'As soon as we get burned, that's it' - end users reveal their dos and don'ts for channel partners

IT buyers tell horror stories and reveal what they want from channel partners

A panel of end-user IT buyers revealed just how much they hold a grudge at CRN's European Channel Leadership Forum event in London.

Speaking to delegates at the event, the speakers said that bad experiences with channel partners live long in the memory, revealing that firms can easily find themselves blacklisted permanently.

Jonathan Freedman (pictured, left), head of technology and security at law firm Howard Kennedy, said he tends to avoid channel companies that aren't proactive enough.

"The majority of the time, when we have changed suppliers it has come down to poor service," he said.

"If you're buying a box product then you go with whatever is the cheapest, but if it is consultancy it will come down to service and over recent years we have had to change several suppliers because of the service."

"We've had suppliers where all you get is an invoice at the end of the year saying the price has gone up, and you haven't heard from them all year."

Nick Ioannou (pictured, centre-right), head of IT at architect firm Ratcliffe Groves Partnership, recalled a time when a channel partner messed his company around, resulting in the firm's directors refusing to deal with them again.

"I had a situation where I ordered an expensive and heavy piece of kit which required a two-person delivery, but one person turned up," he explained.

"It was redelivered and it turned out once it was fully installed that it was second-hand. And then after arguing for months and threatening legal action, we came to an agreement. Needless to say I never used that channel partner again, despite the numerous phone calls every year.

"Once you burn us it's very difficult to get approval from the directors. They'll ask if they're the ones [that provided a poor service] and look at me like I've gone mad.

"So as soon as we get burned, that's it. There's no going back."

George Tunnicliffe (pictured, right), head of IT operations at the National Theatre, revealed that just one incident can ruin a reseller's relationship with a customer for years, claiming that one of his former suppliers has found itself out in the cold for almost a decade.

"It can kill things for a long period of time," he said. "We had a supplier of photocopiers and we had a bad run-in with them about eight or nine years ago.

"They still come knocking on the door but they will not get any more business because I know exactly what they're like."

What do they want?

Ioannou said that he expects good channel partners to work backwards - helping clients to find the root of the problem that they want addressing, rather than just sell them the product that they have asked for.

This will help form a long-running relationship, he explained.

"We start by finding a product, but a good channel partner would try to claw back the question to what the problem is," he said.

"Through discussions, good partners will take it back to the solution we're trying to solve, and they'll say ‘why don't you look at this'.

"The best channel partners will say, ‘wait, don't buy this, something else is coming out in a few months' time'. And then you have this trust straightaway.

"If you build a relationship with someone, they know we're going to spend money; they don't need to bag the next sale. They're looking at us long term."

The panellists were all asked to sum up what it is they look for in a partner, and all three said that it goes beyond just pricing, with Freedman claiming that partners being "too salesy from day one" can be offputting.

"For us it's a trust thing," Tunnicliffe said. "It's not the salesperson who will get you in the door. We want to work with you and for you to deliver solid advice, whether it suits you or not."

Ioannou said that resellers should be more willing to sell customers solutions that are cheaper, because there is a good chance that the money saved can be used for other IT products and services, and so will still find its way into the pockets of the partner.

"I want you to tell me if we're overspending on a solution, or if there's a better solution that could save more money," he explained.

"I can add to that and spend it again with you, because I'm not trying to save money, I'm trying to get the most value for my money.

"I can add a little bit more quite easily, but what I can't do is double it, so if you can help me free up some, I can add a little bit more and spend more money with you."