Losing Avaya Customers to Avaya!

[dwone555]

I am taking to this forum as more of an outlet, and to see if other BP's have experienced this issue.

We have a customer that we have serviced for over 10 years, and was sold Avaya Maintenance somehow from Avaya Direct Sales. The customer was contacted by a BP (which will remain unnamed), stating they are taking over Avaya's Maintenance customers with old systems and now selling new systems for Avaya. Of course the customer called us and asked what this was all about. The BP is not even a local company, and out of state!

Next the customer called Avaya renewals team and asked them about upgrading to a new system. They referred them to another different BP (not the same as above), again an out of state company with no local presence.

Luckily the customer is loyal and we are the local Avaya BP. This is not the first time this "Unamed BP" has contacted our customers stating they are taking over Avaya's Maintenance Customers and upgrading them.

Please provide any input you may have!

 

[amriddle01]

The exact reason for my last post here...thread940-1770831

 

[dwone555]

I'm not sure we have a choice in order to qualify for promotional pricing and any possible deal registration discounts. It does seem like we are just filling Avaya's CRM Database so that they can one day drop all partners, and operate direct.

 

[amriddle01]

I don't think we've sold a system on a promo yet...
Even using the promos the system is more expensive than the equivalent Mitel, luckily we also sell Mitel.
Mitel also do proper promos like 3 for 2 on handsets and IP/Dig starter packs which represent good value to begin with...shame the system isn't as flexible or as easy to configure as an IPO

 

[crumthwacket]

Why won't you name them?

 

[Westi]

so this is some greedy sales guy / department that tries to push their numbers without even being smart about it.
Better than Avaya contacting your customer and selling them stuff.
I have a buddy and he was a BP for a big computer manufacturer starting with D (ell) and they had to register the sales to the customers. After a while the customers stopped buying stuff because the manufacturer contacted them and sold directly to the customer with a big discount.
At least this is just a BP that is not keeping in their boundaries of the contract. Get your channel manager involved and see if they can get them to back off.

Joe W.

FHandw, ACSS (SME)


"This is the end of the world, make sure to buy your T-shirt before it is too late"
Original expression of my daughter

 

[dwone555]

Westi, that sounds horrible. That would be disappointing. I'm frustrated with the dishonest tactics used to sell an Avaya PBX! Come on, compete like everyone else; customer service and support.

Our CAM has been engaged, and the Avaya renewals team is also aware of these same claims from other customers.

 

[mattKnight]

More direct customers (or, at least, validated contacts) makes a bigger and better asset. I smell a coporate valuation in the near future (and who wasn't expecting that?)

Take Care

Matt
I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone.
My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.

 

[IPGuru]

Are you sue that this particular BP is not just faking it?

Could they simply be cold calling & saying they are form Avaya?
Maybe one of there sales team revived the call from the "Microsoft Help Desk" & thought "that is a good trick"

If it IS Avaya disclosing your customers details to 3rd parties then I would say that they would be on very shaky legal ground.



Do things on the cheap & it will cost you dear

 

[amriddle01]

Well we know Mitel tried to steel Gunnar's customers, so it's not something beneath the big guys, it's probably within the fine print that they can refer known customers to other BPs in certain circumstances

 

[IPGuru]

I did not say this was not happening
simply highlighted another possibility.

if it can be proved it is Avaya passing on the information then I for one would be recommending legal action




Do things on the cheap & it will cost you dear

 

[Telecomboy]

We had an instance where a LEC was informing a local BP of all their Avaya test/turn-ups. This BP was then emailing and calling these end-users telling them they were their new Avaya contact and should be calling them from now on. Luckily our clients were smarter and realized to call us to check why we weren't their BP anymore. Lots of shady stuff out there in every industry, but it seems like telecom gets more than its fair share.