Jaago, Channel, Jaago

The DQ Week IT Panchayat has been organizing a series of IT Panchayat in B
and C class cities. The objective is to give the channel a platform to discuss
issues that are very pertinent to them and ensure that their suppliers and
distributors are also present to listen to their complaints. So far almost 57
cities have been visited.

And in most cities the channel has participated enthusiastically to voice
their concerns and troubles. In cities that I visited, I saw partners
vociferously rant about service and supply issues, about the credit terms
extended to them and in some places, they even highlighted the high handedness
of certain distributors.

In Surat for example, members were jumping and denouncing the long waits they
had to undergo for getting basic warranty support. Their anger and their ire
were palpable and one could empathize with it.

Vinita Bhatia

They all called for strict actions against the errant distributors. I was
positive that within a fortnight they would stop all trading with the said
distributor. Or at least take some other hard line stand so that their issues
are addressed.

So imagine my surprise, when I spoke to the disgruntled channel partners a
week later and they calmly told me that they did not even try to take their
service-issue further. They did not approach the local association, the
distributors or even the vendors to sort out the issue.

Let me clarify here that we are not trying to incite the channel into taking
foolhardy steps. But at the same time, if partners have issues, which they feel
are affecting their business and are willing to talk endlessly about it, then
why are they not willing to do anything about it? Other than lament about it.

Why don't they escalate the problem to their respective channel association
and demand some mutually acceptable way to be worked out? Why don't they try
getting in touch with the higher ups in the distribution houses, outlining their
problems with the local representatives? Why are they sitting mum?

This reminds me of election times. Everyone becomes an armchair critic about
the party in power, aspiring parties and the things that these parties did not
do or the things they did do. But very few bother to come out and exercise their
right to vote for parties. They give several excuses ranging from having no
time, being caught up with pressing engagements or believing that they will not
be able to make any difference as an individual.

And strangely these were the same arguments that I got from the channel when
I asked them why they did not try to resolve their issues. Some claimed they
would rather focus on doing business than try to resolve such issues, failing to
understand that business was nonetheless involved.

Another said that ultimately they had to transact business with these
distributors, so they could not rub them the wrong way. But would this not mean
that over time they would have even more cases about bad service piling up?

The channel needs to shed this lackadaisical attitude, if they are really
feeling the pinch of bad business practices. It is one thing to lay the blame on
the distributor or vendor and another thing to take it up and work things out.
Yes, you have to invest time, energy and sometimes even money in it. But
ultimately you are the one who is going to be benefited. It is your business,
your customers and your money at stake.

Think about it.