks of the trade to provide the best possible deal.

With DSL-based networks, the service credits in the event of network failure or under-performance in no way compensate for the business time, resources and productivity lost. Instead, offer a service credit agreement that delivers real value for the customer. By linking service-level credit to a higher, fixed-cost, monthly invoice reduction customers will feel that they are getting the support they deserve.

Financial compensation in the event of poor network performance is a good start, but VARs should also guarantee the quality of service for reliable communications.

By including the right of remedy as part of a service-level agreement, customers have a legal guarantee that they get the service they signed up for, and the right to a more robust solution in the event of continued poor performance. This will demonstrate your commitment to the customer and the value you place on their custom.

When negotiating the performance guarantee, make this an end-to-end guarantee, and not simply covering the core network. An end-to-end guarantee is becoming increasingly important as organisations migrate over to technologies such as voice over IP – without it, businesses will have no guarantee of voice quality delivery to the user.

Administration of the contract, including service reporting and invoicing, should also be covered by the performance guarantee. This should encompass helpdesk services, including a specified average speed of answer, so irate customers are not left waiting.

Make sure there are regular price and service reviews built into the contract to ensure the service levels and pricing will be competitive. Increased market competition means businesses have a choice and can go elsewhere. By ensuring customers continue to get the best deal, VARs will demonstrate the value of their business to them, helping VARs to retain their customer base and build the reputation to expand into new markets.