RE: RE: ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[Jim Damato <jdamato@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

When our original BP told us about the "Super VARS" I asked, "Gee, isn't
that kind of like Amway?"  Our BP rep didn't think it was very funny.

It's still kind of fun from the customer side.  We have about 8 zillion IBM
customer numbers, depending on where, how, and from whom we ordered
equipment or services.  For a single location we would have our own customer
number, a customer number for our BP ordering for us, and then another
customer number when the BP got positioned under one of the big BP's.  And
of course all the billing, support, ordering, and other paperwork in one of
the BP's names instead our own company name.  The highlight was when I was
called on a customer satisfaction survey and they asked for Jim Damato at
Support Net.  Boy did they get an earful.

IBM pushed the Business Partners sales model (and then the pyramid scheme)
and shoehorned it into an antiquated AR system.

If the thread doesn't die, maybe we should change the subject to
WAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

-Jim

James P. Damato
Manager - Technical Administration
Dollar General Corporation
<mailto:jdamato@dollargeneral.com>


-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Palmer [mailto:neilp@dpslink.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2002 9:28 AM
To: midrange-l@midrange.com
Subject: Re: RE: ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


That's basically what happened a few years ago.  Regular BP's have to deal
through the "Super VARS" like Avnet & Keylink.

...Neil





"Mike Naughton" <mnaughton@juddwire.com>
Sent by: midrange-l-admin@midrange.com
2002-04-05 10:06
Please respond to midrange-l


        To:     midrange-l@midrange.com
        cc:
        Subject:        Re: RE: ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Hmmmm . . . So first they tell you to find a BP; then they tell you to
become a BP. Maybe that's it -- maybe we should _all_ become BPs! :-)

Then we'll all be able to deal with IBM directly in an easy and efficient
manner.  The  problem will be when IBM figures out that this is just the
same as the old days, when IBM dealt directly with "customers", and
decides that it will only deal with "Super BPs". Then all regular BPs will
have to find Super BPs to go through. . . .

Of course, anyone who experiences difficulties with this will be
encouraged to become a Super BP, and then everything will be fine. . . .

Joe Pluta writes:
>It's also been recommended that I become a BP, and some of this would be
>resolved


Mike Naughton