Verizon Gets Props from Co-Sell VARs, Wireless Agents, Visits TD Synnex Inspire

Verizon-exclusive mobility value-added resellers (VARs) are praising the company’s channel managers and lead-sharing activities.

The New York-based telecommunications giant unveiled results from its recent Channel Partner Experience Survey. Overall satisfaction ranged from 6-8.7 out of 10 depending on the partner program. Verizon queried members in multiple programs about their experience with and recommendations for the vendor.  According to Verizon, all partner programs represented in the questionnaire reported an above average satisfaction.

The respondents included co-selling value-added distributors and resellers, and wireless and wireline-selling agents and subagents. The respondents totaled 148.

Mobility Co-Sell

Masters Telecom’s Douglas Kerl

Verizon’s Mobility Co-Sell Program earned special recognition in the survey results. Program members of gave their channel managers an average score of 9.5. According to Verizon, “a significant majority” of these partners consider the program more favorable than those of Verizon’s competitors.

Douglas Kerl is the founder and CEO of Masters Telecom, which participates in the Verizon Mobility Co-Sell Program.

“As an elite partner in the Mobility Co-Sell program, Masters Telecom is exclusive to Verizon Wireless; however, we do have relationships with other programs that are not in conflict with our exclusivity. And prior to becoming exclusive, we tested the waters with multiple carriers. In my opinion, the Verizon Mobility Co-Sell program is by far the best,” Kerl told Channel Futures.

Kerl cited support, a focus on customer satisfaction, and lead sharing as his favorite aspects of the program.

Program Continuity

CSG’s Michael Pittman

Connected Solutions Group (CSG) CEO Michael Pittman founded the company specifically to operate in the Mobility Co-Sell Program. Pittman said Verizon has done a good job maintaining the foundation of the program.

“My experience with other programs has not been that way. It has been very much blow-things-up-and-start-over-from-scratch seemingly every year. That makes it incredibly hard as a partner to build out your model and how you’re going to service these customers based on the terms of this partner program, only to have it completely … blown up and redone, and compensation changes and rules of engagement changes,” Pittman told Channel Futures.

Channel Futures spoke to these partners and Verizon about how the carrier’s program has evolved and the opportunities facing the channel.

Scroll through the eight images above to see their comments, as well as images from Verizon’s appearance at TD Synnex Inspire.