relationship plan that offers low cost, high quality service to customers who are young, professional business people. The plan is designed to attract this type of customer to the firm SO that future sales of Internet and other services will be made easier. For this reason, the company will pay a premium rate discount against future anticipated sales. What happens to the economic model for this relationship plan if the sales organization turns around and sells the majority of the plans to teenagers? The program will most likely end up costing the company money with little of the anticipated return. The sales organization in this kind of situation needs to understand and match Chapter 21 the qualifications of the customers to whom these relationship plans are offered. Education and Expectations To make the sales job more complex, the salesperson must now make sure that the customers understand what they are getting. For example, the customer who buys the economy package must clearly understand the quality and dependability trade-offs implied by the package. Conversely, customers who opt for a premium solution must un- derstand what to expect and how to invoke the privileges they have purchased and are paying for. Accountability for Long Term Health of the Relationship In addition to the greater accountability of matching the customer to the relationship package the sales organization must be held accountable for the long-term health of the relationship. One of the more crippling aspects of the customer/telco relationship is the way customers develop a short-term positive relationship with a sales rep and then never see that sales person again, while at the same time beginning to develop a negative, problem-based relationship with the customer service organization. Nowhere is the initial positive customer relationship continued after the sales. As time goes on, and as relationship plans are developed, the inclusion of the sales organization in ongoing customer support will clearly need to be addressed. eXcellence i