Internal pressure has already caused some seasoned managers to leave and the rep turnover is probably edging over the usual +-45% annual turnover rate. The departure of so many from the field level to the executive level certainly indicates a lot of turmoil. Having AT&T take over is probably a very good thing to straighten out some of the internal problems of the BellSouth YP sales group. AT&T probably has a lot of questions about the large amounts of "bad sales" writeoffs from the Atlanta Internet products sales group. After Elmer Smith left there was a great deal of "anything goes" selling. Bogus sales contracts were written on cell phone numbers as well as numerous other unethical sales practices were used to post fake sales. It was so bad at one point that there was a "breakfast club" of reps that would discuss ways to scam the system. Management did not seem to care when the numbers were posted and the bonus payouts looked better. In true corporate fashion you have managers that want to chalk it up to "a few bad reps" but it was permeating the culture. From the normal fallout of a buyout and things like this there will definitely be more changes.

As you know, we removed the first two comments you posted, because we do not believe in having our blog used for personal attacks, especially ones as banal as yours. I’ll give you this, if nothing else, you are persistent.

Ken, it’s real easy to call people names anonymously. I hope you are not feeling too proud of yourself.

Thanks for removing the first two of Ken’s posts. They really were inappropriate, as is his last one.

I wish Denny all the success in the world.