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<HTML dir=ltr><HEAD><TITLE>Question about SLAs</TITLE>
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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I have a couple of suggestions:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>1. Document, document, document. We use our internal
ticketing</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>system to document carrier issues, and actually have a
"customer"</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>created for each of our circuits, so that the history is
readily available</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>on a circuit-by-circuit basis.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>2. Call trouble tickets in for everything, and record the
ticket numbers.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Follow up, get names, etc. All the stuff we know we should
do, but often</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>times forget to do in the heat of the
moment.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>3. Pay all of your bill except for the disputed portion.
Include with every</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>payment a "SLA CREDIT REQUEST" form that you complete,
detailing</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>the reasons why you feel you are owed a credit, including
the ticket</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>history, etc. Then, every month, include that
documentation, and</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>copies of all other correspondence you've sent... until it
is resolved.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>4. Don't hesitate to escalate your issues up the chain. A
simple:<BR>"I'm getting no where with you and need to speed to someone
more</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>senior" sometimes works. I've also used, with varying
degrees of</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>success, "Let's get someone higher up than you on the
phone, because</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I doubt you're paid enough to deal with the crap I'm about
to dish out."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>5. If they're reasonably close (and this has worked wonders
for me!),</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>gather up all your documentation, and take a day trip to
their office.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>It is pretty hard to ignore you when you're sitting in
their lobby.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>6. If all else fails, sue them. We did this very
successfully against</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>MCI, got a TRO, then an injunction, and finally reached a
settlement</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>that included the credits we were due as well as a
cash payment </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>because of our grief and </FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>aggravation.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Best of luck,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=908232413-09022007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>--tlf</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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