... is to inform other potential users of the IPflex product offered by at&t. I hope that potential users will be more informed when making a decision about IP flex.
About me...
I am an IT decision maker at a mid size company in West Michigan. I clarify though, the opinions here are my own, written using my own resources.
I have been working on implementing the IP flex product implemented since July 2009.
The summary...
I'll post more details( let me know in the comments) as needed.
The implementation was extremely unprofessional. We lost hundreds of hours, spent way more than expected for the implementation.
I signed the contract on July 2009, the product was implemented at the end of November 2009.
The implementation was done after 4 failed tries. Let me emphasize that:
4 failed tries at implementing a data/phone connection
If you are an IT manager you will know the time and expense that goes into planning each transition.
The project management was non-existent and most of the tech teams unresponsive. I only got some help after escalating the project high up the chain.
In short - Very Late, Over Budget, Frustrating experience
To make it more interesting...
at&t started billing us even before the service was fully activated. Our accounting department is now logging hours trying to get the right credits.
If you haven't dealt with at&t before, it like talking to an obstinate 4 year old.
"That's the charge, it's due, please make a payment"
Our account rep is trying to make sense of it, so far it's a tangled mess.
The service itself...
The date and voice service, to be fair, is decent.
This is however, a lower level of service than we've experience with our previous vendor TDS.
It already went down for about 3-5 hours on a day, which for us, was unheard of earlier.
The customer service lines were busy, and there is no online status update.
So if your CEO asks you why the lines don't work, try not to look stupid.
Now...
We have a extra at&t line that needs to disconnected. We've requested a disconnect in November 2009. We're still waiting.
We've been double billed, and the at&t is yet to resolve them.
If I had to do it again...
No way. I no longer consider at&t as a viable option for a business. For an iphone maybe, but not for business-grade services.
Future updates...
I'll continue to update as things change - for good or bad. Or if I remember something. Or if someone posts a question.
Thank you for the feedback, I've heard similiar stories from other sources. AT&T service/support is terrible.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a couple years since the nightmare, any new thoughts or comments. I was just about to sign a contract for AT&T IP Flex 3.0
ReplyDeleteJoe.
ReplyDeleteNot the OP but I am someone who is just about to wrap up an IP Flex install. Service is still a nightmare and we had the same problem with AT&T initiating billing before the service was turned up. We were told it would be complete in 30-45 days and we are over the 100 day mark.
My suggestion is to request a project manager, and raise hell to get one... you DO NOT want an "order specialist". Also, tell AT&T to check the facilities at each site BEFORE you sign, and don't worry about going over peoples heads at AT&T, it is the ONLY way you can get anything done. So yeah, AT&T still COMPLETELY unprofessional and HORRIBLE customer service, and I will comment on the product once it is delivered (if it ever really is).
Ip Flex was a terrible decision for us. Way too long to implement, service from Telegration is non-existent, same for AT&T. It's been a year since install and we're still experiencing dropped calls, and web ex conference call issues. we'll be moving back to POTS lines.
ReplyDeleteDennis
IT Admin
Horrible experience. I am a wholesale distributor that brought 5 of my 7 locations onto IP Flex over an MPLS service. Triple your budget for tech support from your phone provider. My phone cost actually went UP and service down. I would NEVER do this again. I am switching back to PRI's at several locations and POTS at others. I have spent 30 days trying to get an 800 number to ring correctly and it is still an issue. The service is not dependable and the proactive monitoring does not work. I have POTS fall back lines configured for every site. If the proactive monitoring does not work the POTS fall back lines do not work. IP Flex may be the end all be all, but AT&T does not have the basic support to support this product.
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have found this site before we went IP Flex. Implemented on 6/13
ReplyDeleteWe had all of the problems above. Our 800 inbound did not work after this implementation. It took about 1 to 2 days to patch it while an order was processed to make it permanent. Then to disconnect the old services and billing is still an ongoing battle. Our fax lines were also ported over because they assured me yeah no problem they will work just fine. Wrong AT&T!!.. I had a dedicated team and product specialist. The entire group is poorly trained. Stay away...
