Verizon Negotiation Playbook

Contoso Enterprises, Inc.telecom

This playbook turns vendor negotiations from price haggling into a structured, evidence-led strategy. Expect ready-to-use levers with Ask → Target → Fallback, redline-ready clauses, and quick calculators that quantify impact in real time—plus a vendor-specific intel layer (posture, risks, benchmarks) so your moves are grounded in facts. It solves the "where do we push, with what proof, and what do we trade?" problem by bundling the best angles into deal recipes and backing each with sources. In short: a fast path from context to concrete asks, so teams negotiate confidently, consistently, and with measurable outcomes.

Action Studio

Build and bundle negotiation levers into ready-to-send deal recipes.

Negotiation Levers

Core negotiation "levers": each with why it matters, ask/target/fallback, clause refs, KPIs, and calculators.

Cap Annual Rate Uplifts and Govern Surcharges
Evidence
Ask

Cap annual rate uplifts to CPI-U or 5% (lower of), 60-day notice on surcharge changes, and right to terminate impacted services if surcharge delta exceeds X% year-over-year.

Target

CPI-U cap with surcharge-change notice and opt-out on impacted circuits.

Fallback

Uplift cap at 7% with surcharge credit pool.

ETL Buydown & Installation Delay Relief
Evidence
Ask

Declining ETL schedule not to exceed 20–30% of remaining MRC; waive ETL for circuits installed >X days after SLA window; cancel without penalty after defined delay.

Target

≤20% ETL cap plus no-penalty cancel if install misses SLA window.

Fallback

Credit-based offset against future MRC.

MACD Fee Caps and Free Change Allowance
Evidence
Ask

Annual free MACD allowance equal to 5% of inventory; cap NRC for standard changes; waive disconnect NRC on like-for-like upgrades.

Target

Free MACD pool + hard caps by task type.

Fallback

Discounted MACD rate card.

Auto‑Apply SLA Credits and Timely RCAs
Evidence
Ask

Auto-apply credits for verified SLA misses; RCA within 5 business days for P1 incidents.

Target

Credit tiers for availability/latency/jitter; pooled if minor misses.

Fallback

Quarterly manual claim with extended window.

Diverse Paths and Dual Last‑Mile Options
Evidence
Ask

Documented physical path diversity with diversity tag; commit TTR on dual-access sites; credits escalate for common-cause failures.

Target

Verified separate CO/conduit with diversity certificate.

Fallback

Logical path diversity with faster TTR.

Bundle 5G Business Internet as Backup
Evidence
Ask

Include 5G Business Internet backup with price hold for 12 months; waive early disconnect on FWA once wired primary stabilizes.

Target

FWA backup on top 50% sites; self‑install option where available.

Fallback

30‑day FWA pilot on priority sites.

VoIP Jitter/MOS/TTR SLRs with Credits
Evidence
Ask

Jitter, MOS, network availability, provisioning interval, and TTR per Verizon VoIP SLA with credits and escalation matrix.

Target

24x7 P1 response, 4h restore target.

Fallback

Business hours with pooled credits.

Exit Portability and Number Porting SLAs
Evidence
Ask

Defined porting intervals, CSR/PIN handoff, and cooperation on bulk ports; no ETL on ports after term.

Target

Porting windows with milestone schedule; vendor support calls during cutover.

Fallback

Extended window with staged ports.

Billing Transparency, Audit Rights, and Dispute Windows
Evidence
Ask

Standardized line-item taxonomy; quarterly joint bill review; extended dispute window to 180 days on complex services.

Target

Automated dispute workflow and credit timing SLAs.

Fallback

Manual process with longer clock.

Sub‑processor Notice and Registry Access
Evidence
Ask

Maintain sub‑processor registry and provide change notice with review window; cooperation on assessments.

Target

30-day advance notice; document links; contact channel.

Fallback

Notice-only with quarterly digest.

Mid‑Term Upgrade and Controlled Downgrade Rights
Evidence
Ask

Upgrade at pre‑agreed rate card; allow bandwidth/line downgrades on anniversary with no ETL; co‑term remaining services.

Target

Quarterly change windows; no repricing.

Fallback

Annual window with moderate repricing guardrail.

Installation Milestone Credits and Cancel Rights
Evidence
Ask

Credits for missed install milestones vs SLA; option to terminate without penalty after defined threshold.

Target

Written install dates and credits by delay band.

Fallback

Extended credits only.