Room To Improve?

Over the past few months, some Qwest partners said they've seen the carrier's service and support staff downsized, along with a reduced level of communication with service and support personnel.

"They let service managers go about four weeks ago, and since that time, I've been sitting on a [direct Internet access problem that I can't get resolved,and I don't know who to get in touch with about it," said a Business Partner Program solution provider who requested anonymity.

Several partners pointed to layoffs at Qwest as a possible reason for the lack of partner support. Qwest cut its workforce by 7,000 in December. But Craig Schlagbaum, senior director of Qwest's Business Partner Program channel management, said Qwest has 200 employees dedicated to partner support plus 100 field staff.

Schlagbaum, who delivered a speech at Qwest's Q.Marketplace 2002 business partner conference last week, said he plans to resign from his post. He declined to give a timetable or specify his plans.

Yet Schlagbaum's resignation reflects another complaint of some Qwest partners: too much turnover among the carrier's support staff. "People are constantly coming and going or being moved around," said a partner executive who declined to be identified.

Still, other partners said Qwest's support has never been better. Emmet Tydings, president of Qwest master agent AB&T Telecom, Gaithersburg, Md., said his company hasn't encountered any problems with Qwest's support. "We get a lot of attention as a master agent, and if there are changes [in support staff, we make damn sure we know about it," Tydings said.

To qualify as a premier master agent, partners must generate at least $500,000 in Qwest business per month. For master agent status, partners must generate at least $200,000 in Qwest revenue monthly. Agents that generate high levels of Qwest business tend to receive more support, some partners said.

Rod Francis, co-founder of International Business Exchange, a Bronx, N.Y.-based Qwest partner, said the carrier is acknowledging its channel shortcomings.

"They realize that there is a problem, and they are now taking corrective measures," Francis said. "They are listening to our pleas for help because if they don't understand our problems, we all go down."

In a keynote speech at Q.Marketplace 2002, Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio told partners to stick to the basics by focusing on value-added services, given the still-stagnant economy.

"This year will be one of blocking and tackling vs. Hail Mary passes," Nacchio said. Partners generate about 20 percent of Qwest's U.S. revenue, but that number stands to grow, he said.