Another problem. Technical support is not the same on IPflex. They takes days even weeks to respond to your ticket. Escalating tickets do not help.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, this is so true. Their "Express Ticketing" web site is buggy but it's still better than trying to call the help line.
DeleteWish I had read all of this before we signed up. We also had a horrible experience! Waited for months and spend countless hours on getting the bills corrected. AT&T the only supplier in our area, so I do not have another choice. If I had known what would happen, I would have stayed with our previous setup, which was regular phone lines and a T-1 line from AT&T.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had known. AT&T are just incompetent buffoons. I have been waiting eight months for the data circuit to get installed. It took them six months to get the voice done. I can't wait to get out of our contract and get another provider.
DeleteLook at Century Link. I've been migrating all of my services to them. Their SIP over MPLS works great. In 2016 when my IP-Flex contract expires I will be completely off AT&T.
DeleteI may not get to the end of our contract. I am ready to cancel.
DeleteWhat bugs me the most about this product is that I was recently working for a so called "solutions provider" contracted by ATT to sell this crap. They are telling customers they have no choice, but to switch to IPFlex yet when the customers call ATT, they deny that. Evergreen Telecom and Affinity Benefits from Roswell, GA are guilty of fraud and I will do everything I can to expose them for what they really are.
ReplyDeleteAT&T are horrible. IPFlex is a terrible product I think. I won't know for sure until AT&T actually get it working of course but after a year I am a bitter about the whole experience.
ReplyDeleteAT&T IP Flex service is horrible. Level 1 and 2 support basically Google what you tell them and then ask you if your router is plugged in, do you see lights on the router, is the network cable(s) plugged into the router. Are you serious? Would I call technical support for no power or unplugged cable?
ReplyDeleteI am then told they will connect me to a technician and on am in the call queue for over 2 hours. Perhaps if AT&T is going to say they provide managed service, then they should get people that can actually provide service.
Every time I called for support, which was about 10 times in all, I am told I will be connected to a tech. Not once was that ever a success. Express ticketing is a black hole, you might as well not bother.
DeleteSame problems on installation (6 months after signing contract - but BILLING starts immediately. Service is AWFUL. IP Phones and faxes are unreliable, and support is either unreachable or unresponsive (the end result is the same). What makes it worse is that they are HAPPY with a 40% drop in faxes and calls (they say it is above the average for IP of 50%)!!!
ReplyDeleteInsanity time infinity. As soon as the contract expires, we are gone!
I don't blame you. I've had similar experiences. Two months after signing our contract I wanted out and that was even before turn up.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteUse an alliance channel Partner they buffer AT&T and deal with the Headaches for you. It makes it much easier more I dont need to talk to AT&T the better! I used a Firm out of Chicago for our 25 site roll out Guys name is Robert Parker 708-717-6892. He works with AT&T and they pay him I didn't have to he also cleaned up all of our billing errors. We are now using them for a MPLS roll out as well order everything through them on AT&T paper and only deal with one person makes this monster of AT&T so much easier to work with
DeleteUse an alliance channel Partner they buffer AT&T and deal with the Headaches for you. It makes it much easier more I dont need to talk to AT&T the better! I used a Firm out of Chicago for our 25 site roll out Guys name is Robert Parker 708-717-6892. He works with AT&T and they pay him I didn't have to he also cleaned up all of our billing errors. We are now using them for a MPLS roll out as well order everything through them on AT&T paper and only deal with one person makes this monster of AT&T so much easier to work with
DeleteDon't be in a hurry, and have your data and voice vendors onsite. Every day is a new day with AT&T. Here's our story. AT&T is built into our office with fiber. We have already had AT&T IP Flex for a year or so. We were upgrading from 10MBps to 20MBps. Piece of cake, right? Wrong. First harbinger was AT&T would not enable the feature 'disaster routing' to forward our main telephone number to the cell number of our service manager. We are told that it would be a quick cut however, even though the contract says 'up to 4 hours'. I call into the conference bridge, and am asked for the configuration that I am looking for. I reply, "just like we have now". Not good. They don't have ANY of the existing data or voice information. Being logged into the IP Phone system, I read off the configuration we are looking for. Swing jumper from old router to new. Make test calls in and out. All is well for the voice cut (seemingly). Data group gets on, and points our existing Static IP subnet at the new circuit and reboots the router. Voice tech had not saved changes in the router. Go back to square one. 2 hours into the cut, all the test calls go well. I go back to my desk and am informed that our phones are dead again. AT&T says that they require more time for the move to be made permanent. What?! 11 hours into the cut, they finish, and customers can finally call us (1am). Next morning, we find out that the ANI we are sending out isn't one of ours. Day 1. Trouble Ticket 1. Even though all is working now as desired, my advice is, have your own data and voice folks in house to make this work right - even if it is an easy cut like ours. Tell them to wear comfortable shoes and bring a pillow - just in case. Also, like the other happy customer above, we got our bill for this service, a month before we even got cut over. What a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteMy contract is almost done, I can't wait to kick AT&T out. The network service is OK, voice quality is patchy, particularly with fax. Pray you don't need tech support because that is just dreadful. A bunch of incompetent ninnies at every turn. A horrible company.
