Last but not least, we found that our readers are looking for a proactive partner. Though they might rank customer service last, networkers tend to remember it most. At the end of the day, network managers long for carriers that will act as partners in maintaining the network, doing all the things that one would expect from a partner-being proactive, meeting deadlines, and taking responsibly for problems. Yet many managers complain they get just the opposite. Instead, Russell says users have to tell the carriers there's a problem.
Carriers also make it painful to resolve problems.
When lines start to fail, we get a big runaround, says the network administrator at Coastal Computer Connections, a structured cabling supplier. At other times, carriers will simply deny these problems relate to them at all. We have had more than our share of problems magically clear up after reporting them to our carrier, says a network manager at a transportation company who requested anonymity. Still, the scores are a lot tighter than they've been in the past. Certainly, part of it is simple evolution.