Will you be held hostage, do you compromise and pay the disputed amount, negotiate, or relent to head banging? I don't think the Rolling Stones had the carriers in mind when they wrote the song but you can bet that this customer does.
From the customer:
I cannot blame the carrier for their action; I do blame them and us though for being too big or too inflexible to be able work out issues between departments and geographic locations. With the amount of charges in dispute, $13,000, I am surprised they waited as long as they did to cut our service. Notification of impending disconnect was received just before Christmas. This was immediately forwarded to corporate, as was all other communications from the carrier. Corporate had had their carrier account rep trying to get our accounts brought under their umbrella of accounts to resolve the issues.
The gist of it is that the carrier talked us into signing a new contract about the middle of last year. Their claim was they would save us several hundred dollars a month over our contract from 7 years ago for our voice and data services. On paper it looked great, until we started getting the bills. While the basic savings was there but then so was a whopping mileage surcharge of about $3,000 per month. The carrier rep that put all the figures together claimed that he failed to "catch" the mileage surcharge: for being more than 25 miles from the carrier PoP (point of presence). This was not in the old contract but it sure was in the new "cost savings" one. Also according to him if we signed another new contract for an even longer period of time the mileage surcharge would be dropped. The fact that we remained a good and faithful customer for 7 years carried no weight at all.
The decision was made by the bill payers and supported by our carrier rep to continue paying the amounts that we had been previously paying less the surcharge amount until the issue was resolved.
The gist of it is that the carrier talked us into signing a new contract about the middle of last year. Their claim was they would save us several hundred dollars a month over our contract from 7 years ago for our voice and data services. On paper it looked great, until we started getting the bills. While the basic savings was there but then so was a whopping mileage surcharge of about $3,000 per month. The carrier rep that put all the figures together claimed that he failed to "catch" the mileage surcharge: for being more than 25 miles from the carrier PoP (point of presence). This was not in the old contract but it sure was in the new "cost savings" one. Also according to him if we signed another new contract for an even longer period of time the mileage surcharge would be dropped. The fact that we remained a good and faithful customer for 7 years carried no weight at all.
The decision was made by the bill payers and supported by our carrier rep to continue paying the amounts that we had been previously paying less the surcharge amount until the issue was resolved.
When it comes to the carriers, they all have a pretty controlled means in getting what they want us to pay (Rates and Tariffs). Rates and Tariffs are living, breathing documents that change. According to AOTMP, "do you ever really get billed exactly what the contract states from your carrier?" Meaning: you may, but it may not be clearly communicated or clear to you.
For those reading these contracts and the terms and conditions, unless you're an experienced lawyer, proceed with caution. For those venturing into negotiating with the carriers, you may make a big deal and score a few points but just remember; the carrier is still in control of the deal. They don't err on the side of customers too often and when they do, they can make you pay them back. As for "loyal customer" this dogma is something of the past when it comes to telecom carriers, unless of course your CEO is pals with the CEO of a carrier and they decide to do business together. Don't agree? How about when there is a dispute, how quickly is the love lost? Whether or not you enjoy national or global account status, as the customer above, may not matter either.
Depending upon the dollar amount or value of the contract's life you may need to budget legal fees for careful review of the contract including review by a lawyer with carrier experience. Then, you need to document and incorporate the salesperson's promises into the contract, meaning there must be accountability. The unexpected, such as hidden mileage surcharges, is one of many disappointments customers find unexpectedly showing up on their bills. Another area is taxes and the pass through of taxes, and how the carriers play games with this is even more than amazing... it is simply amusing.
Short of pulling your hair out or banging your head--I know there's been honest mistakes made and downright not so honest ones too. Whatever your tips and strategies are for dealing with carriers are, I'd like to hear them because in a down economy, dunning letters and demands for payment go up. Accounting firms warn me "receivables are slow." Deciding when to pay or not pay could be very costly.
