How to contact Apple Consultants Network?!

Question

This might be a completely off-topic post but could someone enlighten me on this; How does one contact ACN through phone? I have searched high and low at the ACN site for some way to get some questions answered. I was told a while ago that they don't have a phone number. Seriously?! One is forced to email them and that takes sometimes days. How is this possible that in this day and age there's a department at Apple out of all the places, which so difficult to get hold of? That too, going by its function, it's not some obscure department. It should be something that is buzzing with activity in promoting the Macintosh-based technologies to the businesses and SoHos etc. How does this important department manages to be so backward and living in the distant past!?
Has anyone here dealt with ACN, is a current member or is planning to become one?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Actually, the ACN is a department at Apple. At least two individuals in the department regularly put on training sessions, try to improve the directory listing, and respond to member issues. Recently, they have tried to increase business for members by adding a review system to the directory. They did some research, and determined that buyers wanted reviews of consultants so they could make a better selection, and then they added that to the directory.
Probably the most important member benefit is the listing in the ACN directory. These days, if a new customer comes into an Apple Store, and they need a consultant, Apple will refer them to the ACN or to OnForce. Having that listing has brought us some business, which is the primary reason we continue to renew our membership each year.
You also get really steep software discounts on Apple software (all NFR, of course), and I believe you also get a free copy of OS X and OS X Server when they come out. Each quarter, Apple offers ACNs a discount coupon which can save a lot of money on Macs (the coupon doesn't apply to iPhones or iPads).
Now, the toughest question: why the ACN doesn't have more resources at its disposal. I honestly don't know, but I can guess. Apple is a consumer-focused company, not a business-focused company like Dell. Most of the calls we see going through the ACN are business support calls; most of the calls we see going through OnForce are consumer support calls. With Apple's primary focus on consumers, they aren't going to spend a lot of time growing the ACN. They probably figure that is the job of independent consultants, and so it's up to those consultants to make sure they are trained, that they are certified, and that they market themselves properly.
In short, I don't think the ACN ever becomes like Microsoft's Partner program. They bend over backwards, inundating you with emails and programs to help you grow your business, sell more Microsoft stuff, get free training, and find more customers. Actually, a lot of the marketing that the Partner program suggests also applies to the Mac market.