ReplyDeleteI wish I found this earlier. At least the guy that posted this only had to wait 5 months our cut over almost took a year and 2 failed attempts because the techs (in one case with our sales guy that sold us the service trying to explain what we are getting and they still didn't understand) didn't know what I was talking about and the order that we place and what service I was to receive! Same as the folks here that experience the lack of sensitivity and the high priority of service that "they promise" would be fixed HA I have many emails stating from our "Senior Sales Executive 2 – Fiber Solutions" person "I'll summit a ticket", or "I have talked to my boss to get this cancelled or fixed" or " I need you to sign these so we can move off the affected fax DID numbers off the IPFLEX onto POTS lines" or "It is because you are on the wrong switch and until you are on the right one, we cannot enable the enhanced features needed for you to forward the fax numbers to another location, or "We might need a new RESPORG signed so we can move the 800 #'s". So ya reading all these, like I said wish I found this a lot earlier, because like MKSJ and Kevin Knight in the above, I can't wait to let them go....
ReplyDeleteMarch 21, 2018
ReplyDeleteI signed up for this service in October. After three failed attempts service was installed in late December, very late. Since then we have had outages over and over again. One outage lasted for 3 entire days. Finally, AT&T installed a new router. Yet, outages have occurred almost weekly. A good period is 3 weeks without interruption. But when the outages occur they last from half hour to half a business day. Worst service we have ever had and we have been in existence as business for 63 years. Does anyone have any options on who to use other and AT&T? We have 6 service lines when they work.
Lumberman in Houston, Texas
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we have ATT right now and it has been a Nightmare from the get-go. We lost business because of their lousy tech and routers... For four days we didn't have any phone or internet service.
ReplyDeleteI need to switch ASAP.. I'm in Millbrae CA.
Please help.
Thanks
Raymond
OMG. I'm in my own personal IPFlex hell with AT&T right now. 2 years running.
ReplyDeleteBilling immediately prior to any service whatsoever, check.
Service installed to the wrong switch in the wrong MPOE, check.
Unannounced visits by different install techs no fewer than 10 times over months, each identifying problems but unable to fix problems or contact groups that could, check.
Fake escalations to Executive Crisis Management Priority Resolution Manager somewhere on the other coast, check.
Web Portals that don't work and require insane credential, registration, and 10-factor security, check.
Emails with arcane account #'s, order #'s, router #'s, escalation #'s, circuit #'s, ticket #'s, id #'s, commitment #'s, check.
It feels like their business model is to lock you into a sales/service contract, then filibuster the installations until the end of time. I wonder if there even actually is a working service platform behind all this. I may never find out.
-hopeless in sfbayarea
OMG. I signed a contract about a year ago with AT&T for the IP flex system. The equipment was installed and the system is not working. AT&T has the audacity to bill me thousands of dollars monthly for servers that are not working. I have been trying to reach out to AT&T for some type of assistance. I have been pushed around to 3 or 4 different representatives and no one has been able to solve my issues. I am so disappointed with AT&T for selling me a pipe dream😡
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