By Jessica Kostek, TMCnet Channel Editor

Customer satisfaction is Telecom Brokerage (News - Alert) Incorporated’s main priority. The Chicago-based master agent recently announced the company has expanded their national channel manager division, adding four new people: Mary Beth Wendt, Jeanne Bartlett, Crystal Farley and Stephen Hendler.

 

According to Ken Mercer, senior vice president, TBI, the role of a national channel manager is to recruit, support, and build strong relationships with sub agents, regionally and based on past relationships.

 

Channel managers, “allow TBI to support and find agents we may have never had before, as well as creating a personal relationship between the agent and the channel manager that TBI may not have had in the past,” Mercer said.

 

Mary Beth Wendt, prior to working at TBI, has been in telecommunications for 19 years.

 

“I have always worked for carriers/resellers. It seems as carriers make cut-backs, the master agents are growing so I was ready to make the leap to ‘the other side’ and be a part of the explosive growth I see with the successful master agents.  TBI had an outstanding reputation in the industry, so here I am,” Wendt told TMCnet in an interview.

 

Jeanne Bartlettspent nine years on the East coast working for MCI communications, then moved out West and started with Qwest (News - Alert) in 1998 as an Enhanced Product Specialist as an overlay to the BMG sales force across the country.

 

Bartlett said her interest in TBI generated from the company’s reputation for paying partners great commissions and paying on time.

 

“Prior to taking the position I had called around to find out more about Geoff Shepstone, TBI president and Ken Mercer and found out that they have an impeccable reputation for running a successful organization. I am thrilled to be a part of the TBI team,” Bartlett said.

 

Crystal Farley has been in the telecom industry for 13 years.

 

According to Farley, TBI is known for being easy to work with and have an excellent support structure both pre and post sales. 

 

“I wanted to be at a place that I could focus on selling and knew that TBI had a back office of actual ‘live’ hands on support. Being able to work with an actual person for my quoting needs was more important than an automated tool – especially for multisite managed services opportunities. Since I have been on the carrier side of the business for my entire career it has been nice working on the agent side. I wanted the opportunity to learn more about each carrier and newer technologies while becoming a more rounded channel manager overall,” she said.

 

Stephen Hendler, director of business development, prior to working with TBI was a national channel manager for Qwest, MCI and XO for nine years.

 

“Working with TBI enables national channel managers to solve each issue as they occur and always having a technical solution. Because I have had a wide scope of experience nationally, I am able to work relationships rather than a geographic territory, which I found very important,” he said.  

 

TBI is still looking for national channel managers across the country.

 

“We are always looking for senior, experienced channel managers that know the industry, technology, and successful performers in our sector.  Currently we are looking for good channel managers in or around New York, Atlanta, and Denver,” Mercer said.

 

Learn more about master agent TBI by visiting their Web site or check out their Master Agent channel here on TMCnet.

 

 

Follow ITEXPO (News - Alert) on Twitter: twitter.com/itexpo

Jessica Kostek is a channel editor for TMCnet, covering VoIP, CRM, call center and wireless technologies. To read more of Jessica’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jessica Kostek