It's not unheard of, but luckily there are protocols in place. First, don't panic, but do act. Document everything – specific examples, impact on your business, and your expectations. Then, review your contract. Know your rights and the penalties for non-compliance. Simultaneously, start exploring alternative vendors. Understanding your options gives you leverage. Finally, communicate clearly and firmly with your current vendor, backing up your claims with data and the contract. Be prepared to escalate if necessary.

We need to have penalty clause included upfront and also reduce single point of failure. Have multiple vendors as part of services as dependency on single vendor is mitigated and also look at new age OTT players that can provide similar services with better SLAs and KPIs

If your telecom vendor isn’t meeting service level expectations, start by reviewing the contract to check the agreed-upon SLAs and pinpoint where they’re falling short. Keep a detailed record of missed targets or any service failures to present clear evidence. Then, have an open conversation with the vendor to address the issues and ask for a plan to improve. If the service agreement includes penalties for non-performance, bring that up and request compensation. If things don’t improve after this, escalate the issue to higher management. Lastly, if the vendor consistently underperforms, begin evaluating other options to avoid ongoing disruption.

If my telecom vendor isn't meeting service level expectations, I'd first review the SLA to understand my rights. I’d document service failures and reach out to the vendor, clearly expressing concerns and asking for corrective actions. I'd request a detailed plan of action with timelines. If the issue persists, I’d escalate it to higher management for attention. If the vendor continues to underperform, I’d explore alternatives and consider switching providers. Ultimately, I’d reassess whether this vendor is the right long-term partner for our needs.

From most of these things that I have seen the client almost never does the necessary work to put the vendor in material breach of agreement, so its worth knowing what those things are. Might be 3 unresolved complaints in 30 days or a series of endurance hoops but regardless if its time to go, make the case or buy out the term based on the penalties, or make a change and fight it out in email or court. I have seen legit cases where a client was right to want to bounce, but had not raised the complaints correctly, or had raised them correctly but was unaware of how to get out of the agreement without penalty. Clients can always call us, we will help you fight the fight and then take care of you.