[94795] in North American Network Operators' Group
RE: Question about SLAs
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Fox,Thomas)
Fri Feb 9 08:35:33 2007
From: "Fox,Thomas" <tfox@expertsmi.com>
To: <nanog@merit.edu>
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2007 08:32:10 -0500
In-Reply-To: <753CEC467CC4D04B9DE71A8E11C618B34007@home.skidmore.local>
Errors-To: owner-nanog@merit.edu
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I have a couple of suggestions:
1. Document, document, document. We use our internal ticketing
system to document carrier issues, and actually have a "customer"
created for each of our circuits, so that the history is readily available
on a circuit-by-circuit basis.
2. Call trouble tickets in for everything, and record the ticket numbers.
Follow up, get names, etc. All the stuff we know we should do, but often
times forget to do in the heat of the moment.
3. Pay all of your bill except for the disputed portion. Include with every
payment a "SLA CREDIT REQUEST" form that you complete, detailing
the reasons why you feel you are owed a credit, including the ticket
history, etc. Then, every month, include that documentation, and
copies of all other correspondence you've sent... until it is resolved.
4. Don't hesitate to escalate your issues up the chain. A simple:
"I'm getting no where with you and need to speed to someone more
senior" sometimes works. I've also used, with varying degrees of
success, "Let's get someone higher up than you on the phone, because
I doubt you're paid enough to deal with the crap I'm about to dish out."
5. If they're reasonably close (and this has worked wonders for me!),
gather up all your documentation, and take a day trip to their office.
It is pretty hard to ignore you when you're sitting in their lobby.
6. If all else fails, sue them. We did this very successfully against
MCI, got a TRO, then an injunction, and finally reached a settlement
that included the credits we were due as well as a cash payment
because of our grief and aggravation.
Best of luck,
--tlf
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<HTML dir=3Dltr><HEAD><TITLE>Question about SLAs</TITLE>
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<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I have a couple of =
suggestions:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>1. Document, document, document. We use our =
internal=20
ticketing</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>system to document carrier issues, and actually =
have a=20
"customer"</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>created for each of our circuits, so that the =
history is=20
readily available</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>on a circuit-by-circuit =
basis.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>2. Call trouble tickets in for everything, and =
record the=20
ticket numbers.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Follow up, get names, etc. All the stuff we =
know we should=20
do, but often</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>times forget to do in the heat of the=20
moment.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>3. Pay all of your bill except for the disputed =
portion.=20
Include with every</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>payment a "SLA CREDIT REQUEST" form that you =
complete,=20
detailing</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>the reasons why you feel you are owed a credit, =
including=20
the ticket</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>history, etc. Then, every month, include that=20
documentation, and</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>copies of all other correspondence you've =
sent... until it=20
is resolved.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>4. Don't hesitate to escalate your issues up =
the chain. A=20
simple:<BR>"I'm getting no where with you and need to speed to someone=20
more</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>senior" sometimes works. I've also used, with =
varying=20
degrees of</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>success, "Let's get someone higher up than you =
on the=20
phone, because</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I doubt you're paid enough to deal with the =
crap I'm about=20
to dish out."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>5. If they're reasonably close (and this has =
worked wonders=20
for me!),</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>gather up all your documentation, and take a =
day trip to=20
their office.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>It is pretty hard to ignore you when you're =
sitting in=20
their lobby.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>6. If all else fails, sue them. We did this =
very=20
successfully against</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>MCI, got a TRO, then an injunction, and finally =
reached a=20
settlement</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>that included the credits we were due as =
well as a=20
cash payment </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>because of our grief and </FONT></SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2>aggravation.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Best of luck,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D908232413-09022007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>--tlf</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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