UK VARs less satisfied with vendors than in US

Two fifths of UK resellers claim channel conflict is on the up

UK resellers are significantly less satisfied with their vendor partners than their counterparts in the US, according to CompTIA, which claims increasing channel conflict could be partly to blame.

The industry body surveyed more than 200 British channel firms earlier this year as part of its State of the UK Channel Report 2015 and compared the results to that of the same survey it carried out in the US.

According to the results, 20 per cent of UK resellers would give their vendors the highest possible satisfaction rating, but in the US, 40 per cent would.

Overall, just 12 per cent of UK resellers were not satisfied with their vendor partners, but CompTIA's senior vice president for industry relations Nancy Hammervik said it is "not surprising" the Brits were less enthusiastic than their US counterparts.

"It could be as simple as a matter of geography, as even established markets like the UK aren't necessarily the primary indirect target for many US-based vendors," she said. "UK partners may feel less satisfied due to vendors assigning less resources, communication, marketing support to regions compared to the US."

Elsewhere in the UK channel, 40 per cent of respondents said channel conflict with vendors has gone up in the last year.

"All this shows there is clearly more vendors can do to ensure their channel partners are 100 per cent satisfied and happy selling their products," Hammervik added. "If a reseller knows that their supplier is reliable and offers a product that their customers will want, they will have the confidence to retain and expand the relationship, meaning more business and income for the vendor."