Dispute Resolution Process

Compensation Disputes

• Commission calculation errors
• Missing commission payments
• Incorrect rate application
• Spiff or bonus not applied
• Clawback disagreements

Territory Disputes

• Account ownership conflicts
• Lead/opportunity assignment
• Geographic boundary issues
• Parent-subsidiary alignment

Credit Disputes

• Split credit disagreements
• Overlay credit issues
• Partner credit allocation
• Team vs. individual credit

Quota Disputes

• Quota assignment challenges
• Mid-year adjustment requests
• Territory change impact
• Relief requests

Guiding Principles

1. Fairness: Decisions based on documented rules and precedent
2. Timeliness: Resolution within defined SLAs
3. Transparency: Clear communication of decisions and rationale
4. Consistency: Similar situations receive similar treatment
5. Documentation: All disputes and resolutions recorded

Standard of Evidence

Disputes are resolved based on:

• Salesforce data and activity records
• Email and calendar documentation
• Signed contracts and order forms
• Compensation plan documents
• Territory assignment records
• Witness statements (when relevant)

Step 1: Informal Resolution (24-48 hours)

For Territory/Credit Disputes:

1. Involved parties discuss directly
2. Review relevant documentation together
3. Attempt to reach mutual agreement
4. If resolved, document agreement via email

For Compensation Disputes:

1. Review commission statement details
2. Compare against plan document
3. Identify specific discrepancy
4. Discuss with direct manager

Step 2: Manager Mediation (3-5 business days)

If informal resolution fails:

1. Escalate to direct manager(s)
2. Managers review facts and documentation
3. Joint manager discussion (for cross-team disputes)
4. Manager proposes resolution
5. If accepted, document and implement

Step 3: Formal Dispute Submission (5-10 business days)

If manager mediation fails:

1. Submit formal dispute through Salesforce
2. Complete Dispute Form with all required fields
3. Attach supporting documentation
4. Sales Ops assigns to appropriate reviewer
5. Reviewer investigates and gathers additional information
6. Reviewer issues written decision

Step 4: Appeal (5-10 business days)

If you disagree with the formal decision:

1. Submit appeal within 5 business days of decision
2. Provide new information or reasoning
3. Appeal reviewed by senior leadership:
   • Compensation disputes: VP Sales + Finance Director
   • Territory disputes: Regional VP + Sales Ops Director
   • Credit disputes: VP Sales
4. Appeal decision is final

Required Information

All formal disputes must include:

How to Submit

1. Navigate to Salesforce
2. Click "Sales Operations" app
3. Select "Disputes" tab
4. Click "New Dispute"
5. Complete all required fields
6. Attach supporting documentation
7. Submit for review

Scenario 1: Commission Rate Dispute

Situation: Rep believes wrong commission rate was applied to a deal.

Resolution Process:

1. Compare deal details to compensation plan
2. Verify product categorisation in Salesforce
3. Check attainment level at time of booking
4. Confirm any applicable accelerators
5. If error confirmed, Finance processes adjustment

Typical Timeline: 5-7 business days

Scenario 2: Account Ownership Dispute

Situation: Two reps claim ownership of the same account/opportunity.

Resolution Process:

1. Review Salesforce activity history (first logged activity)
2. Check territory assignment records
3. Verify account hierarchy (parent-subsidiary)
4. Review any prior ownership assignments
5. Apply territory rules to determine rightful owner

Typical Timeline: 3-5 business days

Scenario 3: Split Credit Disagreement

Situation: Reps disagree on how credit should be split on a collaborative deal.

Resolution Process:

1. Review any pre-agreed split arrangement
2. Evaluate contribution of each party
3. Consider standard split rules for deal type
4. Manager input on relative contribution
5. Sales Ops determines fair allocation

Typical Timeline: 5-10 business days

Scenario 4: Clawback Dispute

Situation: Rep disagrees with clawback applied due to customer churn.

Resolution Process:

1. Verify customer cancellation timing and terms
2. Review clawback provisions in comp plan
3. Assess if extenuating circumstances exist
4. Determine if churn was foreseeable at booking
5. Finance and Sales Ops make determination

Typical Timeline: 7-10 business days

Territory Disputes: Tiebreaker Rules

When documentation is inconclusive:

1. Earliest Salesforce activity timestamp
2. Named account list assignment
3. Geographic HQ location
4. Parent account owner (for subsidiaries)
5. Manager judgment with Sales Ops input

Credit Disputes: Default Split Rules

Compensation Disputes: Burden of Proof

• For missing payment: Company must show payment was made
• For rate dispute: Rep must show correct rate per plan
• For clawback dispute: Company must show churn per policy
• For quota dispute: Rep must show assignment error